Punters may look to legendary owner JP McManus once again to crack the Betfair Hurdle puzzle

The death this week of the brilliant Baracouda at the age of 28 was a reminder that JP McManus has long been the man for the big days, and punters aiming to solve the trickiest puzzle on Saturday will hope no stone has been left unturned in the preparation of the leading owner's Betfair Hurdle runners.

Newbury's feature, the richest handicap hurdle staged in Britain, promises to be the focus of a big weekend for McManus, whose green and gold silks have no rivals in jump racing's familiarity stakes. The race has a maximum field size of 24, but dry conditions and good ground might be the reason just 17 horses line up and McManus is responsible for three of them, including ante-post favourite Filey Bay, a lightly raced gelding he bought from Paul Byrne following two victories in ordinary handicap hurdles at Doncaster and Wincanton.

Bryne is regarded as one of the game's shrewdies and might be best known for selling subsequent Grand National hero Noble Yeats to Robert Waley-Cohen. He was still able to relish that Aintree triumph given Noble Yeats remained in the care of his close friend Emmet Mullins, also responsible for Filey Bay.