ITV Racing Tips: Agent 000 looks nicely tuned for Newbury test

Saturday, February 8 already - and high-class National Hunt racing is on our ITV screens from Newbury, and Warwick. SEVEN live contests in all, and it would be no surprise if there were some vital Cheltenham clues to be had.

Sadly Sir Gino now doesn't go in Newbury's Game Spirit, but it's Willie Mullins vs Dan Skelton (plus supporting cast) at Warwick in a warm mares' hurdle. Action kicks in at 13:50, and here are our ITV Racing tips. If you're playing, enjoy.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

Full ITV Schedule;

13:50 Newbury - 3m William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Challenger Stayers' Hurdle Series Qualifier)

14:05 Warwick - 2m Unibet Kingmaker Novices' Chase - Grade 2

14:25 Newbury - 2m 7 1/2f William Hill Denman Chase - Grade 2

14:40 Warwick - 2m 5f Read Nicky Henderson's Weekly Unibet Blog Mares' Hurdle (Listed)

15:00 Newbury - 2m 1/2f William Hill Game Spirit Chase- Grade 2

15:15 Warwick - 2m 4f Unibet Middle Distance Series Veterans' Handicap Chase

15:35 Newbury - 2m 1/2f William Hill Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)

Rationale;

13:50 Newbury - Haiti Couleurs @ 5/1

Pembrokeshire powerhouses combine, as jockey Sean Bowen renews his partnership with Rebecca Curtis' improving stayer Haiti Couleurs.

This season has seen the eight-year-old gelding scale new heights after being sent chasing, and a rating of 124 in April last year has become 135 for today's contest.

At Cheltenham no less 56 days ago he cosily took a good novices' handicap and holds an entry in the Brown Advisory at the Festival in March.

He's presumably warming up for that in this staying hurdle and might have the class to carry 12st to victory under the brilliant Bowen, my idea of just about the best the weighing room has to offer right now.

14:05 Warwick -  L'Eau Du Sud @ 1/4

Sadly it's not much of a betting contest, and with only four runners there isn't a great deal of scope for forecast advice either with one rival highly likely to take that runner-up spot.

All this presupposes that L'Eau Du Sud is the proverbial 'good thing,' and in all candour it does rather look that way. Team Skelton have this one in the Arkle, and in a less exalted year he'd have a great chance.

If Sir Gino fluffs his lines, of course this talented seven-year-old gelding could still do the business at HQ, but in the meantime he can do nothing more than beat a good yardstick in Paul Nicholl's' Rubaud, conceding 5lb - and for a fabulous pot of some £42k.

Warwick is a brilliant track in my view for a Cheltenham sighter, as it shares many similarities; though in truth there's just nowhere quite like Chelters.

14:25 Newbury - Le Patron @ 13/2

Bravemansgame will probably line up as favourite for this, but he's a shadow of his former self for me. Quite possibly still good enough to snaffle a Grade 2, but I'm happy to look elsewhere and seek a bit of value.

Hence my liking for Le Patron, a seven-year-old French-bred gelding in the hands of the Moores in West Sussex. He didn't excel at Cheltenham in December when last seen, but the time before that here at Newbury in November he took a good handicap off a mark of 146 with some authority.

He races off 152 today and this is career-high territory, but that course win was a standout piece of form and the Chelters heat might just have come too soon (only around two weeks between the two races).

He's a big outsider for the Ryanair in March but this might be a bit more realistic, and he certainly offers some value against older, more exposed types.

14:40 Warwick - West Balboa @ 9/4

It's a family affair at the head of the market as the Skeltons, for the home side, look to turn away Team Mullins, for Ireland.

Danny is on Uncle Willie's Gala Marceau for the raiders in the Listed mares' hurdle, and could well start favourite. She got to within 7l of stablemate Lossiemouth no less when last seen in May (Mares' Champion Hurdle, Punchestown), but that confirms an absence from the track of some 280 days.

Warwickshire-based Dan Skelton meanwhile saddles West Balboa, ridden by brother Harry, who's not quite hit the heights of last term yet in four runs since October but if reproducing his G3 Aintree fourth in April would have decent shout in this.

Time for this daughter of the magnificent stayer Yeats to step up and defend local honour, on a course she's been successful at in the past.

15:00 Newbury - Matata @ 2/1

I was about to start waxing lyrical about Sir Gino, but Nicky Henderson's Arkle favourite is sadly a non-runner. In his absence this surely gives the up-and-coming Matata an outstanding chance.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' seven-year-old gelding races in the fabled Munir/Souede silks, and at Windsor 20 days ago he produced a tremendous performance to take a good handicap off 155. He's up in class and to a mark of 163 today, but he's going very much the right way and holds a Champion Chase entry.

He could be about to rank even higher among his fencing peers and this looks a perfect opportunity - to say nothing of the chance for a £48k payday. 'New' man JJ Slevin, post-Daryl Jacob, takes the mount.

15:15 Warwick - Le Milos @ 10/3

Full disclosure - I wouldn't be entirely shocked whoever eventually prevailed in this. Filed under 'very tricky' in my book.

As I write, Fugitif is still in the market but I understand his preference is for a race at Newbury instead. He'd have been my selection, but in his presumed absence I've tentatively gone for Le Milos.

It's Dan and Harry Skelton again, and a ten-year-old gelding by Breeders' Cup Turf winner Shirocco. The selection is in 'ok' form - decent effort at Chepstow last time in a Class 2 off 141, and the kindly assessor has dropped him a couple of pounds for today.

There's a decent chance of him running close to that mark , and I honestly don't believe that's a claim I'd like to make about the rest of the field.

Hard to find any really in the groove at the minute, and a Le Milos in reasonable order might just be good enough. Small stakes for me!

15:35 Newbury - Secret Squirrel @ 4/1

In contrast to the previous contest this is a heat with several in grand order and a highly competitive, potentially dramatic affair looks assured.

Joyeuse is a fascinating challenger and carrying just 10st 7lb is a massive threat. So too Navajo Indy, with Mr Saturday 'Gorgeous Gav' Sheehan on board. They'll be tough nuts to crack. But I'm siding with the gloriously-named Secret Squirrel, Sean Bowen up, and trained in East Ilsley by Hughie Morrison.

'The Squirrel' (Agent 000 in the telly show I believe) achieved a career-high last time at Windsor with a cosy success under Nico De Boinville (claimed today for Nicky Henderson's Joyeuse). Sean gets the leg-up for the first time on the lightly-raced six-year-old gelding having just start number six all told.

He was rated 126 the last day and runs now off 131 - but given there are so few miles on the clock there's every chance for bags of improvement to come, and having Sean on top is a positive, no disrespect whatsoever to any previous pilot.

This is just about the race of the day for me in terms of intrigue and the selection, up in class and with a stiffer task at the weights, can take another step forward.

 ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.