Sell-out crowd set for Warwick's New Year's Eve meeting
Warwick's final meeting of 2025 on Wednesday is a sell-out as the course gets the New Year celebrations underway with racing and live music throughout the afternoon.
The seven-race card, which starts at 12.20pm has attracted 113 entries and, although the number will be whittled down at the declarations stage, there should still be competitive racing for the expected 8,000 crowd to enjoy.
First up is the most valuable contest on the card, the PricedUp Daily Racing Boosts Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Chase over three miles, followed by the PricedUp The Jumps EBF Mares' 'National Hunt' Novices' Hurdle over two miles and five furlongs which could see course winner Keppel Queen make a reappearance.
Trained by Olly Murphy, Keppel Queen is also entered at Uttoxeter the same afternoon as is another winner, Fresh As A Daisy. Ffos Las winner Katie's Melody was well-beaten at Exeter and the betting might be a guide as to the chances of the Dan Skelton trained Coolkatie, who would be having her second run.
Skelton suffered a reverse on Boxing Day when his Cheltenham Festival hope Mydaddypaddy was beaten at Aintree as he looked to step up to the highest level and make it four wins in a row. Skelton has two entries in the pricedup.bet Novices' Handicap Hurdle, but neither may match Getaway With You, who would be seeking his fourth win of the season.
There are 19 entries in The Racing Blogger Handicap Chase including the Skelton-trained Northern Air, part-owned by Harry Redknapp, whose colours were carried to success in Boxing Day's feature race, the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase, by The Jukebox Man. Hat-trick seeking Prescatorius, who has moved from Olly Murphy to Tanworth-in-Arden trainer Rob Summers, was withdrawn at the last meeting and Ben Pauling has two entries, Bank On Frank and Youdecide who has the option of a run in a later race.
The trip is three and a quarter miles for the longest race of the afternoon, the Download The PricedUp App Handicap Hurdle, a qualifier for the Challenger Stayers' Hurdle Series, and one that catches the eye is Getaway Theatre, beaten a nose by Gwennie May Star over the course last month. The Skelton-trained Harry Bright was also runner-up in his last race, but has been raised 4lbs in the handicap as a result.
Newton Abbot winner Jaitroplaclasse has failed to win in three subsequent races, but may come good in the pricedup.bet Handicap Chase, which completes the jumping action, before the PricedUp Supports British Racing Open National Hunt Flat Race, won last year by one of this season's leading novice hurdlers, No Drama This End, brings the racing action to a close at 3.22pm.