Warwick, Thursday 23 April 2026 — Tips and Best Bets

Warwick, Thursday 23 April 2026 — Tips and Best Bets

Warwick stages a decent afternoon of jumps action with three competitive handicaps on good ground. Both mares' series finals attract strong fields, and the staying hurdle opener has genuine intrigue. The going is described as good throughout, which sorts out a few horses with going preferences and narrows the field considerably when you read between the lines.

2:30 — John Sillett Memorial Handicap Hurdle (3m1f)

Selection: Step Ahead at 11/4 (Bet365), each-way.

Each-Way Step Ahead is the most interesting runner in this field at the prices. Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls have one winner from fifteen runners in the last fortnight, admittedly, but Ciaran Gethings is a competent conditional who rides the horse well. The key angle here is trip and experience. Step Ahead has already shown he handles this track, finishing second to the smart Moneygarrow at Warwick before winning a maiden at Cheltenham on good ground. He then ran creditably over 2m5f at Kempton and now steps up further on handicap debut. The handicapper has had minimal material to work with and he could be generously treated at this first handicap mark. Good ground suits, the extra distance almost certainly will too, and the price looks far too big for a horse making what could be a significant career step forward today.

J J Moon is not without a chance. The cheekpieces going on adds a layer of interest and he went close at Newbury last time, only getting outbattled. The question is whether 7/4 represents value for a horse yet to get his head in front at this trip. Lipa K has the ability on his best form but has been off since October and returns on a career-high mark. At 4/1 he is just not compelling enough given the conditions.

3:00 — Sporting Agenda Challenger Series Mares' Chase Final (3m1½f)

Selection: Holetown at 11/2 (BetTom, Bet Victor), each-way.

Each-Way Holetown is fascinating at 11/2. Venetia Williams has been quiet lately with no winners from six runners in the last fortnight, but this mare has genuine ability and the market has not quite caught up with it yet. She was a dual chase winner in France before British debut at Ludlow, where she led late on over a shorter trip on soft ground. She then finished a staying-on three-length third at Newbury over 2m6f on good to soft, and the spotlight rightly notes she was not stopping. Good ground is untried, but there is no obvious reason why a daughter of a middle-distance French dynasty cannot handle it, and returning to a field of mares removes the handicap against deep-class rivals she faced at Newbury. The extra three furlongs at Warwick today should suit her galloping style and she is only six, still lightly raced, still learning. Venetia Williams has produced horses cold on the stats before when they matter.

Theonewedreamof is the clear market leader at 6/4 with Dan Skelton in flying form overall at eleven winners from fifty-two in the last fortnight. Harry Skelton's mount ran well at Leicester last time despite a notable mistake and should be placed. But 6/4 in an eleven-runner handicap final on a mare who can be inconsistent is not a price to get excited about. Party Vibes deserves respect, winning two qualifiers including one over several of these at Cheltenham, and she sits on a fair mark, but the Henry Daly yard is clearly not operating at its sharpest right now.

3:30 — KTDA Mares' Challenger Series Final Handicap Hurdle (2m5f)

Selection: Greyval Each-Way at 12/1 (Bet365), each-way.

Greyval won this exact race last year at Cheltenham and goes today off the same mark she defied then. That single fact alone makes her a serious contender. She turned away from chasing this winter and ran creditably over three miles at Kempton before finding the Ludlow ground too soft. Good ground at Warwick is a completely different matter, and the addition of cheekpieces sharpens the case further. Fergal O'Brien is firing with eight winners from twenty-six runners over the last fortnight, a very healthy strike rate, and he also saddles Siog Geal in this race. That the stable fields two does not dilute Greyval's chance. She is in the right part of the weights, proven over this sort of trip on quick ground, and returning to hurdling with freshness in her legs after a less-than-ideal campaign. The 12/1 on offer is simply too big for the defending champion of this race on the same mark.

Service Minimum is short at 7/2 for Dan Skelton and Harry Skelton, but an eleven-pound rise for a narrow win at Bangor is steep in this grade. She clearly has ability but the handicapper may have caught her. Crazierthandaisy at 9/2 was unlucky at Uttoxeter but is inconsistent and sits five pounds above the only mark she has ever defied in a handicap. Siog Geal ran well last time at Chepstow and each-way claims at 5/1 in a four-place race are legitimate, but the value is clearly with Greyval at 12/1.

Today's NAP