Warwick Preview and Betting Tips – January 15th

There are plenty of competitive contests across Great Britain and Ireland this weekend and the feature meeting comes at Warwick, where five races will be live on ITV4.

You can watch all seven races from Warwick (12.40-4.05pm) via live streaming when logged into MansionBet, along with every race from the UK and Ireland.

Racing Post tipster Graeme Rodway previews Saturday’s action at Warwick exclusively for MansionBet.

12.40 Warwick – Start Your RacingTV Free Trial Now Novices’ Handicap Hurdle

Nobody has saddled more winners than local trainer Dan Skelton at Warwick in the last five seasons and he can land this opener with Greatest Star. The six-year-old kept on well when defeating the Olly Murphy-trained favourite Sure Touch in a maiden hurdle at Southwell last time and the front two pulled ten lengths clear of the remainder. That was his second start after wind surgery and first in a tongue-strap, so there should be more to come.

Selection: Greatest Star @ SP

1.18 Warwick – Alder Demain & Akers PMS Oxford Edward Courage Cup Handicap Chase

Only four line up for this 2m handicap, but it’s a red-hot race and it’s hard to discount any of the quartet. Maybe Brave Seasca will prove too good. He was impressive when scoring at Ascot last time, in spite of jumping left, and this course-and-distance winner should be suited by returning to an anti-clockwise venue. His trainer Venetia Williams is in superb form, too.

Selection: Brave Seasca @ 5/4

1.50 Warwick – Wigley Group Hampton Novices’ Chase

This doesn’t look like a strong race and Threeunderthrufive should be capable of completing a four-timer. Paul Nicholls won this race last year with a similar type in Next Destination, who went on to finish second in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, and Threeunderthrufive can take this en route to a crack at that race.

Selection: Threeunderthrufive @ 4/7

2.25 Warwick – Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle

This is a trappy little race in which a case can be made for most of the runners. It might be worth taking a chance on the likely outsider Scipion, who chased home last week’s Tolworth Hurdle runner-up Jetoile on his hurdles debut at Leicester last time and looks capable of improving significantly with that run under his belt over this slightly longer distance.

Selection: Scipion @ 16/1

3.00 Warwick – Agetur UK Ltd Classic Handicap Chase

The feature race on the card and another wide-open contest. Chirico Vallis catches my eye here on his return from a short break. The ten-year-old goes well fresh and returned from a long absence to land a competitive handicap chase at Chepstow on his seasonal reappearance in October, when he had subsequent Charlie Hall runner-up Kitty’s Light behind in second. Chirico Vallis is up 5lb but may improve now he is stepped up more than five furlongs in trip.

Selection: Chirico Vallis @ 18/1

3.35 Warwick – Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle

The presence of Sire Du Berlais at the top of the handicap means that some classy horses have sneaked in off good racing weights and Third Wind is chief among them. He has competed in Graded company on his last five starts and won a Grade 2 at Haydock in February. The Hughie Morrison-trained runner races off 11st back in a handicap and could be well treated.

Selection: Third Wind @ 9/2

4.05 Warwick – Racing TV Free For A Month “Newcomers” National Hunt Flat Race

There is no form to go on in this newcomers event, so a degree of guesswork is involved. Olly Murphy has a better strike-rate (23 per cent) in bumpers than he does over hurdles, or in chases, and might be able to improve that record with Fairly Famous. The £70,000 purchase is a half-brother to bumper winner and useful novice hurdler Luttrell Lad, so has the pedigree to make up into a useful performer, and it’s encouraging Aidan Coleman is aboard on debut.

Selection: Fairly Famous @ SP

*All odds correct at time of writing