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Equinties - proper race
BGP Capital
November 26, 2025
Gm Equinauts
It’s only a few day’s until the race EVERY ONE is talking about,
the Fighting Fifth.
Racing X (twitter) has never been so divided. It seems basically between Skelton’s new ‘could be world beater’ THE NEW LION.
Or, CONSTITUTION HILL.
For us?
We just want to see a huge race.
Yeh, British racing wants CONSTITUTION HILL back.
With him or against him, everyone knows that, but whoever wins, we just want to see a f*cking horse race.
Let’s dive in!
HEADLINE ROUNDUP
LUCID LUCINDA
Let’s take you back to October 21st, when we first started talking about the 2025 Coral Gold Cup in the newsletter. At the time, connections of MYRETOWN were thinking of either running their impressive Ultima winner in a hurdles race to protect his mark, or they were going to keep him at home and use racecourse gallops to prepare him. They said he “went better than Ahoy Senor” at home, which is a fairly big thing to say, even if AHOY SENOR hasn’t looked like his old self for a while. Fast-forward a month, and connections decided to keep him at home and send him into Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup first time out, which is always going to be a worry for any horse, especially when up against race-fit rivals like RESPLENDENT GREY and PANIC ATTACK.
That being said, Russell still has an ungodly amount of confidence for him, as she said: "It wasn't quite as we were driving back up the road after Cheltenham but it was pretty soon after that we thought this would be a good race for him.
"It's still a handicap, it's a valuable race and we can decide afterwards what we do with him, whether he is a championship horse or one for the Grand National."
"His mark looks quite attractive at the moment and anything that jeopardised that wasn't going to be a good thing. Even if it's 1lb, that makes a difference."
"He had a good summer, we got him in early with all the others and although he hasn't officially had a run he has been racecourse galloping.
"It's quite a new thing, we've been very lucky and he's been galloped three times, including at Ayr who very kindly let us school round over fences for two miles. That was a fantastic help. He seems in very good form and very fit."
These quotes were to the Racing Post, but to Nick Luck Daily, she said he is one of the best they’ve ever trained. She may not have an extensive team of Grade 1 winners, but that list does include AHOY SENOR, CORACH RAMBLER, and ONE FOR ARTHUR, which is pretty esteemed company. And, to be honest, we can really see where she is coming from. Yes, he was given 15lbs for the Ultima win, but he smashed up THE CHANGING MAN who has since finished second in a good Ascot race, and horses like MALINA GIRL, THE SHORT GO, SEARCH FOR GLORY, and HENRY’S FRIEND are no mugs.
He may have questions to answer off 142, but he has a nice racing weight, and RESPLENDENT GREY, KATATE DORI, SPANISH HARLEM, and BLIZZARD OF OZ all have the same queries about their elevated handicap mark. He couldn’t have been anymore exciting in the Ultima, and we are definitely looking forward to seeing how he goes in what looks like a nice little Coral Gold Cup.
WHERE NEXT?
There were a lot of nice performances over the weekend that we have already covered, but there were also a few horses that have left us scratching our head. Top of the list would have to be HANDSTANDS for Ben Pauling. The Gloucestershire-based trainer was quite sweet on him for the Betfair Chase, and at the start of the season, he thought he was a potential Cheltenham Gold Cup horse.
Unfortunately, he’d probably have to start now in order to win. Sorry, Ben and HANDSTANDS.
The main thing we thought coming out of the Betfair Chase is that he isn’t the strongest stayer in the world. His run in the Colin Parker behind RESPLENDENT GREY could be chalked up to ‘needing it’, but if he did truly stay, surely he would have at least stayed in the picture on Saturday, rather than fading to finish a well-beaten fourth. This theory would put him in-between a bit of a rock and a hard place, because he isn’t the quickest horse in the world, and this is something that Pauling is contemplating after the weekend. He said: “We’ll have a look and see if anything comes to light. He was a little bit sore after the race in his back but he trotted up nicely on Sunday morning.
“He travelled and jumped in that company very nicely indeed, he didn’t look under any stress and strain at all and I must admit halfway down the back I thought he’d be winning it.
“He’s a brave horse and dug in and I’m not disappointed at all. Ben said he didn’t quite feel himself in the straight, but he’s only six and he’s got two or three years of his absolute best to come in that grade.
“You could argue he didn’t stay. I’ve always thought he stays very well but if you wanted to drop him back to two-and-a-half I’m not going to complain. I’ve always had him down as a proper stayer but he did travel and jump very well for a long way, so maybe he is a two-and-a-half-miler.
“We’ve got the option of the Cotswold Chase (at Cheltenham) or the Fleur De Lys (at Lingfield) for his next race. The Cotswold Chase would obviously be a proper staying test and the Fleur De Lys you’d have to think he’d go very well in. The Fleur De Lys is worth a lot of money and I’m certainly not ruling that out.”
Maybe he doesn’t quite stay a Grade 1 over three miles (or the Gold Cup trip), but he could stay a slower race that promote rhythm. Something like, perhaps, the Grand National. There’s one thing that Pauling has been adamant on for a while, and it’s that he’s pretty slow, but talented. Those two attributes suit a Grand National, and he only has a mark of 155 now, which isn’t in the realms of awful.
His next race, whichever way he goes, will be interesting, and it could be cool to see him handed an entry for the Nash later this season. He’s on the early radar list.
Anyway, Pauling has quite the weekend coming up with the likes of KALKBRENNER, VANDERPOEL, PIC ROC, LEADER IN THE PARK, PERSONAL AMBITION, SAMUEL SPADE, and NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Big, big weekend.
PROPER RACE
And finally, we’ve just come off the back of a cracking weekend of racing at Haydock, Ascot, and Punchestown, and the racing gods are gifting another three days of action to look forward to this weekend.
The Coral Gold Cup meeting kicks off on Friday before everyone will be glued to their screens for the Fighting Fifth on Saturday, and then Sunday rounds things off with the Drinmore Novices’ Chase and the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.
Simply beautiful.
As we all know, that Fighting Fifth “should” be a race to savour, bet or no bet, but there is another race at Newbury that is going slightly under-the-radar as a potentially fascinating contest. That is the Grade 2 John Francome Novices’ Chase on Friday, because there are some superb entries on hand.
REGENT’S STROLL, WENDIGO, KINGSTON PRIDE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, STEEL ALLY, CREST OF FORTUNE, KING OF KINGSFIELD, and LEAVE OF ABSENCE. If all of these show up, you can genuinely make a case for every runner, it’s that good of a race.
And, even better, all the right sets of connections are coming out with some strong quotes!
Harry Cobden thinks REGENT’S STROLL “feels a different horse this year”, Anthony Honeyball is quietly bubbling below the surface at CREST OF FORTUNE (who caught the eye at Cheltenham in October), and Olly Murphy thinks the world of KINGSTON PRIDE since he made the switch from Seven Barrows.
WENDIGO will also grab a lot of attention, partly due to Jamie Snowden’s love for the horse, but also because of his Worcester defeat on chasing debut to WADE OUT. It wasn’t Gavin Sheehan’s finest moment in the saddle, in fairness, and WADE OUT has franked the form somewhat at Cheltenham, but considering the hype around this fella, he has a bit to prove on Saturday. Snowden said: “He’s in great order, he had a very nice prep run at Worcester where he ran really well and looked a class horse throughout.
“He jumped great, travelled great and just got done on the line by a Sean Bowen special – the wet sail!
“He just caught us on the line, but that horse then came out and upheld the form at Cheltenham so there was certainly no shame in being beaten by him.
“He’ll have improved for that and progressed, he looks an absolute picture and this has been the target all along.”
Is being beaten by WADE OUT at Worcester over 2m4f a good thing or a bad thing? Considering Olly Murphy thinks he’s a potential National Hunt Chase type, it maybe isn’t the greatest thing, but he’s certainly no write off at the same time.
RISK ON
Yesterday’s racing was low grade and today we’re struggling to find a bet. You don’t need to have risk on every bet.
We didn’t bet yesterday and, given the fields and ground, we’re not sure there is one today, but we do know LAFFER CURVE in the 15.10 is fancied to win the mares race. Dan has a good strike rate at track too so she’s worth a follow.
Any other bets will be posted to X @equinties.
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