Prairie Wolf
21st-Mar-2026
You can see why Heltenham is favourite here. He loves Newbury, he loves this course and distance, and he won the Greatwood Gold Cup over this course and distance three weeks ago. But he is 6lb higher now, up to a mark of 140, he has never won off a mark higher than 136, and he has raced 26 times over fences. He probably has to put up a career-best to win today. And the ground is going to be faster than ideal for him. I am very happy to be against him at the price.
Prairie Wolf is not unexposed either, but he goes into the race in really good form. A good third behind Booster Bob in the Sir Peter O’Sullevan Memorial Chase at the Coral Gold Cup meeting in November on his only run at Newbury to date, when the two-mile-six-and-a-half-furlong trip just stretched his stamina, he was good in winning at Aintree in December, over two and a half miles.
He was disappointing at Cheltenham in January, but he put that run behind him when he won well at Newcastle last time. He was in front from the fourth last fence that day, which is far enough from home. He was probably idling close home, he probably had more in hand than the bare winning margin.
As such, a 3lb hike was more than fair. The third horse from that race won impressively at Ayr next time and is now 9lb higher than he was then. This is Prairie Wolf’s trip, he goes well on good to soft ground, he goes well at the track, and Jack Tudor gets on well with him. And he remains potentially well handicapped. He has lots in his favour.
PRAIRIE WOLF WON (ADV 11/2, SP 4/1)
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