3 Ladbrokes Trophy Outsiders – 50/1, 33/1 & 25/1 Selections!

The Ladbrokes Trophy often goes to those well fancied in the market, with four of the last five winners returning at single-figure prices.

This year looks rather different however. The race lacks a real class act, the proverbial Graded horse in a handicap like Denman in 2009 or Native River in 2016.

Current favourite Ok Corral has attracted plenty of attention owing to his lightly-raced profile. 6/1 looks plenty short enough for a horse who has only beaten six horses home in three runs over fences however. His two wins came in four-runner fields and his latest run in the NH Chase at Cheltenham hardly suggesting he will enjoy Saturday’s big field.

Here are three big-priced outsiders who could upset the applecart. Be sure to make use of all our tips and analysis over a bumper weekend of racing. The action starts on ITV at Newbury on Friday where we’ll see the return of Paisley Park and continues with that track and Newcastle on Saturday before a high-class card at Fairyhouse on Sunday.

Brave Eagle

A Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year-old who has won four of his five chase starts available at 50/1? The odds are perhaps explained by the ground. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that his best work on a sound surface. He’s been kept to racing in the warmer months in recent times, thriving last summer in 2018.

His form figures under rules on soft or heavy ground read 1210, the sole poor run coming in the Martin Pipe in 2018. That goes some way to dispelling that myth, and he’s as game as they come, showing a gutsy attitude to land the Summer Cup at Uttoxeter in June on his first run beyond three-miles.

Unexposed and a proven performer fresh (four wins have come after 50 day breaks), he’s massively overpriced with the market swerving him for the wrong reasons.

Joe Farrell

A dour stayer, Rebecca Curtis’ gelding bolted up in a novice handicap here before landing the Scottish National in 2018.

More recent form has been less consistent, but he posted an effort close to his best at Chepstow on his seasonal reappearance. He finished a close third over three-miles, a poor jump at the last possibly costing him.

A step up in trip is ideal for him, returned to three-miles-two over which he went close here in March. He’ll have no issue with the hustle and bustle of this big field and will thrive on the slow ground.

Robinsfirth

Colin Tizzard’s Mister Malarky is near the head of the market but his Robinsfirth is far more interesting. The ten-year-old has finished in the first two in six of his eight runs over fences, landing a Grand National trial at Haydock in February under Sean Bowen despite losing both hind shoes.

He’s had a very interrupted career so he’s accustomed to going fresh, returning to action last year after a 400-day lay off with a close second in a Grade Two handicap at Haydock.

Versatile regarding the ground, he’s far from restrictively treated off a mark of 153 given his lightly raced profile. Given a wind op in October, he stands a great chance of emulating stablemate and fellow ten-year-old Sizing Tennessee.

Our man Joe Eccles has his own antepost Ladbrokes Trophy selection. Check that out, along with our guide to the weekend’s racing at Newbury.