Newton Abbot Racecourse: preview and tips for Saturday’s six-race Summer jumps card

The card kicks off at 2.15pm with a mares’ maiden hurdle before coming to a closer at 5.05pm when a field of five tackle the three mile and a furlong handicap chase. 

Read below for the full rundown of the Newton Abbot card on Saturday courtesy of Racing TV, who offer the latest free bets offers on horse racing. 

Up first is the two-mile mares’ maiden hurdle (2.15). Lynsey Larue was good enough to win twice in Irish points so gets a tentative vote here now in the hands of trainer Evan Williams as she starts her Rules career in Britain.

Never Told Me, trained by Fergal O’Brien, rates the next best as she gets the hood fitted following a fifth at Worcester ten days ago. 

Race two of the afternoon (2.45) sees a field of six head to the start for the two-mile novices’ hurdle in class four. The Tom Lacey-trained Howth looks the way to go here, a useful staying handicapper that has transitioned to hurdling very nicely, winning three wins from four starts including in a course and distance handicap last month so is the one to beat here despite being at a disadvantage conceding weight to all of his rivals. 

A two-mile handicap chase is up next on the card at 3.20 and there is another very good prospect in here with Centara for the Paul Nicholls yard, vastly improved since the fitting of a tongue strap and arrives here aiming for a fifth win on the spin, scoring last time out as well over course and distance which was his third win at this track.

He’s up 5lb in the weights here but should be hard to stop, with Ballywilliam Boy having the best chance of stopping the Centara train off the back of a good second at Uttoxeter 36 days ago. 

A decent field of nine will tackle the two-mile handicap hurdle in class five to mark the fourth race of the afternoon at Newton Abbot (3.55). Plenty of the field are in decent nick but it is Juggernaut, trained by Anthony Honeyball, who gets the nod in this one having posted a massive career best when landing the spoils at Stratford last Autumn and then confirmed the improvement when a close third behind the re-opposing Feel The Pinch at this track earlier this summer, so could reverse those placings this time around. 

A wide-open class two handicap is the penultimate race of the day (4.30). Mostly Sunny could be worth chancing here, a winner of a Plumpton handicap in April and backed that up in good company when second behind a Willie Mullins prospect at Sandown five days later.

Last time out wasn’t quite up to scratch when fifth at Market Rasen but arrives to Newton Abbot fresh so could be the way to go for trainer Dan Skelton.

Finally, the meeting comes to an end at 5.05 with a novices’ handicap chase in class five and a small field of five will take it on.

Preference in the finale heads the way of My Girl Katie, a course and distance winner in July who won with plenty in hand when adding to her tally 12 days ago at Stratford and looks more than capable of defying a hike in the weights here to make it a third win in four starts. 

Newton Abbot selections - Saturday (via Sporting Life)

2.15 - Lynsey Larue

2.45 - Howth

3.20 - Centara

3.55 - Juggernaut

4.30 - Mostly Sunny

5.05 - My Girl Katie