LAST Saturday’s racing in Britain was dominated by one yard, with trainer Venetia Williams winning three big races in the space of 45 minutes and taking home the best part of £200,000 in prize money.
The winning spree included Haydock’s Grade One feature, won for the second consecutive year by the tenacious Royale Pagaille, and with the yard in flying form they look to have strong claims of again sweeping up the feature race at Newbury this weekend.
The Coral Gold Cup (3.00pm) is always one of the Jumps season’s most competitive staying handicaps, but this year doesn’t look to be the strongest of renewals and it could be made for Williams’ VICTTORINO.
This French-bred is only a six-year-old but already has plenty of experience over fences, including when successful in two big three-mile handicaps at Ascot last season.
On the second of those, he had enough in hand to repel a progressive rival off a mark of 142 and returns here off just a pound higher.
His lack of a prep run could be an issue, as it’s something that is usually a prerequisite for success in this race, with the only horse in the last 10 years to win this on reappearance being Cloudy Glen in 2021.
There are no prizes for guessing who trained that chaser though, and Williams will certainly have Victtorino ready to go here.
His excellent record when fresh, underlined when winning the Sodexo Gold Cup by six lengths first time up last season, is further reason to believe he can overcome a lengthy absence and take this race under the excellent Charlie Deutsch.
With the yard in red-hot form, it’s hard to ignore his claims at around 7/1.
Williams just got the better of the Harry and Dan Skelton team at Haydock last weekend, with Royale Pagaille outstaying Gery Dawning in a thrilling finish to the Betfair Chase, but the Warwickshire-based duo remain in fine form.
They are set to field GALIA DES LITEAUX, a mare that has stamina in abundance, having finished a close second in the 3m6f Warwick Classic Chase and then eighth in the Grand National last season.
She made a satisfactory return to action at Carlisle, staying on well over a trip short of her best, and this will be her second start after a wind-op.
She should have come on for her reappearance and returned to a more suitable trip, if this develops into a real stamina test, either by way of bad ground or a testing gallop, she would certainly be one of the main beneficiaries.
She offers good each-way value too at around the 14/1 mark.
Before the feature race, there’s the Coral Racing Club Intermediary Hurdle (2.25pm), better known to many as the Gerry Feilden.
Trainer Gary Moore won this last year with Hansard, and he and his son Josh, who has joined him on the licence this season, will be hoping the rain comes for their contender Salver.
He could carry top-weight here and would have a good chance in soft conditions, but if you fancy him then it’s hard not to make a case for EXCELERO at around 12/1.
Jane Williams’ four-year-old was beaten just over two lengths by Salver on his debut at Warwick last season, and begins life in handicap company off a mark of 120, while Salver is rated in the 140s.
Excelero has some good form to his name from last season, including when not disgraced behind Sir Gino on Cheltenham Trials Day, on only his second start.
He ran well when fresh last season, and could turn out to be a handicap blot.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Excelero e/w 2.25pm Newbury
Victtorino e/w 3.00pm Newbury
Galia Des Liteaux e/w 3.00pm Newbury