Warwick today

today´s cards are perhaps not quite as classy as is normal on a Saturday, but there is still some very compotitive racing on soft ground (not as bad as it was a week or so ago, but still soft enough), and the main meeting is at Warwick, who stage their biggest fixture of the season.
The Grade Two novice hurdle at 16.00 CET is the top race, and it looks a match between two very promising novices- The New One (Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies) and Dursey Sound (Jonjo O´Neill/ Tony McCoy). The former was sixth in last year´s Champion Bumper but is otherwise unbeaten and has won both his starts over hurdles very easily. However we are not sure that he can concede 3 lbs to McCoy´s mount, who has never yet been out of the first two, while the mare Mickle (Henry Daly/ Andrew Tinkler), in receipt of a further 7 lbs, looks booked for third.
The novice chase over 3 miles+ at 14.50 also looks a match between two promising stayers, Highland Lodge (Emma Lavelle/ Dominic Elsworth) and Rocky Creek (Paul Nicholls/ Daryl Jacob). The former has won 4 of his 6 starts and won very easily indeed at Cheltenham before Christmas, but gives the Nicholls hope 3 lbs and we think that the weight concession could swing it here as well.
The big betting races are the 3 mile 1 furlong handicap hurdle at 15.25 and the valuable Classic Chase over 3 miles 5 furlongs at 16.35, bkith of which look extremely tricly. Our 3 against the field in the latter race are Restless Harry (Robin Dickin/ Henry Oliver), Bradley (Fergal O´Brien/ Paddy Brennan) and bottom-weight Flying Award (Sue Gardner/ Aidan Coleman), while in the former event The Package (David Pipe/ Tommy Murphy - coming back from injury) looks very well handicapped on his old hurdling form and looks certain to start a warm favourite. However he has not actually run over the sticks for almost 4 years and represents no value. We shall go for 3 of the lighter-weights here, Ely Brown (Charlie Longsdon/ Noel Fehily), De la Bech (Philip Hobbs/ Tom O´Brien) and Okafranca (Jim Old/ Micky Grant).
The 2 mile novices handicap hurdle that opens the card at 13.40 also looks wide open. We fancied Geman-bred Engai (David Bridgewater/ Tom Phelan) last Sunday at Plumpton, but he was run out if by a handicap snip, and we hope he can recover losses here.

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Tresor De Bontee - Celtic Intrigue - Party Rock
2. Race: George Nympton - Eastlake - Rody
3. Race: Rocky Creek - Highland Lodge - Forgotten Gold
4. Race: The Package - Holywell - De La Bech
5. Race: The New One - Dursey Sound - Mickie
6. Race: Pete The Feat - Restless Harry - Bradley
7. Race: Reddy Tobouggie - Scorer - Calusa Storm