Fresh from a 15/2 winner on Tuesday, our star daily duo of Rory Delargy and David Massey have three selections for today's racing.
Racing betting tips: Wednesday October 29
1pt win The Hardest Geezer in the 1:53 Newton Abbot at 7/2 (general) – min 3/1
1pt win Quantock Hills in the 2:23 Newton Abbot at 2/1 (general) – no lower
1pt win Buckna in the 3:23 Newton Abbot at 4/1 (general) – min 7/2
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The Hardest Geezer is the least exposed in a field of underwhelming hurdlers and with Philip Hobbs & Johnson White amongst the winners, the six-year-old is expected to take all the beating on just his second handicap start. A bumper winner on good ground for Donald Whillans, he landed a gamble in a novice hurdle at Taunton in January for new connections and should progress again in his second season over obstacles.
The Hardest Geezer failed to progress again when running respectably on his handicap bow in this sphere, but was left poorly placed the way that race at Ludlow panned out and three of the runners from that handicap scored next time out to make it look like quite a warm contest for the grade. He’s been dropped 1lb for it and appeals as the type to go well after a summer break, with his stable rarely leaving its autumn runners short.
Hobbs and White are worth following on the card, and so is Warren Greatrex, who runs two promising chasing debutants in handicaps and is expected to collect with both. First up is the four-year-old Quantock Hills, who was among the best of the domestic juvenile hurdlers in the first half of last season, and looks a ready-made chaser who should be able to take advantage of the generous weight-for-age allowance over fences at this time of year.
Quantock Hills showed his best form over hurdles when dead-heating with Teriferma in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham last December, when he was noted as the pick of the paddock in terms of physique. He wasn’t disgraced when 5th to Give It To Me OJ in the Novices' Championship Final against older horses at Sandown in April and is just the type to do better over fences, with a good French jumps pedigree to support that notion. Greatrex also has a near 21% record when switching his hurdlers to fence for the first time, and he looks well treated receiving 9lb from the older horses.
3:23 Newton Abbot - Class 4 (0-120) Handicap Chase 2m 4f 216y
Buckna is the second of two chasers this afternoon for the Greatrex yard and in a similar fashion to Quantock Hills, is being thrown straight into a handicap chase after just the five starts over hurdles. It was perhaps a little disappointing he couldn’t land short odds on his final start of last year but he was given wind surgery a couple of months later and has been given time to strengthen up. Made for fences, he should win races this year and he might well be capable of winning first time up, with conditions here looking ideal.
Greatrex, as mentioned, has a positive record with chasing debutants, but those coming back from wind surgery also pay to follow, with those running for the first time after surgery winning 19% of the time and returning a profit of £351.80 to a tenner stake at Betfair SP.
There isn’t much we like in this contest, with Fuji Mountain a contender after bouncing back to form at Redcar last time, and Westgate Warrior looking a progressive sprinter now that Roy Bowring has found the key to him. Tried at a mile but much too keen to last home, the son of Aclaim has improved with each start since brought back to sprinting. He caught the eye when making most and headed close home at Beverley (clear of the rest) before making all to win with something in hand over C&D last time.
Westgate Warrior is clearly all speed and is sure to win more races at 5f, with his veteran trainer having had plenty in similar mould through his hands over the years. Raise 6lb for that effort, he needs to do more on the figures, but simply looks an improving sprinter who has scope for much better as he gains experience. Stall 1 may not be ideal on paper, but the middle of the track is the place to be at Nottingham at present and that’s where the stalls have been placed for this meeting; he’s got the early dash to take Alistar Rawlinson wherever he wants to be and I’d be surprised if his draw makes any difference to his prospects. It was no surprise to see him put in at 11/8 and 6/4 when the market opened, but he has drifted overnight to a tempting price, albeit with the firms slower to react than the exchanges. He’s a bet at 5/2 or bigger.
Preview posted 1000 GMT on 29/10/25
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