Newbury Placepot: Friday, November 30

Shahin is hoping that Nicholls gets off to a flying start

Shahin Khoshsokhan brings you a suggested Placepot permutation from Newbury...

12:30 - Paul Nicholls has already introduced a couple of highly promising French recruits to the juvenile hurdling ranks this term and Saphir du Rheu could well be another. He finished third of 16 in a soft-ground listed race for newcomers at Auteuil in September and should prove very hard to keep out of the frame.
 
13:00 - Dancingtilmidnight looked a good prospect when winning on her hurdling bow at Ludlow last month, and while she'll probably need further than 2m 5f before she really comes into her own, she's likely to get away with it in a race lacking depth and with conditions as testing as they are.
 
13:30 - Ballywatt looks the most vulnerable favourite on the card, simply because of the competitive and uncertain nature of this race, and is worth taking on for placepot purposes. Drumshambo appeals as a solid option, as he already looks a better chaser than hurdler after his win at Ludlow two weeks ago and soft ground will hold no fears. Another who could be worth including is Double Dash. He may be returning from a long absence but his stable has been in excellent form of late, and he's potentially well handicapped.
 
14:05 - Very smart hurdler Dynaste made a most striking debut over fences when beating Fingal Bay at Cheletenham two weeks ago, and there's every chance he'll develop into one of the leading novice chasers this season. This is a novice chase after all, however, so impressive Exeter winner Theatre Guide is also included for added insurance.
 
14:40 - This is competitive but it's still hard to get away from the claims of Ballybough Pat, who was runner-up in a Chepstow Grade 2 on just his second start over hurdles and has obvious potential for better still, particularly at this trip. The novice event Tarbeck won this time last year has worked out well and is added as back up despite having been absent since.
 
15:15 - Plenty of these have questions to answer, so it would be a surprise if last-time-out winners Bless The Wings and Pasco couldn't see us home in the final leg, especially as both have conditions to suit again.

Selections:
12:30- 6
13:00- 2
13:30- 5, 9
14:05- 2, 3
14:40- 5, 15
15:15- 3, 9
= 16 lines

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