Warwick Monday Preview - 15/02/21

The first race of the day at Warwick is the Novices' Hurdle over 2m5f and Stellar Magic off top weight looks to be still progressing and can take this race out.

The Philip Hobbs trained six year old has been three times in his career, winning a point to point in Feburary and this season being sent over hurdles.

He made his rules debut at Taunton in December in a good event and managed to see off Time To Tinker for Paul Nicholls.

The gelding then backed that form up to stay unbeaten in his career when winning over the same course and distance in a much tougher race under a penalty.

Should progress again.

This Class 4 Handicap Hurdle over two mile sees some potentially smart horses and it looks to be a race that will through out plenty of winners in the future.

The horse we are siding with on Monday is Amarillo Sky for Colin Tizzard, with the yard having a torrid season, but now getting a run of winners.

The five year old looks to be a horse with big potential having won his point to point comfortably in March 2020 and this season ran well in two tough novice hurdle events.

Having finished fourth behind Dusart and Soaring Glory at Newbury, he went to Ascot in November and again ran a credible race to finish fourth behind Grade One winner Metier.

Today he steps up for his handicap debut and off what looks a workable mark he should be in the mix.

The feature race of the day at Warwick on Monday is the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices' Chase over two miles and the favourite Allmankind will be tough to beat.

Having been trained on the flat before his national hunt career many thought that the four year old would stay over hurdles but Skelton this season decided to send him over the bigger obstacles and it has paid off.

He started his life over hurdles at Warwick seeing off an average field in good style but what he has done since that has been superb.

He headed to Cheltenham in the Grade Two Triumph Hurdle Trial and after going from the front he could not be stopped winning well, with the second, third and fourth since going on to frank that form.

He did the same when he went to Chepstow over Christmas landing the first Grade One of his career in the Finale Juvenile Hurdle and that set up a run in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival.

Having been prominent in the market he could only finish a fading third and he headed back to Prestbury Park last time out for his seasonal debut and again was underwhelming.

Skelton sent him over fences at Warwick in the Stan Mellor Memorial Novices’ Chase and he put in a faultless round of jumping to land the event with ease.

The form of that 13 length win has since been franked with second placed Zanza winning next time out at Newbury in a Handicap Chase.

Last time out the superstar stepped up to Grade One company over fences for the first time in his career and made a mockery of a superb field to land the Henry VII Novices' Chase at Sandown.

Dropping down in class should see him be even better and looks the one to beat.

French Exploit Paul's Saga makes the trip across the Channel to race at Warwick on Monday and she is the odds on favourite to take the Listed Mares Hurdle.

The seven year old has some stand out form in France and is looking to get a run under her belt before heading to the Cheltenham festival in March.

The best of her form sees off the rest off this field, Landing a Grade One hurdle at Auteuil in October, winning a Grade Three next time out and then in November managed to finish runner up in another good Grade One event.

Having proven black type form should make the difference in this race and she loves the ground heavy which is what she will get on Monday.

The penultimate selection comes in the Warwick Castle Handicap Chase over 2m4f and with some seasoned handicappers heading to post it looks a hot affair.

The horse that has caught our eye is the Dan Skelton trained Oldgrangewood who has some seriously good form in races of this standard over the last few years.

Last season he won back to back handicap events over 2m4f at Newbury and at Cheltenham in a Grade Three seeing off the likes off Kalashnikov and Saint Calvados to land the spoils.

He was upped by the handicapper and it seemed to holt his progress with three fourth placed finishes in a row, but now 1lb lower for those runs he can be competitive again off 146.

His fourth last time out came in a race that is a better standard than this and after a little bit of time off he should be fresh.

The final selection of the day is the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Ballymillsy in the 3m2f Handicap Hurdle and this horse with a handy 3lb claimer on should go well.

The five year old has top weight to contend with but looks the best horse in the race having shown good patches of form this term.

The gelding started his season off at Lingfield in a Maiden Hurdle finishing a good third behind Scottish Stayers' Hurdle winner Threeunderthrufive.

He then went to Cheltenham and finished sixth of seven runners in the Grade Two Ballymore Novices' Hurdle Trial in November, being outclassed on the day.

Stepping back in class last time out he was a strong second at Huntingdon behind Paddys Motorbike who has mixed it in good company recently.

The form is stacking up for this horse and the step up in trip on Monday should bring big improvement on handicap debut.