The Greatwood Gold Cup at Newbury races on Saturday, 1 March sees Premier Handicap action from the Berkshire track. It stands alone as the feature contest on a seven-race card.
Forecast ground is on the testing side with the going stick in the low 3s. The races that horses have at Newbury may leave their mark, then, and punters should consider that in future. We’re pretty deep into the core National Hunt season now with spring on its way.
Supporting races to the Greatwood Gold Cup over fences include the second leg of the Stayers’ Veterans’ Chase Series. There are other handicaps too with small field outside of these old favourites and the feature contest.
That doesn’t mean horse racing betting sites don’t have some value prices out there for punters, though. We put our experts on the case of all the jumps races on the card. You can read their thoughts and analysis below…
Newbury Races Preview for Greatwood Gold Cup Day
1:20 – 3m 2f Class 2 Stayers’ Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase (0-150)
🏇 Credo jumps strongly to land the TrustATrader Apply Today Veterans’ Handicap Chase in the hands of Harry Cobden for trainer Anthony Honeyball 👏@honeyballracing pic.twitter.com/4gnUCfYaTm
— Exeter Racecourse (@ExeterRaces) February 9, 2025
Anthony Honeyball runs three of the eight in the opener with last time out Exeter winner CREDO appealing most. Although up 7lb for a nice win there, Harry Cobden keeps the ride. A mark of 130 shouldn’t be beyond Credo with stable companion Sam Brown framing the weights.
It’s hard to see that 13-year-old even with Chad Bament back in the saddle and taking 10lb off defying a mark of 152, even with seemingly limitless stamina. Gustavian is well worth trying over this longer trip, though, and his Greatwood Gold Cup third on this card 12 months ago reads well.
Gustavian split subsequent Coral Gold Cup hero Kandoo Kid and December Gold Cup winner Gemirande that day. Rex Dingle takes over from Sam Twiston-Davies now. Venetia Williams has two runners with Charlie Deutsch on 2021 Coral Gold Cup victor Cloudy Glen in first-time cheekpieces.
He is back down the same mark as when successful over course and distance. Long absent Quick Wave won’t mind the testing conditions, but can easily be forgiven for needing this run after 742 days off the track. With stamina doubts over Good Boy Bobby and Grandads Cottage, bottom weight Amateur needs wind surgery to work after pulling up seven times in his last eight starts.
1:55 – 2m 69y Class 4 Conditional Jockeys’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (0-120)
Nap Hand shaped nicely when third around Kempton from the back on his bow in this sphere. He was only six lengths behind Keintzheim, a mare bought by JP McManus out of France. Ephinephrine bolted up at the same venue last time, but has a 9lb higher mark to contend with under Ned Fox, who again takes 3lb off with his claim.
The other four make little appeal. Topweight U Cant Be Serious has conditions as a major question mark. Tarbuck won last time out, but steps up in class from the other end of the handicap. Razzle Dazzle Boy lowered the colours of Fasol at Sandown on his penultimate outing, but then disappointed around Chepstow.
2:30 – 2m 7.5f Class 3 Jack Upton Trophy Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase
A series of 1s next to the name of Jasmin De Grugy make the in-form topweight tempting for more success at Newbury races. This is one Honeyball horse with doubts surrounding heavy ground, though, and Williams’ ZERTAKT may now have optimum conditions. His five-length third to Inthewaterside here over the festive period reads pretty well.
That’s because the runner-up, Moon D’Orange, came out and landed the Premier Handicap Chase on Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham. Zerakt also receives almost a whole stone in weight from course and distance winner Jasmin De Grugy. Like many inmates of Venetia’s, he handled the mud just fine when previously trained in France.
Conditions hold no fears for Joe Tizzard’s bottom weight Rivers Corner either. He can only improve for his chasing debut when third in Ffos Las and connections now put blinkers on for the first time. Although winning off lowly marks over hurdles, successes came with plenty of cut in the ground. Law Of Supply and Superbolt may struggle on the going.
3:05 – 2m 69y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)
Just 7lb on official figures splits the seven runners at Newbury races in an open contest. Conditions probably won’t suit Sorceleur, so LARIO looks worth another go. Harry Derham’s horse disappointed at Sandown a couple of times, but ran better around a flatter course in Haydock last time out. Nudged up 3lb, Brendan Powell now takes the ride on Lario.
Topweight Jurancon won a bumper on heavy ground, so clearly acts on it. The form of David Pipe’s yard is a concern, alongside conceding 2lb and upwards all-round. The handicapper is guessing somewhat with Nigel Twiston-Davies newcomer Kel Rifles with a mark of 121. As a French import, he won’t mind cut in the ground.
Joint bottom weight Celtic Art won nicely around Warwick in a lower grade, but has 5lb more on his back now. Kap Ouest didn’t look the easiest of rides when scoring at Exeter, but Harry Fry books Sean Bowen now. The concern with this JP McManus horse is he has only raced on relatively sound surfaces and nothing worse than soft.
3:45 – 2m 4f Greatwood Gold Cup (Premier Handicap Chase)
At the revised weights from a Winter Carnival encounter, meanwhile, SCARFACE looks a good each way bet to turn the tables on Ascot conqueror Kotmask and confirm course and distance form with Saint Segal. Team Tizzard’s runner forfeited plenty of ground when whipping around at the start that day. If Scarface jumps off on terms, then he should be there or thereabouts on that run off 1lb lower.
Oliver Greenall & Josh Guerriero have double entered Iroko, who looks more likely to run at Kelso races, so the yard relies on mud-loving Billytherealbigred. As a five-year-old, he receives 2lb weight for age but has a 3lb rise for his Cheltenham second offset by stable conditional Toby Wynne taking the ride.
Joining Billytherealbigred as a promising novice in this Greatwood Gold Cup is Vincenzo for in-form Sam Thomas. He’s also two out of three over fences, yet now has 5lb more on his back for Sandown success. Le Milos won a veterans’ race at local course Warwick the last day, but won’t find life so easy trying to follow-up against younger legs.
4:15 – 2m 4.5f Class 3 Handicap hurdle (0-130)
Both have improved from low bases to marks in the 110s. Solar System just hung on at Haydock last time out, so 6lb more makes his task much harder. Fine Casting flatters to deceive for the Ben Pauling yard, so Ninth Loch looks interesting stepping up in trip. He will need to jump better, but Derham has amateur Victoria Malzard taking 5lb off.
A first-time hood on Lemoncello looks a good move by Venetia Williams, meanwhile. This horse faced an impossible task chasing home subsequent dual winner Nemean Lion around Hereford on his penultimate start. Lemoncello was only beaten by about five lengths and ran from 3lb out of the handicap, so being 5lb lower here helps his cause.
