Betfair Hurdle – Connections of Ballyandy and Clyne believe they have well handicapped horses for Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle at Newbury racecourse
NIGEL TWISTON-DAVIES believes Ballyandy has been given a "gift" of a handicap mark in Saturday's Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
And Twiston-Davies is hoping his Champion Bumper winner can get his head in front for the first time over hurdles by taking advantage of his mark.
Twiston-Davies said: "For the first time in my life I think we've been given a gift!"
"He hasn't run since December for a purpose. We would have run but we wanted to preserve our mark."
Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies is hoping the return to a big field will favour Ballyandy, although he is more reserved over his chances than father Nigel.
He commented: "Nige gets a little excited at times, but the handicapper has given him what he feels he is worth.
"He seems well at home, has schooled well and I hope he is up to it. I think the pace of a big field will suit him, he has the experience of the Champion Bumper to fall back on."
Ballyandy will face tough oppostition, none more so than Evan Williams' Clyne who was last seen running The New One close in the Grade 2 Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock.
Williams is another who feels his horse could be well handicapped.
Williams said: "Things have worked out well around his form and we thought it was worth a crack at this race.
"There are so many horses, novices, that have not been exposed. It will be very difficult to win the race. The handicapper has already told us he's better than his mark. That's what we're hanging on to.
"The reality is, the best-treated horse in the race will win."
Paul Nicholls' Movewiththetimes has been popular in the ante-post market and is an unexposed contender in Britain's richest handicap hurdle.
"He has had a nice break since Wincanton. He's got a mark of 136 and if you have a novice on a mark like that, you would hope they are better than that," said the champion trainer.
"It's a hard job running in a race like this for him as he lacks experience as he has only had three runs over hurdles.
"They go at a good, fast, furious gallop so they have to be at their best jumping-wise, but he is a horse we really like."
Nicholls also runs Zubayr, and added: "Zubayr started off at Wincanton on ground that was probably too quick in the Elite Hurdle. He ran a good race but was just flat out all the way and probably paid the price and fell at the last.
"He was fifth at Sandown with 11st 12lb. He was only beaten 11 and a half lengths that day, but I don't think he was at his best.
"He has had a nice break since then. I just think he is a horse that will be better in the spring. He did a nice piece of work with Movewiththetimes last week. You could hardly split them."
Beltor was once a promising juvenile for Robert Stephens and finally looks to be on the way back after two good runs at Kempton, one of which was on the Flat.
"He won nicely at Kempton and then he was a good third back there over hurdles when he was in front at the last and looked unfortunate not to win," Stephens told At The Races.
"He looked very exciting as a juvenile, but the following season in the Fighting Fifth he chipped a bone in his knee and had to have surgery. His work is still very good, he's got plenty of ability,
"It's just taken a while for him to get his confidence back and he seems to be coming back this year.
"There might be a nice handicap in him off a low weight and he could win a nice Flat race as well."
Song Light ran well in the Greatwood Hurdle for Seamus Mullins and has been another for money this week.
"Song Light is fit, well and raring to go," said Mullins. "We have had the Betfair Hurdle in mind for some time. He was due to go to Ascot before Christmas but had to miss that. We decided to wait as there wasn't much else suitable for him.
"I thought his run at Cheltenham was very good. He travelled well but just wasn't on the right stride at the last. He does seem to enjoy Cheltenham as he has been placed there before.
"I think he can run a big race on Saturday. My only concern would be really testing or heavy ground as he didn't run well on that sort of ground at Sandown (in 2015). Soft or good to soft ground will be fine."
The Philip Hobbs-trained Wait For Me was a top-class bumper horse but has failed to reproduce that form over hurdles.
Jockey Richard Johnson said: "Hopefully he will run well. If he can reproduce his County Hurdle form from last year it would give him a great chance.
"At the moment he probably still needs to improve on what he has done so far.
"From his bumper form we know he is a decent horse, but he has not quite got it all together.
"I was bit surprised he was favourite last time, but he is definitely a horse that should have a decent chance."
Boite is an interesting outsider for Warren Greatrex.
"He won really well at Wetherby and then I ran him at Newbury over two and a half miles. Leighton Aspell rode him as it was the day Gavin (Sheehan) got injured and he had a lot of weight for a not very big horse,"; said Greatrex.
"Leighton advised us to go back to two miles in a strong-run race with less weight on his back so I thought this looked perfect. I could see him running well at a big price."
Alan King admits he would have preferred another week with his recent Cheltenham winner William H Bonney, but the prize money is too good to miss.
"He breezed very well on Tuesday. I'm happy with him," King told Racing UK.
"In an ideal world I would have loved another week. We haven't got it, but I'm happy enough to let him take his chance. The prize money is huge."
