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Newbury Races Preview for 29 December – Challow Hurdle Card Brings Curtain Down on Festive Fixtures

27 December 2025
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.
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Newbury races preview for 29 December includes No Drama This End

The Challow Hurdle card at Newbury races takes place on Monday, 29 December this year with competitive fare in Berkshire. It comes at the end of a busy few days immediately after Christmas. No Drama This End is the big name running in the Grade 1 feature contest for novice hurdlers.

Supporting that is the Mandarin Handicap Chase over the Coral Gold Cup course and distance of three-and-a-quarter miles. There are a couple of other handicaps over fences including the Hallowe’en Trophy, plus more hurdles action. Act Of Innocence is one to note in the introductory hurdle, because he had Grade 1 entries over the Christmas period.

Everything kicks off at Newbury races with a mares only handicap hurdle. These contests can throw up horses to follow for the rest of the jumps season. Helping you make sense of it all are our experts, who keep themselves busy before and during the Christmas to New Year period. They delve into the form book and identify the best runners they feel to follow.

What prices are available with online horse racing bookies also plays a part in their considerations. There’s an eternal battle between punters and bookmakers, plus the quest for value. See which horses appeal most on Monday and make their shortlists with a detailed look at the card.

Newbury Races Preview for 29 December

12:05 – 2m 69 Class 3 Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (0-125)

Last year’s winner TOUR OVALIE landed the same race around Ludlow en route, so obviously loves easy right-handed tracks. Evan Williams’ charge appeals most for the double-double under daughter Isabel. There are some good mares in against Tour Ovalie, however, with joint-topweight Rula Bula placed in Listed company over course and distance last November for Jonjo O’Neill and sons.

She also scored around Carlisle on reappearance, earning a 6lb hike from the assessor. Other last time out winners in the line-up to note are Paul Nicholls’ Miss Altea Blue, unchanged by the assessor for her Taunton victory, and White Noise. The latter seeks her hat-trick for the Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls stable with a tongue tie going on for the first time.

Nicky Henderson has won this event twice in the last four season, so the other joint-topweight Arclight reverting to hurdles from fences is also of interest. None of the others make much appeal with juvenile filly Golden Falls pitched in against her elders for Lucy Wadham. Sean Bowen is an eye-catching jockey booking but, even getting 13lb weight for age all-round, her recent course and distance run suggests she’ll struggle.

12:40 – 2m 69y Class 3 Introductory Hurdle

Gordon & Su Hall silks This is all about ACT OF INNOCENCE, who created a huge impression when scoring at Newbury races last month. Although conceding a 5lb penalty to the field, Henderson’s new recruit can follow-up in more modest company than he otherwise might’ve run in over the festive period. Act Of Innocence looks to have a big future, that’s for sure.

Credible opposition on paper looks meagre here. Blues Singer hasn’t run for 310 days, but has decent bumper form and drops markedly in class from his hurdling debut. The problem for Alan King’s horse is the combination of a lack of race-fitness and the presence of Act Of Innocence in the line-up. Nicholls newcomer and juvenile Minella Yoga receives a huge chunk of weight from the favourite.

Recruited from Ireland, he gets a massive 20lb from Act Of Innocence and 15lb from the others. Minella Yoga ran and won for John Nallen in November against fellow three-year-olds, so he’s fit after Fairyhouse success. Of the others, Dan Skelton’s Razors Edge could build on his Rules debut third at Chepstow. Anything else must make major strides on their bare form.

1:15 – 2m 92y Class 3 Hallowe’en Trophy Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (0-130)

Few in-form horses heading to Newbury races here, apart from JOREBEL. He’s 2-2 since switching to fences for Chris Gordon and won five of his last six starts. Jorebel has another 10lb hike for an excellent weight-carrying performance around local course Plumpton. Trainer’s son Freddie has struck up an excellent understanding with this horse during the autumn and he may well go in again.

Rath Gaul Hill lost his unbeaten record over course and distance last time, but still has two wins under his belt here. Sam Twiston-Davies, the last jockey to win on Samuel Drinkwater’s charge, reprises their partnership here. Nothing much else leaps out, but Mon Champion has experience of fences from France. He probably wants further, based on how he shaped on his first British chase at Sandown.

Nicholls’ runner has been dropped 2lb by the assessor, just like Rath Gaul Hill. Mon Champion can only build on that run. Fellow five-year-old Old Cowboy is another open to more progress for Gary & Josh Moore. He ran third on his bow over fences. Topweight Pleasington looks poorly handicapped, based on his two chase starts so far.

1:50 – 3m 1f 214y Class 2 Mandarin Handicap Chase (0-145)

Past course winners at Newbury races will be popular here and old rivals Rivers Corner and KING’S THRESHOLD meet again. Despite being 5lb worse off at the weights, preference is for the latter who stayed on into fourth in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan here last time. Eased 1lb despite shaping like this trip on a flat track would be worth a go, King’s Threshold should run well here.

London National third Rivers Corner has a nice racing weight, but might want even further rather than dropping back in trip. Jamie Snowden saddles Summer Cup winner Only The Bold and the forecast sound surface despite it being midwinter will suit him. Although turning 11 soon, he’s one of the few proven over the trip and his close Sandown third on reappearance received a boost when Twig landed the Becher Chase.

Gericault Roque placed in this race four years ago off 1lb lower for David Pipe, but remains a chasing maiden. Evan Williams steps Minella Blueway back up in distance here, meanwhile, but he’s 9lb higher than when capturing the Fobra Gold Cup around Ludlow. The others have all pulled-up on at least one recent start, so that’s cause for concern.

2:22 – 2m 4f 118y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-130)

This is tricky, but ANDASHAN doesn’t have anything of the calibre of Kabral Du Mathan to worry about at Newbury races, so can go one better for the Gordons. He earlier kept on well into third over two miles here, then went a place better at 2m 3f around Haydock, so another furlong-and-a-half should be just fine. If Andashan doesn’t get his head in front, then the hat-trick seeking Scorpio Rising could take advantage.

Olly Murphy’s runner has an 8lb hike for landing his handicap debut at Lingfield. The return to a more galloping track and stepping Doctors Hill up in trip could be combination that suits for Philip Hobbs & Johnson White, however. King fits recent course fifth I’m A Lumberjack with a hood for the first time and drops him down in distance, meanwhile.

Peacenik is the only other last time out winner in the line-up. Katy Price’s charge has a 5lb hike for scoring around Doncaster. Topweight Jurancon landed both of his previous hurdling starts here, but didn’t fire around Cheltenham on reappearance. The handicapper doesn’t relent at all with the Pipe runner, so he may his work cut out for him carrying 12st 2lb.

Kalium, Get The Value, Don Virginia and Thankyourluckystar have all won races this year, but don’t exactly look thrown in by the assessor. Nicholls claims 7lb off the back of Meatloaf, and he ran well over 2m 3f in the past, so going up further in trip could help his cause at finding Wincanton simply too sharp last time.

3:00 – 2m 4f 118y Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle

McNeill family silksAnd so to the big one at Newbury races where it’s impossible to oppose NO DRAMA THIS END in his hat-trick bid. Consecutive Grade 2 wins without being asked a serious question by Harry Cobden suggest Nicholls has a seriously smart horse on his hands here. No Drama This End could go to the very top, and sets a clear and obvious form standard. It will take something very special to beat him, and online betting sites know it.

Starzand looks best of the rest for Hobbs & White stable. Off 6lb better terms from their course and distance encounter on Coral Gold Cup day, Kalkbrenner should be turning things around with Klimt Madrik really. Just a head separated the pair that day and trainer Ben Pauling has since had a fantastic time over the festive period.

Etna Bianco isn’t exactly crying out to drop back in distance after his Ascot success over further, but has no stamina doubts. Both career victories for Montemares have come on clockwise tracks, so Tom Lacey’s charge not only steps up markedly in class but races the other way around. Destination Dubai could be another who needs to go up, instead of down, in distance after No Drama This End defeated him at Cheltenham.

3:35 – 2m 6f 93y Class 3 Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase

Potter silks Looks a match on paper between GUARD THE MOON and Newton Tornado. The percentage call is the former for the Twiston-Davies team following a taking chase bow around Aintree. The handicapper has Guard The Moon up 7lb for that display, which looks fair. Newton Tornado’s own Bangor victory came on heavy ground and with the concern of jumping right throughout.

Welsh Grand National-winning trainer Rebecca Curtis also claimed 5lb off his back that last day. With Ben Jones now back in the saddle, it effectively puts Newton Tornado off almost an entire stone (13lb) higher in the weights. Guard The Moon beat a previous Cheltenham winner, so his chasing form looks that bit smarter than his main market rival.

The others are much tougher to make cases for. Guard The Moon’s owners also have Calimystic making his chase bow here, but he pulled-up over hurdles last time. Rightsotom could benefit from stepping up to this longer distance, but his Wincanton Rising Stars third wasn’t exactly franked by Blueking d’Oroux in the Kauto Star on Boxing Day.

Michael Lee
Michael Lee
Betting Expert
Michael Lee
Betting Expert

Michael has worked in the sports betting industry for many years. Following football, horse racing and track and field athletics, he has covered the last three Olympic Games, World Cups and other major sporting events.

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