Willoughby Court and Yanworth face off at Newbury
Exciting novice chasers go head to head in Berkshire
Willoughby Court and Yanworth are poised to give racing fans a treat when they clash in a five-runner race for the Ladbrokes Novices’ Chase at Newbury on Friday.
Both were top class over hurdles but now the pair have to prove themselves equally adept over the bigger obstacles.
Willoughby Court, winner of the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, won on his debut over fences at Huntingdon three weeks ago but did jump markedly out to his left at several fences.
Trainer Ben Pauling reports the six-year-old to have benefited for the experience and is looking forward to see how he fares against better company in this Grade Two over two and a half miles, registered as the Berkshire Novices’ Chase.
Pauling said: “(I’m) looking forward to seeing him out again. Obviously, it’s going to be a right old ding-dong of a race.
“Yanworth is an exceptionally good horse. Willoughby won last time out and his jumping has been much improved at home.
“I hope it continues to be so and if it does, then it will be a lovely spectacle for the racing public. I’ve got him in as good a shape as I can have him at home and we’ll see how he gets on.
“It’s a decent race. Win, lose or draw tomorrow, it’s all still education.”
However, he blotted his copybook on his return to that track when falling in the race won by Briery Queen. Trainer Alan King is confident the seven-year-old can redeem himself.
“It’s not as if Yanworth jumped clumsily – he just landed a bit steeply and it was a typical novice’s fall,” the Barbury Castle trainer told www.alankingracing.co.uk.
“He schooled last week over nine fences and it was clear that the fall hadn’t worried him one iota, but it will be good to get some more match practice into him.”
“It was just bad luck when he fell the last day. Alan is very happy with him and we’re hoping for a clear round,” said Berry.
“He’s in good form and with a bit of luck he can a get a clear round and see we’ll see how we go.
“It’s a good race and a good track.”
