Paint The Dream holds a class edge but may not have things his own way

Friday: 2.30 NewburyCoral Bet Bundles Handicap Chase | 2m4f | 4yo+ | ITV3/RTV

This race has never recovered its pre-pandemic levels of prize-money and this year it has attracted a relatively small field of six. Even so, in each of the previous four runnings there has been a 155+ performance on Racing Post Ratings and we could see another with topweight Paint The Dream back at a venue where he excels.

His two runs at Newbury over fences have both resulted in impressive wins: one in a 2m6½f race on Challow Hurdle day and the other in the Greatwood Gold Cup in March. He posted an RPR of 164 that day and went a long way to backing it up when fourth in the Melling Chase next time.

The complicating factor is that Paint The Dream tends to do best when allowed to stride on, and three of his five rivals could be asked to do similar. Beakstown, representing Dan Skelton who has won this twice with Oldgrangewood, has a history of doing plenty up front, while Numitor is a likeable, slow-striding front-runner and The Widdow Maker sets the pace as often as not. How those horses take the first few fences could have a real bearing on how this plays out.

The two almost certain to stay out of it are Killer Clown and Caribean Boy, both of whom are live runners. Killer Clown's case is a bit more obvious according to the market. He had a hard race in the Prelude at Market Rasen in March, in which they finished at a crawl, but he has been given six weeks to get over it.

Caribean Boy had his finest hour when duffing up Fiddlerontheroof in the Grade 2 novice chase on this card two years ago. Consistency has not been his strong suit since, although it is not quite as bad as his form figures imply and he is on a mark just 3lb above his last winning one. It is testament to the deceptive depth of this race that he is supposedly an outsider.
Race analysis by Keith Melrose

Main chance to shine with Numitor

What better way would there be to get off the mark over jumps at your local course than by landing a race on ITV3 at the track's biggest meeting of the year?

That is what Heather Main will hope to do when she makes the 25-mile trip from Wantage with this £50,000 contest in her sights for the consistently progressive Numitor.

She has had plenty of success on the Flat at Newbury since taking out a licence in 2009, gaining perhaps the most notable of her nine course winners when 125-1 shot Island Bandit sprang a huge shock in a maiden last year.

Numitor: Heather Main is sweet on her runnerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Main has far fewer jumpers than Flat horses and Numitor's second in the 2m chase at this meeting 12 months ago is one of three places she has enjoyed from just a dozen jumps runners there.

Her eight-year-old improved on that form when stepped up to this trip last spring, winning at Doncaster before finishing second in a Challenger Series final at Haydock, and remains open to improvement after just nine chases – four of which he has won.

"He's ready to go and we're looking forward to it," the trainer said. "We like him a lot. We've been waiting to run him, he loves Newbury and he's run really well there.

"He's progressive over fences and he really loves his jumping. As he gets older he stays further and this is the right trip for him now."

What they say

Fergal O'Brien, trainer of Paint The Dream
His run at Wetherby told us that he doesn't quite get three miles being ridden aggressively. He loves Newbury and we're back down in trip. Life's hard for him now because he's not quite a Graded horse and he's at the top of the handicap but he's been a great servant to us and he'll continue to run his race so we're looking forward to him running.

Emma Lavelle, trainer of Killer Clown
His record shows he's never been brilliant first time out so I was really pleased with his run at Market Rasen. Two and a half miles on a flat track is absolutely perfect and conditions are in his favour. He seems really well and if he runs to his Market Rasen level, or even a little better, we'd be hopeful he'll be in there with a shout.

Joe Tizzard, trainer of The Widdow Maker
He's come on for his run at Cheltenham, where he needed it. He'll be suited by two and a half miles round Newbury, it's cut up a bit and I'd give him a chance in it.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Beakstown
He ran really well in the Old Roan and the form of that race has been duly boosted. He'll love the track and the ground. This is a very likeable target for him.
Reporting by David Carr

Friday's race previews:

1.55 Newbury: 'He likes the track and the ground is perfect' - analysis and trainer quotes

3.05 Newbury: Can Champ strike again on comeback? Key quotes for Long Distance Hurdle

3.40 Newbury: Shearer out to settle the score with Padleyourowncanoe in rematch

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