Warwick, Wednesday 20 May: Tips and Selections

Warwick, Wednesday 20 May: Tips and Selections

A six-race card at Warwick on good ground with showers expected. Nothing from the major festivals on the immediate horizon to distract the serious punter, so let’s focus on three races where there are clear angles worth following. The card has a bit of everything: a bumper favourite in a maiden hurdle, a short-field chase dominated by a horse in red-hot form, and a competitive handicap hurdle with a few live players at double-figure prices.

2:30 Hazelton Mountford Insurance Brokers Maiden Hurdle (2m3f)

Selection: Rebel Tribesman (8/13, Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Jamie Snowden’s yard has been in cracking form, landing 5 winners from 15 runners over the past fortnight. Rebel Tribesman has been crying out for this opportunity. He won a bumper at Aintree last May, which alone tells you he has ability above the average maiden hurdle entrant. Since switching to hurdles he has gone close twice at Sedgefield over 2m1f, going off a short-priced favourite on both occasions and being only narrowly denied each time. The step up to 2m3f here looks a natural fit for a horse bred and ridden as though stamina is his ally, and good ground suits. The rest of the field offers little real threat. Royal Rocket is going the right way but his turn is more likely to come in a handicap, while Mr Rafiki showed something on hurdles debut at Ffos Las but needs more. At odds-on this isn’t a value play, but for accumulators or single win bets where you need a banker, Rebel Tribesman is as solid as this card gets.

3:30 Mane Event: Logicor Cup Handicap Chase (2m4f, 4 runners)

Selection: Jack Doyen (3/1, Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Four runners, but the most interesting angle here sits at 3/1 rather than the favourite’s price. Full Force Gale is the obvious market leader after winning over course and distance 16 days ago with cheekpieces and a tongue-tie doing the job, and a Spotlight comment that screams “hard to beat.” That cannot be ignored. But Jack Doyen is arriving here in the form of his life and commands serious respect despite taking a penalty.

Ben Case has had a reasonable fortnight with the yard ticking over, and Jack Doyen’s record through March and April has been exceptional. Two wins at Hereford and Newton Abbot, then only just headed at Hexham, and most recently justifying a confident waiting ride at Huntingdon over the same 2m4f trip on good ground last night. That last result is significant. He won with something in hand over an identical trip and surface to what he faces today, trained by a handler who clearly has him in the form of his life. Taking the penalty in a four-runner field is far from a dealbreaker when the horse’s fitness and confidence are this obvious. Full Force Gale remains the danger, but 3/1 about Jack Doyen looks the better price on the card.

5:00 Love Warwick Handicap Hurdle (2m, 9 runners)

Selection: Mojito Des Mottes Each-Way (9/4, Boyle Sports / Betfred)

Harry Cobden has made a single trip to Warwick today and Mojito Des Mottes is his only booked ride at the meeting. That tells you something straight away. Paul Nicholls’ former number one jockey does not make pointless appearances, and when the booking is exclusive, the yard’s confidence tends to follow.

The form angle is compelling too. Ben Pauling’s horse was an eye-catcher at Ascot back in March, going down by only a neck on his handicap debut following wind surgery. He won in France in March 2025 and has been learning his trade in Britain across four starts. The wind op, the narrow defeat at Ascot on good ground, the handicap debut leniency, and now Cobden in the saddle: this horse is being aimed at something, and today looks like the day. He arrives into a race that has a few open questions elsewhere. Kingston Sunflower hasn’t been seen since December and is off a career-high mark. High Fibre was below his best over the longer trip last time and needs to find his Kempton form again. Brendas Asking has a course suitability query, having done her best work on right-handed tracks. At 9/4 the win bet makes sense, and with three places on offer this is worth covering each-way too.

Today’s NAP