The Racing Post's Gary Savage has had a look at the Warwick card on Kingmaker Chase Day and has pinpointed three worth following.
The big race is the Grade 2 Kingmaker Chase (2.40) where 11/8 ante-post Arkle favourite Jonbon is the star attraction for Nicky Henderson, while Cheltenham Festival winner Love Envoi in the Listed Hurdle at 2.05.
Mr Freedom @ 8/1
1pt win
Waterloo Quay @ 4/1
1pt each-way
Gentleman Jacques @ 20/1
1pt each-way
Neither of the Graded contests make any betting appeal with Jonbon surely emulating Edwardstone in taking the Kingmaker en route to Cheltenham, but there are a couple of healthy-looking handicap hurdles later and there is a bet in the first of these (3.48) in the shape of Sheena West's Mr Freedom.
He was a promising juvenile hurdler last season, running a strong race in a Listed hurdle at Wetherby before running out late on.
His two hurdle runs this year have seen him undercooked on his seasonal debut in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham, and a plugging on second on unsuitably soft ground at Plumpton.
He shaped like he may want further last time, but it's worth noting the winner won again next time, while the selection proved his wellbeing, as well as his flat mark all wrong, with a rout at Lingfield last time.
With a return to a quicker surface and a very handy (12lb) 4yo allowance today, he will be taking on mostly inferior and exposed rivals and can resume his progress.
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The 2m5f handicap hurdle at 4.23 doesn't look to hold too many surprises and represents a decent opportunity for Waterloo Quay to get off the mark at the 11th time of asking.
His bumper form would see his current handicap mark of 87 look lenient and there are reasons for supposing he can strike today.
Decent ground was key to his best bumper form and today he should be back on the quickest surface he has encountered this winter.
His run last time in a similar race saw him lock horns with Barrier Peaks, who has since followed up cosily from a 10lb higher mark, and with his prominent racing style an asset around here he should go close at least.
This is an unusually deep looking bumper, with four last-time-out winners taking each other on, and they will hopefully dominate the market.
Winning bumpers under penalties is always extremely tough and I will take them all on with the likeliest looking newcomer in the field in the shape of Charlie Longsdon's four-year-old Gentleman Jacques.
Longsdon has plenty of bumper winners and has a good record in these races at the course with two winners, a second and two thirds from six runners in the last five years.
He won this race with a newcomer last year, and with the 4YO allowance he will be getting bundles of weight from the previous winners and should be a good each-way bet.
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