TIM WALFORD’S decision to sidestep last week’s Cheltenham Festival with Fentara could pay huge dividends at Newbury this afternoon.

The Sheriff Hutton trainer backed off two Cheltenham options for his eight-year-old, preferring to save her for today’s £30,000 EBF/Thoroughbred Breeders’ Asssociation Mares’ Novices’ Chase Final.

The mount of Daryl Jacob, Fentara has progressed well over fences, winning by a wide margin at Kelso and finishing a good third in a Grade 2 race at Wetherby in late February, won by Goulanes.

Fentara is particularly well suited by soft ground and with conditions in her favour at Newbury, she can make her long trip well worthwhile by bagging this valuable prize.

Colin Tizzard has his team in tremendous form, as was highlighted with two winners at the Cheltenham Festival, and the Somerset trainer can add to his tally with Handy Andy in the Ultima – Best Company Award Winner Handicap Chase.

The seven-year-old is no stranger to success on this course and his latest win three months ago was his third Newbury victory. There is more to come from him as a staying chaser and Joe Tizzard, the trainer’s jockey son and the regular rider of stable star Cue Card, has the mount.

The booking of AP McCoy for Umadachar, trained by Warren Greatrex in the EBF Ultima Business Solutions Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Finale, is significant.

Winner of two of her four starts this season, Umadachar was most recently successful at Sedgefield. She is progressive and looks capable of running well in this stronger race.

The classy Poet, who was a course and distance winner on his jumping debut, found himself out of his depth in the Tolworth Hurdle next time. He should, however, prove hard to beat, despite carrying a penalty, in the Ultima’s Simon Bond And Geoff Hardwick Novices’ Hurdle.

In the DBS Spring Sales Bumper, Wilde Blue Yonder is not to be underestimated.

Trained by Alan King, the four-year-old did all bar win on his debut at Doncaster last month when he was denied by Purple Bay in a photo-finish. That winner has since gone on to run a fine race in the Championship Bumper at Cheltenham, so the form looks sound.

At tomorrow’s Lingfield Flat meeting, the nap vote is awarded to North Yorkshire raider Free Spin in the Lingfield Park Owners’ Group Handicap.

Trained near Thirsk by David Baron, the four-year-old has finished second on both his outings at Kempton this year and is overdue a winning turn. Opportunity may come knocking for him this time with Graham Gibbons in the saddle.

Bill Turner won the first juvenile race of the Flat season at Doncaster yesterday and this annual early-starter may click again with another of his junior squad, El Duque in the Ashurstwood Maiden Stakes.

Also worth noting are Buy Art (2.40) and Guards Chapel (3.10), trained by Gary Moore and the mounts of his champion jockey son Ryan.


Racing selections

Newbury today
1.45 Poet, 2.20 Fentara, 2.55 Umadachar, 3.30 Handy Andy, 4.05 In The Crowd, 4.40 Wilde Blue Yonder, 5.10 Sustainability.

Today’s other meetings: Doncaster (inspection at 6am). Bangor, Kelso and Stratford were all abandoned.

Lingfield tomorrow
1.40 Noverre To Go, 2.10 El Duque, 2.40 Buy Art, 3.10 Guards Chapel, 3.40 Mia’s Boy, 4.10 Free Spin (NAP), 4.40 Bold Ring, 5.10 Total Obsession.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Wincanton.