Paddy Power Millionaire Chase: Frank Hickey and Paddy’s Newbury qualifier tips

Need a tip? Our podcast pair have got you covered.

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By / Horse Racing News, Horse Racing Tips / 3 years ago

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

The third qualifying race for the Paddy Power Millionaire Chase takes place at Newbury on Saturday, and we’ve got you covered if you’re struggling to decide who to back.

Expert tipster Frank Hickey and Mr Paddy Power himself have given their take on the 15:00 race, which is serving as one of six events giving punters the chance to start 2021 in style at Cheltenham on New Years Day.

Not sure what we’re on about? You’re going to want to know. It’s your chance to turn £5 into £1m. Get the low down on everything you need to know here.

Speaking on the latest episode of our twice-weekly From The Horse’s Mouth podcast, Paddy and Frank are going their separate ways in the 3m2f handicap chase due to get underway at 15:00pm.

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Paddy Power – Black Op

I was between two horses for this – Aye Right and Black Op – the second and third favourites.

I’m going to go with BLACK OP. I think this is a Grade 1 horse and he was second at this meeting last year to Champ, which obviously turned out to be very good form. He was second to Slate House in another Grade 1 at Kempton and had some nice prep behind Imperial Aura, who is a really progressive horse, at Carlisle last time. He looks quite well-handicapped with 11st and it will feel like he’s going around with nothing on his back!

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Frank Hickey – Cloth Cap

I agree with Paddy that Black Op has a right chance but I would just prefer if the ground was a bit easier. I’m already p*ssed off with this race because I got involved about three weeks ago at ante-post – and if you’re having a bet on this, the one thing you wouldn’t be worried about is that the ground would be too good at the end of November – and here we are with good ground and my horse that I backed, Sam Brown, needs soft ground and was the only horse that came out at the final declaration stage.

Black Op has a good chance but I do think he enjoys a bit of cut in the ground so the one I’m going to go for is a horse that ordinarily I wouldn’t even consider for a race of this class. But I do think it’s quite a weak renewal, because usually you’re looking at this and trying to see which horses would go on to contest the Gold Cup. Some people are saying Vindication is that horse but he’s running off 161 and if you saw his jumping at the track last week, you’d think that it’s absolutely insane to be having a bet on him at 6/1. His jumping was very off-putting and he wouldn’t be for me.

 

The one that I’m going to back is CLOTH CAP for Jonjo O’Neill. He really wants good ground but hasn’t had it in a long time. If you go back to the 2018/19 season, he got good ground that year and won at Stratford and Catterick off marks of 118 and 125, and he finished the season finishing third in the Scottish National off 134, catching the eye that day. He was very inexperienced going into the race and since then it’s been all soft ground but he’s run okay.

He finished third in an Ascot handicap off a mark of 136 and was beaten by a neck in a Doncaster handicap off 136. He was eighth in the Kim Muir and had a lovely prep when third at Cheltenham off 138 behind Frodon. We just had a bit of rain that got into the ground that day which probably inconvenienced him a bit. He’s been dropped 2lbs and only carries 10st.

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at time of publication but subject to change

Paddy Power Millionaire Chase qualifier 3 (Newbury, 3pm) tips:

Paddy Power – Black Op
Frank Hickey – Cloth Cap

Read More:

THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

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What do you think?