Horse Racing tips: Frank Hickey’s best bets on Saturday at Wincanton, Newcastle & Aintree

Top PP trader and all-round good guy Frank Hickey fancies Threeunderthrufive in the 14:25 at Wincanton to continue Paul Nicholls great record in the race.

By / Horse Racing Tips / 6 months ago

Frank Hickey’s Horse Racing Tips

13:00 Aintree – Giovinco
13:30 Newcastle – Mukaddamah
14:10 Aintree – Master Chewy
14.20 Down Royal – Gerri Colombe
14.25 Wincanton – Threeunderthrufive
14:45 Aintree – Half Shot
15.00 Wincanton – Rubaud
15:20 Aintree – West Balboa
15.32 Wincanton – Lime Avenue
15.45 Newcastle – Chillingham

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

13:00 Aintree – Giovinco

GIOVINCO is my novice chaser to follow in our National Hunt Season Preview (below). He jumped well at Carlisle until unseating three fences out. He looked something out of the ordinary over hurdles and while a mark over fences of 143 is no gimme, as he has to give 18lbs to good horses like My Bobby Dazzler, Universal Holly and Lord Of Kerak, they are all between 1lb and 3lbs out of the handicap.

If he wins this easily, he could be rated around 150, which would make him a big player in the novice staying chase division this season.

13:30 Newcastle – Mukaddamah

MUKADDAMAH hasn’t won since her debut at Wolverhampton in January 2022 but has campaigned at Listed and Group level since. Last season she was only 3l off Nashwa in a 10f listed race at Newbury and was only beaten 3.5 lengths in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

She has been very inconsistent this season, running no race in the Sandringham Handicap but ran a fine second to Midnight Mile in a Listed race over 10f at York before running a fine second at Yarmouth back up to 10f, again at Listed Level. She’s back on the all-weather for the first time since that debut win at Wolverhampton and hopefully that can spark another revival at a fair price.

14:10 Aintree – Master Chewy

He displayed plenty of ability last year while still suggesting he wasn’t near his best. The yard weren’t in great form last season but are much better this season and MASTER CHEWY really impressive on his chase debut here a couple of weeks ago when bolting up off a mark of 121. His jumping was excellent and despite the 10lbs rise, can rate a fair deal higher this season.

14.20 Down Royal – Gerri Colombe

Gordon Elliott’s runner, GERRI COLOMBE, looks the big danger to reigning champ Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March. The fact that he will only have two runs before Cheltenham according to his trainer means he will be fairly straight here on seasonal debut.

His Aintree win at the end of a long season shows he is on the up, while the others have reached their peak and could even be regressing a little. It’s Gerri Colombe’s to lose.

 

14.25 Wincanton – Threeunderthrufive

Paul Nicholls’ THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE has had a wind op after a little bit of a disappointing season last year. He did finish with a fine fourth in the Scottish National off a mark of 147 and while he is entered in the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury in a few weeks, he unseated in it last year when relatively well fancied as an 11/1 shot.

His stablemate Frodon is running off the same mark of 158 as when winning the race last year and you can see him trying to press on and put the rest of them under pressure. He is rising 12 and will be an incredible effort to win now off top weight.

I priced this race on Monday and the market has kind of just followed me in on Threeunderthrufive. I can’t say he is really attractive odds, but do think he will run a big race and be tough to beat. The trainer Paul Nicholls has won this four times in the last six years and not always with the most fancied one.

14:45 Aintree – Half Shot

This looks as competitive as always and the short-list is made up of Nassalam, Coopers Cross and HALF SHOT.

Last year’s winner Al Dancer is the only horse to have won this contest on seasonal debut in the last 10 renewals – although this fixture is three weeks earlier this year.

Cooper’s Cross is progressive and could end up an Aintree National type but will need to improve 10lbs in the ratings to get into that race next April. For now, the ex-Irish trained runner Half Shot, could be the answer as he was very progressive for trainer Iain Jardine last season when rounding off the campaign with a fine third in the Scottish National, when just not seeing out the marathon trip.

He jumps well and his stamina should be key with it likely to be a slog with the ground on the heavy side. A tune up at Kelso last month should have him spot on.

15.00 Wincanton – Rubaud

RUBAUD will be tough to beat, despite his 6lb penalty, as the ground is drying up all the time. Hansard was well beaten by him at Kempton in the Dovecote Hurdle but was then much better when fourth to Inthepocket at Aintree, so has potential.

Rubaud also won the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr last Spring and only really disappointed in the big-field Betfair Hurdle on his handicap debut. I can see him bouncing out and making all to win, provided the ground is not too bad.

15:20 Aintree – West Balboa

Brewinupastorm won this in 2021 and unseated last year when 10/11fav and is the one to beat (rated 150) but he has to concede 9lbs to WEST BALBOA who is rated 142. Returning to 2m 4f (after winning over 3m at Aintree on he last start) shouldn’t inconvenience her as she won Kempton’s 2m 5f Lanzarote Hurdle off 130 last January.

She has only had the five runs and is open to any amount of improvement this season. While she may just be using this as a prep for the Betfair Exchange Stayers Handicap Hurdle at Haydock in two weeks time (which is £71k to the winner) but this is £26k to the winner and lacks depth. She would pick up a 5lb penalty here for that contest, were she to win here.

15.32 Wincanton – Lime Avenue

The drying ground will suit and in Paul Nicholls’ recent stable tour, he said that LIME AVENUE struggled hugely with her breathing last season but still showed plenty of promise. She’s had that sorted and she could be really well handicapped off a mark of 118. She could be tough to beat but Great Snow makes her first start for Harry Fry and would be a big danger if the money arrives.

15.45 Newcastle – Chillingham

CHILLINGHAM has only had eight runs in his career to date and won his first two starts in handicaps off 84 & 90 both on soft ground over 1m 4f.

He then finished fourth at Royal Ascot upped to 1m 6f, behind Vauban & Absurde when not quite seen out the trip that day. He was narrowly beaten at Ripon, dropped back to 1m 4f on soft ground before finishing fourth in the valuable Silver Bell Handicap at Hamilton off a mark of 99.

He’s been given a few months off since that run and provided he settles ok, he should play a part in this contest.

 

Frank Hickey’s Horse Racing Tips

13:00 Aintree – Giovinco
13:30 Newcastle – Mukaddamah
14:10 Aintree – Master Chewy
14.20 Down Royal – Gerri Colombe
14.25 Wincanton – Threeunderthrufive
14:45 Aintree – Half Shot
15.00 Wincanton – Rubaud
15:20 Aintree – West Balboa
15.32 Wincanton – Lime Avenue
15.45 Newcastle – Chillingham

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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