Newbury Hennessy meeting: day two

another good card at Newbury today in the build-up to tomorrow´s Hennessy Gold Cup, which looks like being a terrific race. Main event is the Grade Two novice chase over 2 1/2 miles at 15.40 CET. Unforunately, as so often, this race has cut up badly and there are only 4 runners. The reason for these small fields is that there is only a limited number of top novice chasers around, and most of them are in the same top stables. This time it is Nicky Henderson´s Punchestowns (Barry Geraghty) who has scared off the opposition. He was a top-class stayng hurdler last year last time finishing an excellent runner-up in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham. He is expected to go right to the top over fences and it will be a big disappointment if he fails to win easily today. Dee Ee Williams (Nick Gifford/ Liam Treadwell) is the one for the forecast. Punchestowns has already been well backed for the 2010 Cheltenham Festival and so has another Henderson star making his seasonal debut today, Ger man-bred Bellvano (Tony McCoy), who runs in the maiden hurdle at 16.45. The Silvano gelding (out of a Königsstuhl mare) made a tremendous impression when winning a bumper this CD when last seen out in February. Henderson also has good chances of taking the handicap chase at 16.15, in which he has two runners, top-weight Afsoun (Andrew Tinkler) and likely favourite Pepsyrock (Geraghty). Earlier, Paul Nicholls saddles two ex-French horses for their first races in the U.K., Royal Mix in the 3yo hurdle at 14.00 and Rivalliste in the novices handicap chase half an hour later, and both of them, ridden by Ruby Walsh, must have good prospects. The 3 miles handicap hurdle at 15.05 has 20 runners and looks very tricky, but Lie Forrit (W. Amos/ Campbell Gillies) is greatly improved, having won 4 of his last 6 starts, and showed such speed when winning a similar event at Cheltenham last time, that he seems almost certain to be involved in the finish.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Mille Chief - Royal Mix - Prince Pippin
2. Race: Rivaliste - Like A Duke - Bob`S Dream
3. Race: Lie Forrit - Ainama - Factotum
4. Race: Punchestowns - Dee Ee Williams - Red Admiral
5. Race: Pepsyrock - Gaelic Flight - Consigliere
6. Race: Bellvano - Henry King - Tocca Ferro