Flat racing on turf will return shortly from its four-month winter break, but there is still plenty of life left in the jumps season and also in the National Hunt trainers’ championship, where the favourite Nicky Henderson (top price 4-7) is trying to unseat Paul Nicholls (6-4) for only the second time in a dozen years.
Nicholls should make a small dent in his deficit of around £130,000 when Coastal Tiep (2.00), his only declared runner of the day, runs in the opener at Newbury. The five-year-old went close on his handicap debut last time out and has form already in the book which gives him the beating of today’s three rivals as he returns to novice company.
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