Hot To Trot: Seefood a winner for Doctor

Jumps Trainer – Dr Richard Newland

Dr Richard Newland was probably slightly disappointing with his 2015/16 campaign, during which he saddled fewer winners (28) than in each of the previous three seasons. However, he came out firing over the summer and is now on 25 winners for the current campaign. Newland’s Greyed A probably won’t be much of a price but he’ll be of clear interest if running at either Lingfield on Tuesday or Catterick on Wednesday (both handicaps). He was gambled on for his handicap debut at Sedgefield last Saturday and improved a chunk to go close, going down by just a neck to the Timeform Jury selection Stilo Blue Native. Greyed A showed form that would've seen him win plenty of similar events and compensation surely awaits, especially if he does run before he's reassessed. Looking further ahead, this month’s Musselburgh winner Seefood could be a contender for the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree on Saturday December 3^rd after side-stepping the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle. Obviously, Newland knows all about training winners over the National fences after Pineau de Re won the Grand National in 2014, and Seefood has already been to Aintree twice before, finishing third in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle in 2013 for the late Dessie Hughes.

Flat Trainer – Kevin Ryan

In October, the Kevin Ryan yard saddled at least 10 winners in Britain for the fourth consecutive month for the first time since August 2013, and its runners have continued to fare well in November, scoring twice and peppering the woodwork. Backing all of Ryan’s horses on the all-weather at Newcastle would have yielded a £110 profit to a £10 level stake, and his Aloysius Hansom could be worth a second look if making his nursery debut at the track on Tuesday. He cost €310,000 at the breeze-ups earlier in the year, so his connections will be anxious to get a win out of him. Enjoy Life has been in great form over the last three months, winning three handicaps at up to seven furlongs and finishing a close second to Manatee Bay back over six furlongs at Newcastle last time after just three days off. She should go well again if running against at either Lingfield on Wednesday or Chelmsford on Thursday. Captain Dion may also be worth backing at Chelmsford on Thursday and you may get a juicy price too, as he finished only eleventh after things didn’t go his way last time but had previously won what has proven a strong race at Pontefract.

Under the Radar – Lucy Wadham

Lucy Wadham is a true dual-purpose trainer, and one of very few Newmarket trainers who have runners over jumps, recording a career-best seasonal total under National Hunt Rules in 2015/16 with 21 winners. She’s also among the most in-form trainers around after saddling four winners (across both codes) and a host of placed horses from her last 16 runners. Wadham has saddled three winners from 13 runners on Lingfield’s jumps course over the last five seasons and could run Iconic Sky in a mares’ novice hurdle there on Tuesday (she’s also entered at Market Rasen on Thursday). A fair maiden on the Flat, Iconic Sky made a pleasing hurdling debut when second of seven to Fool To Cry in a juvenile fillies’ race at Fakenham last month and is entitled to progress as her jumping becomes more polished. Lingfield also stages Flat racing on Wednesday and Wadham could run Potters Lady Jane, who was a winner in bumpers in February and ran her best race yet on the level when a close second of eight to Lord Topper in a maiden at Chelmsford last month.