12.20pm Newbury Tips & Betting Preview 14/12/2016

Ten horses’ go to post for this Juvenile Hurdle in the first at Musselburgh today. Read on for our experts’ thoughts and betting tips.

IN SUMMARY: On flat form this should easily go the way of COSMEAPOLITAN who won twice on the level for Alan King and will likely be hard to beat on debut over hurdles today. Fixed Rate is also of interest judged on his flat form in France and could go well on debut. Light On Air has the best of those with experience and can run into a place if improving for that outing.

1 Cosmeapolitan – Mawatheeq gelding who has won twice at Chepstow in a Class 4 and at Newbury in a Class 5 so far for Alan King up to 1m4f. Good second in a Class 2 on the AW at Wolverhampton on latest start and should be tough to beat given the manner of his two wins so far. Big player.

2 Fixed Rate – Good form on the flat in France when trained by David Smaga and dual winner on Soft up to 1m6f but last run not so great when last of 10. Smart pedigree for this discipline being a gelding by Oasis Dream whose progeny exhibit plenty of stamina and bought by this yard for 40,000gns in October. Of definite interest now if ready to go hurdling.

3 Knight Commander – Sir Percy gelding who started his career well without winning under the tutelage of William Knight but never scored in fifteen runs up to 1m6f in Class 3-6 events. Poor in both starts on Soft ground in this sphere and looks up against it here. Yard also run Sevilla.

4 Light Of Air – Good winner on flat debut when trained in Germany by Andreas Wohler and contested at Listed level without landing a blow and now with Gary Moore. Fair fifth of 10 at Sandown in a Class 2 over 1m7f twelve days ago and should improve for that outing now dropped in grade. Held on flat form with the likely favourite though.

5 Magnificent Madiba – Moderate on the flat for George Baker but landed a Class 6 amateur event over at Brighton (Good) in good style in August. Very disappointing in two runs since and hard to fancy now hurdling and looks well held by the market principals on flat form and pedigree.

6 Marmont – Has showed moderate form on two runs so far over hurdles culminating in a fine second to the well-backed favourite at Fontwell in September when 33/1 and only 1¾ lengths down at the finish. Only cost £600 and likely needs a lot more here to trouble a few of these.

7 Pension Madness – Never really got going in eight runs on the flat up to 1m5f and has hardly set the world alight in two runs now hurdling finishing towards the rear on both occasions. First time tackling softer ground and easily overlooked here.

8 Top Of The Rocks – Rock of Gibraltar gelding who has had eleven flat runs and scored only once at Beverley (Good/Firm) in August over 1m4f. Both starts over 2m haven’t been inspiring and likely to be a huge price on hurdling debut. Easy to rule out.

9 Vincent’s Forever – Won a Class 4 maiden for John Gosden last year on flat debut and scored at Kempton two starts ago in the same grade, getting up by ¾ of a length. Well-backed for hurdling debut and only ninth of 12 at Market Rasen (Soft) over an extended two miles, with the re-opposing Knight Commander in seventh. Headgear on now and slight drop in trip might see him in a better light but has to prove it at the moment.

10 Sevilla – No wins in seven runs on turf and AW in Ireland when trained by John Joseph Murphy. Now with Annabel Murphy and after falling on hurdling debut in at Exeter (Soft), he could manage a tenth of 12 at Market Rasen in this grade. Yard also run Knight Commander and very hard to fancy on what she has shown so far.