The Fighting Fifth and Coral Gold Cup stand out on Saturday – but don’t miss this beginners’ chase with a rich recent history
Newcastle hosts the Grade 1 BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle on Saturday and the Coral Gold Cup is the feature at Newbury – but there is an intriguing card at Fairyhouse and the opening beginners’ chase (11.36) is a race not to be missed
Recent roll of honour
Impaire Et Passe landed this 2m5½f contest last year, beating Grade 1 novice hurdle-placed Staffordshire Knot by 12 lengths, and went on to win the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick on his next start.
The Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned seven-year-old ended his novice chase campaign with two top-level victories, having beaten Gidleigh Park in the Manifesto at Aintree in April.
Impaire Et Passe: won this race last yearCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
Corbetts Cross won this beginners’ chase on his second start over fences in 2023 and went on to land the National Hunt Chase for Emmet Mullins that season.
The 2020 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle winner Monkfish kick-started his chasing career here and went on to land a hat-trick of Grade 1 novice chases culminating in the Brown Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021.
Don’t dismiss the beaten horses
Grand National hero Nick Rockett finished fourth in a strong running in 2023, with Three Card Brag – a handicap chase winner at Cheltenham in October – finishing second and Monty’s Star – topweight in this weekend’s Coral Gold Cup – filling the places behind Corbetts Cross.
Nick Rockett: finished fourth in 2023Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)
Rule The World, the Grand National winner in 2016, finished second in 2014, while I Am Maximus was a beaten 4-7 favourite when a short-head second to Minella Crooner in 2022. He won the Irish Grand National on his final start that season.
Any Second Now, who went on to be placed twice in the Grand National, finished second in 2018, while last year’s running featured this season’s Troytown winner Answer To Kayf in fourth.
Cheltenham Festival winner catches the eye among Mullins team
Willie Mullins has three runners and the most intriguing is the lightly raced Coral Cup winner Jimmy Du Seuil.
The Edward Ware-owned six-year-old defied a 313-day layoff to win the handicap hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival on his only start of last season and was raised 9lb to an official rating of 155.
Jimmy Du Seuil: won the Coral Cup last seasonCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)
He is set to make his chasing debut alongside Joystick, a Grade 3-placed novice hurdler, and More Coko, who has been beaten in three chase starts since July.
Other big names among the field
Henry de Bromhead is set to field a classy chasing newcomer, with The Big Westerner declared to take her chance against the boys.
The Big Westerner finished second to Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, although her participation hinges on the ground. De Bromhead said this week he was keen to “not see it dry out too much”, with the ground currently described as yielding to soft.
Wingmen: finished second to Final Demand on his chasing debutCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)
Among Gordon Elliott’s runners is The Wallpark, who finished third in the Stayers’ Hurdle last season but ran below market expectations when 11th on his recent chasing debut at Naas. He is joined by stablemates Jacob’s Ladder, a Graded winner last season, and Lucky Lyreen.
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