Neil Morrice best bets and tips – Monday, 29 December 2025

NEWBURY

Race 2 No1 ACT OF INNOCENCE
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville

ACT OF INNOCENCE dotted up on his first encounter with hurdles here for which he’s penalised. That form has taken some knocks, but the manner of his victory strongly suggests he’s a horse that is going places, and the better ground today won’t bother him. If he’s north of evens he appeals as a bet for the professionals.

Race 4 No8 RIVERS CORNER
Trainer: Joe Tizzard – Jockey: Brendan Powell

This race remembering Gold Cup and French Gold Cup hero Mandarin doesn’t have its former status but nevertheless provides a good betting minimum on an interesting card. RIVERS CORNER makes abundant appeal granted a return to a flat, galloping track. He looked like winning at Sandown only to flatten out up the final hill, and the drop back in trip should play to his strengths.

Race 5 No3 CHAMPAGNE TWIST (Each Way)
Trainer: Ben Pauling – Jockey: Ben Jones

Back over hurdles after blowing out in a handicap chase at Sandown, CHAMPAGNE TWIST makes sense as a solid each way entity if near his inflated paper price. The selection was one of the best novice hurdlers in his stable in the 2023/24 season when scoring at Doncaster and Sandown and starting 5-1 for a big handicap hurdle at Aintree. Although subsequent efforts suggest he’s gone into the wilderness, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he were to bounce back.

Race 6 CORAL CHALLOW NOVICES’ HURDLE (Grade 1)

No7 NO DRAMA THIS END
Trainer: Paul Nicholls – Jockey: Harry Cobden

If Nicholls has a horse that can make him dream of future Gold Cup glories then DRAMA THIS END is surely the one. The grey goes for a hat-trick of successes to remain unbeaten this season with his tail up, and on the back of a visibly stunning triumph in the Grade 2 Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown. He toyed with the opposition to indicate there are big things awaiting him, and it goes without saying that his trainer has landed this feature four times in the last five years.

Race 7 No1 GUARD THE MOON (Nap)
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Sam Twiston-Davies

While both Captain Bellamy and Calimystic pose dangers from the base of the weights, there was a great deal to like about the way GUARD THE MOON got the job done on his chase debut at Aintree. He produced a round of mainly pinpoint accuracy to make all, and now on a track that will equally suit his style of racing he can follow-up from a 3lb higher mark.

DONCASTER

Race 3 No1 DOCTOR BLUE (Nap)
Trainer: Sam Thomas – Jockey: Dylan Johnston

This is a warmly contested novice hurdle in which DOCTOR BLUE can step up to the plate. While it took him a long time to assert when landing the odds in an introductory hurdle at Ascot, he’d previously run Fortune De Mer to a short head at Cheltenham, with the winner going on to heavily endorse the form. Faded to that, he’s gone forward to his work at home, and over this longer trip he should be able to brush up his jumping and see off the challenge of DRACO MALFOY.

Race 4 No1 MAGICAL KING
Trainer: Stuart Edmunds – Jockey: Charlie Hammond

A galloping track like this is going to suit MAGICAL KING, whose ability to travel and jump make him a winner in waiting. When fifth on chase debut at Bangor the heavy ground found him out, but he’s learned plenty from that experience, and he can stave off the challenge of the penalised FIERCE WARRIOR.

Race 6 No6 STONE’S THROW
Trainer: Billy Aprahamian – Jockey: James Bowen

STONE’S THROW benefitted from a canny ride when finding the best of the ground on the far side to open his seasonal account at Southwell. That was a second success from his last three outings to strongly dictate he’s realising his early potential. He is 5lb higher, but this better ground should play to his strengths.

KELSO

Race 4 No9 THEY’RE CHANCERS (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Richards- Jockey: Danny McMenamin

THEY’RE CHANCERS has the pedigree to do well over hurdles and hails from a stable with other good prospects to judge him by. He scored easily despite running keenly in his only start under Rules in an Ayr bumper to give the impression he is a horse to follow, though he will need to be on his mettle to repel THEY WANT ME.

NEWCASTLE

Race 5 No9 STIRRUP CUP
Trainer: Tim Easterby – Jockey: Sean Kirrane

STIRRUP CUP is 1lb lower than for a good earning run at this course in the autumn, and races over his optimum trip in colours that were in the winners’ circle last week. This isn’t the best card for punting but he’s one that starts with solid claims.

Race 9 No4 GOLDMOYNE (Nap)
Trainer: James Owen – Jockey: Cieren Fallon

With cheek pieces added, GOLDMOYNE made short work of his foes at this track two weeks ago. He will be short but looks proper Nap material in the nightcap.