Newbury Saturday tips – Copybet
The November meeting at Newbury is one of the winter highlights and the big day on Saturday features seven races, including the feature race at 14:55.
The action at Newbury runs from 11:55-15:55 and the last four races on the card will all be televised terrestrially by ITV. Our expert runs you through his pick of the bets there.
Booster Bob – Newbury
It’s a big day at Newbury for trainer Olly Murphy, who saddles one of the favourites for the big race in the shape of Resplendent Grey, and he can win this race with BOOSTER BOB.
The lightly raced second-season chaser progressed with racing last season and won two of his five starts after being switched to fences. He was successful at Ffos Las on his chasing debut and confirmed his liking for a flat, left-handed track with a victory at this track in March.
Booster Bob comfortably landed that 2m4f Grade 3 handicap chase by a length and a quarter from the progressive Vincenzo, who franked the form when going on to finish second in a red-hot race at Cheltenham a couple of weeks ago. The selection is up 6lb for that win.
He will need to improve again to defy the rise, but returns to the scene of his last success and looks certain to be suited by going up another two and a half furlongs in trip. There should be plenty more to come from Booster Bob and he can set the ball rolling for Murphy.
General Medrano – Newbury
This 2m1/2f handicap chase went to GENERAL MEDRANO last year and the Emma Lavelle-trained runner appears to have been trained with a repeat victory in mind here.
General Medrano is now only 8lb higher than when landing the race 12 months ago and 4lb lower than at his peak last season. He is starting to look well handicapped and shaped better than his finishing position on his reappearance at Ascot four weeks ago, when he was fourth.
He ran the final furlong more than three-quarters of a length faster than the winner on that occasion and appeared to finish with running left in the tank. That pipe-opener should have put him spot on for this repeat bid and Emma Lavelle had a winner at Exeter only last week.
That broke a losing run for the stable, which allays any fears over the form of the yard, and General Medrano should be difficult to beat now that he returns to his favourite course.
Intense Raffles – Newbury
The big race of the day could go to Ireland because Tom Gibney sends over the Irish Grand National winner INTENSE RAFFLES and he looks a mighty big price for one of his abilities.
Intense Raffles has been inconsistent since his success at Fairyhouse in April 2024, but did run subsequent Grand National winner Nick Rockett close when second in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February. He was beaten only three-quarters of a length in second.
That form is evidently red hot and Intense Raffles shaped up well for a crack at this race when third behind Il Etait Temps over an inadequate 2m5f at Clonmel three weeks ago. That test would never have suited the selection and the winner is a Grade 1 horse, so it wasn’t bad to run the final furlong only a length slower than him, despite the fact both were eased.
Intense Raffles should be well capable of stepping up on that effort now that he returns to a longer trip in a more competitive race, and he is well worthy of support at the likely big price.