TIZZARD & POWER READY TO STRIKE

The Ladbrokes Trophy formerly known as the Hennessy Gold Cup is one of a few prestigious staying chase handicaps each year.

Past winners include Gold Cup winners Denman, Bobs Worth & Native River as well as Grand National winner Many Clouds. I trust you will enjoy this renewal which will throw up many future big race winners throughout the rest of the season.

Copperhead has the profile of your typical Ladbrokes Trophy (Hennessy) winner! He is a second season chaser who remains unexposed with course and distance form. We know he stays well as last season he outstayed Two For Gold in the Grade 2 Reynoldstown Novices' Chase with Danny Whizzbang 23 lengths back in third. That win came on soft ground like when he won a 3m2.5f open handicap chase here last December. He ran in the Grade 1 RSA chase at the Cheltenham Festival where he fell when well beaten at the last fence. We can forgive him that below par run as it came too soon following a big effort at Ascot. This season he as pulled up at Wetherby in the Grade 2 hurdle with Joe Tizzard saying in his blog that they have found and fixed a few issues. He is reported to be working well and will stay this trip well unlike several pretenders in this race. Robbie Power rides and off a rating of 152 carrying 11-2 he looks a bit of value.

The Conditional and Kildisart are closely matched having fought out the finish of the Ultima handicap chase on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. To be honest we backed Kildisart at Cheltenham where the soft ground was not ideal. He stayed on well up the hill but the best horse or best handicapped horse but on the day. The Conditional stumbled badly on the landing side of the second last fence and did well to pick up and win. At the prices it is worth backing The Conditional who goes well fresh and is proven over course and distance. He finished second last year when meeting the last on a wrong stride when rated 137. I am not overly concerned about his mark of 147 which is fully deserved. As an eight-year-old he can progress again this season on just his sixth run for trainer David Bridgewater. The ground is fine and he is nicely weighted carrying 10-11.

Newbury - 3:00

0.5 Point EACH WAY Copperhead (14/1 Betfair SB paying 6 places else Paddy power paying 5 places )