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Warwick Races Preview for 7 February – Kingmaker Clash Between Mambonumberfive & Steel Ally

5 February 2026
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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Warwick races preview for 7 February includes Steel Ally

After again losing their big day in January to wintry weather, Warwick races on Saturday, 7 February gives the West Midlands track its moment. The abandonment of Sandown on Friday means an extra Grade 2 on the Kingmaker card with the Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle moving here some 24 hours later.

While the feature contest is about quality, rather than quantity with a small field of three runners, the supporting races offer even more competitive action. This day kicks off with a maiden hurdle, then the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle. Following on from that is the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase itself, before a Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase series qualifier.

There’s then the added bonus of the Jane Seymour at Warwick races, plus a couple of handicap hurdles and a mares only bumper to finish the card. That gives punters lots to look at in the West Midlands with soft going underfoot from the track. We asked our experts to bear all that in mind when coming up with their Saturday selections here.

Their study of the form book, combined with online horse racing bookmakers‘ odds, helps you find some value. It’s bread and butter for them, assessing the most interesting and best treated runners in the conditions. Check out the shortlists from our experts for the first seven races here this Saturday…

Warwick Races Preview for Saturday, 7 February

12:40 – 2m 3f Class 4 Maiden Hurdle

John Hales silks A first-time tongue tie aids the breathing of JUST GOLDEN as he looks to make it fourth time lucky over hurdles in the opener. Trained locally to the course by Dan Skelton, he was perhaps unfortunate not to get off the mark around Cheltenham when last in action. Just Golden sets a clear form standard on a rating of 123. He’s the one to beat on home turf here.

Of the others, Piping Rock has hit the frame twice over timber for Emma Lavelle at Windsor and Wincanton. He is 3lb behind Just Golden, according to the assessor, so will need to improve again. Limerick Star is interesting under an amateur jockey taking 7lb off with his claim for the Philip Hobbs & Johnson White stable, meanwhile.

He split next time out winners when third around Exeter on his Rules debut. Limerick Star also chased home 140-rated chaser Moon Rocket in his sole Irish Point. There’d be some doubts over the going for Tom Ellis inmate Chasing Glance, but he has course experience after a fifth over 2m 5f in a maiden from December that has worked out well with the front three all scoring since.

1:15 – Listed 2m 5f 5y Warwick Mares’ Hurdle

Hollygrove Cha Cha silks Old rivals meet again at Warwick races as dual Listed winner Jubilee Alpha faces the females she bested around Taunton and Cheltenham last season in HOLLYGROVE CHA CHA and La Pinsonniere respectively. This course and distance in the conditions just may suit Jamie Snowden’s charge best. Hollygrove Cha Cha switches back from fences with a fine record on soft and heavy going.

Jubilee Alpha has been very disappointing for Paul Nicholls this season, suffering defeats in handicaps and this grade last time. Connections have largely kept away from more testing ground with her too. La Pinsonniere is actually 3lb worse off with ratings topper Jubilee Alpha now and lacks a recent run, for all Nicky Henderson has two wins in the last three editions held at Warwick.

The 2024 Persian War heroine Flying Fortune makes her reappearance for Mickey Bowen, but hasn’t been seen since in 484 days. She’ll surely need the run. Mel Rowley’s Analiese seeks a hat-trick following victories at Uttoxeter and Aintree, but is a stone behind the other mares on official figures.

1:50 – 2m 54y Grade 2 Kingmaker Novices’ Chase

Walters Plant Hire silks A poor turnout of three, but topweight STEEL ALLY has jumped impeccably so far and stays further. That should help Sam Thomas’ charge see off his two rivals here. Steel Ally won a graduation chase up at Carlisle on his bow in this sphere and heads to Warwick races off the back of Noel Novices’ Chase glory in this grade around Ascot. All that’s missing from his profile is a win left-handed over fences.

Steel Ally’s form stacks up with the third and fourth home last time scoring since. Mambonumberfive is a big chasing type, meanwhile, and Ben Pauling has already notched a hat-trick with him. Receiving 2lb here makes him a major danger to Steel Ally with his own form just as good, if not better. Mambonumberfive should confirm Wayward Lad form with Mirabad, another from the local Skelton yard.

If the official handicapper has it right, then Steel Ally has 2lb in hand over Mambonumberfive off these terms. The latter’s handicap wins around Aintree and Newbury read well, so it then comes down to prices in search of value. In that respect, the percentage call is Steel Ally, a fully mature, but relatively lightly-raced horse for his age.

2:25 – 2m 4f Class 2 Middle Distance Series Veterans’ Handicap Chase Qualifier (0-150)

Grandeur D'Ame silks Some old favourites descending on Warwick races including last year’s winner Le Milos, but Skelton books 7lb claimer Harry Atkins for the ride. That heavily implies that connections don’t think he can repeat the dose without the extra weight off his back. Knappers Hill has topweight for Nicholls, but he’s still working his way back to race fitness after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

If there’s a bet here, then it might be worth chancing GRANDEUR D’AME on the pick of his Cheltenham form. Alan King’s charge has placed efforts off 136 and 134 in Premier Handicaps there in each of the last two seasons. Off 2lb lower than the latest of those, Grandeur d’Ame will handle these slower conditions, though, having previously scored on heavy up at Wetherby.

Guard Your Dreams is a past course and distance winner like Le Milos, but also has Toby McCain-Mitchell taking 5lb off with his claim for the Twiston-Davies stable. He hasn’t run for 280 days and forecast conditions suggest fitness will be vital. Richard Hobson’s Fugitif ran well for a long way around Ascot last time and keeps sliding down the handicap. It may be now or never to stage a revival.

3:00 – 2m 3f Grade 2 Jane Seymour Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle

Blank silks Haydock 1-2 Supreme Malinas and PARK PRINCESS take each other one again at Warwick races in this rearranged event transferred from Sandown Park. Off 5lb better terms, and with just a nose in it on Merseyside, preference has to be for the latter. Anthony Honeyball’s mare has come out and won since. Park Princess will also appreciate stepping back up in trip.

Supreme Malinas was anything but convincing the last day and the penalty doesn’t help her here. The fourth from Haydock has also won since, which also advertises the form. A bigger danger might come from Irish raider Good Girl Kathleen, but she drops markedly in trip from her Cork Grade 3 success over an extended three miles for the Emmet Mullins stable. She too has a 5lb penalty.

Kim Bailey & Mat Nicholls’ White Noise has definitely been a step ahead of the handicapper, but now finds herself pitched in deep waters. Old rivals Kingston Queen and Dream Shadow, a course and distance winner, meet again after finishing first and third in a Listed bumper at Market Rasen last term. Both are on the upgrade here in a competitive field.

3:35 – 2m Class 4 Handicap Hurdle (0-120)

Blank silks Topweight LE YACHT is 2-2 on soft going, so appeals to bounce back dropped in distance now returned to such a surface at Warwick races for Tom Lacey. While his Ludlow and Doncaster wins don’t amount to much form wise, the rest of the field is far from certain to handle conditions here. Skelton runs two, but neither Supreme Yeats nor Service Minimum appears to be crying out for this rain-softened ground.

Alastair Ralph won this race back in 2022 and his Ufouria could shed her maiden tag over hurdles off a reduced mark of 110 here. When trained in Ireland by Paul Nolan, she won a bumper on softish going and placed on heavy first time out behind the useful Only By Night. Almuhit was in good form on the Flat in stayers races over the summer, meanwhile, so might find this trip a bit sharp over hurdles.

Cornish Storm is the only last time out winner in the line-up, but it’s pure guesswork if he handles the going or not. The veteran Homme D’Un Soir should act in the conditions, but is also obviously vulnerable to younger legs. Get The Value completes the field off bottom weight. It’s fair to say that there have been better races put on during a Saturday card than this one.

4:00 – 2m 5f 5y Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)


McNeill family silksOld chasing rivals FINGLE BRIDGE and Phantomofthepoints meet again, but this time over hurdles at Warwick races instead of the bigger obstacles around Uttoxeter. The former finished alone that day when the latter took a tumble three out. Phantomofthepoints seems best caught at Haydock, but it’s very interesting Olly Murphy reverts back to hurdles with Fingle Bridge.

This is actually his handicap debut and, while he’s hardly throw in for it off joint-topweight on a mark of 139, this longer trip could suit. Fingle Bridge is by the late stamina-laden sire Flemensfirth. While Murphy also runs Junker d’Allier, there are potentially bigger dangers lurking lower in the weights. King’s Believitanducan is the youngest in this line-up aged five, but will appreciate the return to soft going.

Prince Zaltar gives the Skelton stable a runner here and, if he can reproduce his fine second at Cheltenham over further from out of the handicap, he could have a big say in the finish off bottom weight. Leading owner JP McManus has sent Faye Bramley the Lartigue Hurdle winner Last Kingdom, but he is the other topweight on his British bow and needs to prove his stamina.

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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