Newton Abbot, Tuesday 14 April 2026 — Good Ground Tips

Newton Abbot, Tuesday 14 April 2026 — Good Ground Tips

Newton Abbot on good ground in mid-April is a proper test of jumping ability. The track rewards bold front-runners and punishes those who make errors at pace. With only three races to focus on today, there is no need to force the issue on thin races. The card is light but the angles are clear enough.

2:33 — St. Austell Brewery Mares' Maiden Hurdle (2m5f, Good)

Ten runners but the market is dominated by two, and for good reason. The big question is whether Onefournine bounces back from that flat Kempton run or whether the Dan Skelton filly takes the race on form.

Laffer Curve is the selection here at 2/1 (Bet365, William Hill). Dan Skelton sends her here after a genuinely encouraging handicap debut at Huntingdon over 2m4f, where she finished third off a mark of 103. That run came on good ground too, which is important. The step up to 2m5f suits her profile, Harry Skelton takes the ride, and the Skelton yard has been operating at a solid 14/63 clip over the past fortnight. They do not send horses to Newton Abbot without a plan.

Onefournine is clearly talented and sets the form standard, but that Kempton flop as favourite gives pause. Dropping out of handicap company back into a maiden is a curious move if the horse is at the top of her game. The longer trip may well bring out more, but the price of evens does not offer enough room for doubt.

Kaydence at 9/2 (Bet365, William Hill) is the each-way alternative worth noting. Olly Murphy's yard is firing at 9/36 over 14 days, she was a bumper winner, and the move from 1m7f up to this longer trip is exactly the progression her pedigree demands. She was never in the race at Wincanton but that was the wrong distance.

Jolissaint Each-Way at 20/1 (Bet365) is worth a small each-way interest. An Irish point horse who nearly won before a last-fence fall, she was given a racecourse education at Chepstow after a long absence and this step up in trip fits her profile well. Christian Williams has two winners from 20 runners recently, which is a decent enough strike rate to trust a runner.

3:42 — Thatchers Handicap Chase (2m½f, Good)

Four runners, small field, and the logic points clearly to one horse.

Irish Chorus is the pick at 6/4 (William Hill). Alan King's seven-year-old mare has gone 2-4 since switching to fences, which is a striking conversion rate. Her Warwick win came on good to soft, but the form has worked out well and the step into open company, even off a 6lb higher mark, should not derail her. Tom Bellamy takes the ride and King has two winners from 20 runners in the past fortnight, so the yard is ticking along.

Raffles Hermes is interesting at 11/4 (Bet365). A return to better ground suits him according to his Spotlight note, and his last two runs have been encouraging. Sam Twiston-Davies takes the mount. The worry is that Robert Walford's yard has drawn a blank from three runners recently, which does not inspire confidence.

Siam Park at 5/2 (Bet365, William Hill) has claims too, returning from hurdles back over fences with solid placed efforts behind him. But the price is cramped for a horse whose most recent chase form dates back to November, and Joe Tizzard's 2/25 yard stat is one of the worst on the card today.

4:52 — Visit Kauto The King 6th May Handicap Chase (2m5f, Good)

Five runners and the form of the race hinges on whether Soldierofthestorm can reproduce his Sandown win on a more galloping track. The Jonjo O'Neill yard has gone 3/29 in the past fortnight, which is not a strong strike rate, but the horse itself carries solid credentials.

Soldierofthestorm at 7/4 (William Hill, Coral) is a fair price for a horse who won jumping soundly at Sandown in March. He made the running that day and Newton Abbot's sharp nature suits front-runners. A 5lb rise is manageable for a horse still on an upward curve over fences.

Tapley at 11/4 (Bet365) ran well to win at Stratford last time and Isabelle Ryder has formed a productive partnership with the horse. The drop back from 2m6f to 2m5f is minor and the consistent form figures speak for themselves. The 3lb penalty is the only concern.

Sheldon at 10/3 (William Hill, Coral, Betfred) is the value lurker. His recent Newbury second at 2m6f on good to soft was a solid effort and the form angle holds up. Seamus Mullins has two winners from 11 runners recently. He remains on a workable mark and gets into this lightly penalised.

Today's NAP