The Weekend Winners team are back to preview a huge Saturday of action at Newbury and Newcastle.
Midway through the latest episode of Weekend Winners, the team scrutinised the 24-strong field assembled for Newbury's Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase, which is live on SportNews Racing at 2.55pm.
Myretown won the Ultima Handicap at last season's Cheltenham Festival and currently heads the betting, with Resplendent Grey, The Changing Man and Hyland also towards the summit of the market.
"You can't have Panic Attack because she's a nine-year-old and you really want a seven or eight-year-old to win this. You also don't really want a horse that's too lofty in the weights, which would concern me about the likes of Resplendent Grey. I really like him but I think he could be vulnerable from a win perspective. I was trying to find an each-way play and I think my selection will be pretty hopeful of rain. I went around the horses but landed on Hobbs and White's Lowry's Bar, who is about 25/1.
"There are two negatives here - not having a run would be a bit of a concern and he did bleed last time out when he pulled up. However, they seemingly are quite happy to go here fresh and take their chance. The more rain that falls the better. They think he's definitely more than capable of taking this trip and I think the pace of this race will suit him as well and I'm prepared to give him a chance in an open race. I think the hype the favourite took for his win at Cheltenham was fair but it's a heck of a hype, so I can leave him. Resplendent Grey is not an each-way price at 13/2 and The Changing Man will end up finishing second. I looked at all the Mullins horses but didn't like any of their profiles for the race."
"It's a mental, competitive race. Myretown has a massive rise from last time out. Resplendent Grey - if the horse was at the front of the market he'd perhaps be the one I'd want to be on. I was disappointed with Hyland's jumping last time out, The Changing Man likes to finish second and Panic Attack steps up in trip.
"My horse has no chance on trends but given how good Three Card Brag was last time out, he's a big price. Obviously the horse he beat in third that day Hoe Joly Smoke ran really well in the Paddy Power and the form has been given a boost. That was on good ground at Cheltenham - when have we ever associated Three Card Brag with good ground? He's always been a real mud lover and I just wonder, has something clicked with him? He's only an eight-year-old but is maybe quite exposed compared to some of the horses in here. He got the front at Cheltenham last time out and the two lugs went up - he had an awful lot left in the tank.
"He could have won by further but I like the way he held himself back and hopefully didn't have too hard a race. I could easily see him running into fourth or fifth. To win this off 155 is a tough ask - only two horses have done it in the last decade - but I think he'll run well at the prices, especially with the rain coming.
"I'm being very, very unoriginal. Both of you have cribbed him so far but I'm with Myretown. Forget the start of last time out, he won that by rights. He's so cool, he's so straightforward. He jumped very well in the main in the Ultima, yes he had the run on the field but still made it count. He was the third novice in the last four years to win the Ultima but that means he's very unexposed still. He should just be reaching his peak age and has plenty more to come. He's a battering ram at the front end and there's always plenty of pace on.
"We've got a full field of 24 runners but you always want to be up with the pace - it's a real war of attrition. You can see why it bottoms some horses out for the remainder of the season because you still have to be prominent. It's whoever has the early boot and who can last out and I feel Myretown, with the way that he races, will be able to last it out. He's the standout for me with plenty of scope to come.
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