← Horse Racing · Newbury · Sat 18 Apr

Win Unique Experiences At OLBG Prizes Spring Cup Handicap (Str).

Newbury · Saturday, 18 Apr · 17:10 · 1m · Class 2 · TURF

WEIGHEDIN

Status

14:10

Off time

Runners

Good (Good to Firm in places)

Going

🎯 Tipster's 1·2·3

Sporting Life pick

🏆 Top pick

BACK IN BLACK (IRE

🥈 Second

STEM (IRE

🥉 Third

SHOUT (IRE

Betting forecast

Market prediction · 26 runners · sorted by price

01 · 🏆 FAV

Shout

5

4/1

02 · 🥈 2nd

Back In Black

7

6/1

03 · 🥉 3rd

Fifth Column

7.50

13/2

04 · —

Stem

10

9/1

05 · —

Linwood

11

10/1

06 · —

Urban Lion

11

10/1

07 · —

Rogue Diplomat

13

12/1

08 · —

Ebt's Guard

13

12/1

09 · —

Tony Montana

17

16/1

10 · —

Classic

19

18/1

11 · —

Oliver Show

21

20/1

12 · —

Jimmy Speaking

21

20/1

13 · —

Hand Of God

23

22/1

14 · —

Boyfriend

26

25/1

15 · —

Cogitate

26

25/1

16 · —

Hot Cash

26

25/1

17 · —

Al Mubhir

26

25/1

18 · —

Whip Cracker

29

28/1

19 · —

Checkandchallenge

29

28/1

20 · —

Ancient Rome

51

50/1

21 · —

Old Cock

51

50/1

22 · —

Samuel Colt

67

66/1

23 · —

Nikovo

81

80/1

24 · —

Ozat

81

80/1

25 · —

Serengeti

81

80/1

26 · —

Nizam

81

80/1

Sporting Life forecast prices — published the night before the race. Top 3 highlighted as market favourites.

Runners

Pos	No.	Dr	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Age	Wgt	Best decimal odds
10th	1	23	Checkandchallenge (G) Hasn't got his head in front since landing a listed contest at Newmarket in November 2023 and, though very talented when on-song, he is opposable off this mark on what will be just his second start in a handicap.	Rossa Ryan	W J Knight	7	62.6 kg	29 28/1
1st	2	20	Linwood (G) Won twice at 2 yrs and didn't do much wrong switched to handicaps last term, culminating in a clear-cut success at Newmarket (1m, good). Gelded since and while he resumes on a 10 lb higher mark and in a tougher race, this 4-y-o has to ente…	J P Spencer	R Hannon	4	62.6 kg	11 10/1
18th	3	11	Ebt's Guard (G) Got the better of Urban Lion in this race on his reappearance last term and largely progressive thereafter, also winning at Ascot during the summer and posted plenty of good efforts in defeat in handicaps/listed company. On the downside, h…	Lewis Edmunds	W Muir & C Grassick	5	62.6 kg	13 12/1
19th	4	19	Ozat (G) Four-time winner in France, including twice at Chantilly last spring. However, he failed to fire in listed company when last seen in November and is on a tough-looking mark for this handicap/stable debut.	David Probert	Ian Williams	5	61.7 kg	81 80/1
24th	5	26	Urban Lion (G) Enjoyed a good 2025 campaign, winning 1m handicaps either side of a near-miss at the hands of Ebt's Guard in this race 12 months ago. Further progress when narrowly seeing off Rogue Diplomat and 19 others on return in the Lincoln and shoul…	Edward Greatrex	J Channon	5	61.2 kg	11 10/1
—	6	6	Al Mubhir (G) Smart at best for William Haggas but last win was back in July 2024 and he largely struggled during a stint in Australia last year. Resumes on a workable mark for new yard but others make more appeal all the same.	N Callan	K A Ryan	7	61.2 kg	26 25/1
11th	7	4	Fifth Column (G) [P] Gelded following 2-y-o campaign and progressed last season, winning 4 times, including a major handicap at the York Ebor meeting. Failed to get competitive final 2 starts of that campaign but appeals as the type to kick on again as a 4-y-o…	W Buick	J & T Gosden	4	60.8 kg	7.50 13/2
21th	8	25	Serengeti (C) Dual winner for Aidan O'Brien and shaped well on first start for Dylan Cunha when runner-up in a Wolverhampton handicap in November. However, it's been downhill since and was never a threat on sole start for James Ferguson at Kempton last …	Rob Hornby	M Murphy	4	60.8 kg	81 80/1
13th	9	5	Shout (G) FAV Resumed his progression with a big-field handicap win at Ascot (1m, good to soft) in September. Solid fourth of 20 in the Balmoral there the following month and wasn't seen to best effect when ninth in the Lincoln. Likely to come on for th…	Oisin Murphy	S & E Crisford	4	60.3 kg	5 4/1
23th	10	18	Nizam (G) Winner of 3 of his 9 starts in France, most recently landing a 1m Deauville handicap last summer. Solid for €90,000 in November and while he should pay his way for new connections, this is a tough starting point.	Charles Bishop	Ian Williams	4	59.4 kg	81 80/1
5th	11	14	Rogue Diplomat (C) Ended 2025 with a handicap 4-timer over 7f, with the last 2 legs gained at Doncaster. Returned to Town Moor with a very close second to Urban Lion in the Lincoln 3 weeks ago and it's not hard to envisage this progressive type running anoth…	Harry Davies	James Owen	4	59.4 kg	13 12/1
7th	12	2	Hand Of God (G) Lightly-raced for his age and produced a pretty smart effort when landing the Golden Gates Stakes at Royal Ascot on the final run of a truncated 2024 campaign. However, he was a long way below his best in a handful of appearances last year…	K Shoemark	Harry Charlton	5	59 kg	23 22/1
17th	13	24	Ancient Rome (G) Smart at his best but, save for a close third in 1m Sandown handicap in July, he didn't show much last season and it's probably best to look elsewhere.	Jason Watson	C Hills	7	59 kg	51 50/1
6th	14	8	Tony Montana (G) Found just one too good on 3 occasions in competitive handicaps last year, most notably in a valuable race at the Curragh in September. The efforts in question were all at around 1¼m, though, and he struggled on sole attempt over this trip…	D Egan	K P De Foy	6	59 kg	17 16/1
2nd	15	9	Classic (G) Change of tactics worked a treat when snapping a losing run in valuable 1m Sandown handicap in July. Fine second followed in the 7f International Stakes at Ascot but signed off last season on a downer and he's 6 lb higher compared to when …	S M Levey	R Hannon	6	57.6 kg	19 18/1
3rd	16	22	Whip Cracker (G) [P] Runner-up on 3 occasions in handicaps last term, including at the big Goodwood meeting in August when coming home 1½ lengths ahead of the re-opposing Linwood. Checked out rather tamely on his reappearance in Ireland but it wouldn't be a su…	R L Moore	R Hughes	5	57.6 kg	29 28/1
4th	17	7	Back In Black (G) Readily accounted for Shout and 7 others in a 3-y-o handicap at this meeting last year and did little wrong in defeat thereafter, including when beaten a length into third in the 7f Doncaster handicap won by Rogue Diplomat. Gelded during t…	Daniel Muscutt	J R Fanshawe	4	57.6 kg	7 6/1
16th	18	16	Nikovo (G) More of a force on the all-weather nowadays and, having struggled at Yarmouth when last seen on turf in July, he's probably worth taking on here.	Tom Marquand	M Herrington	7	57.2 kg	81 80/1
20th	19	13	Old Cock (G) [T] Back on the up when cosily landing a significant York handicap for Edward Bethell last spring but held back by slow starts in his 2 subsequent starts in 2025 and the percentage call is to look elsewhere on this occasion. Debut for new yard.	Cam Hardie	A Brittain	5	57.2 kg	51 50/1
14th	20	21	Oliver Show (G) [TP] Quirky but talented performer who has won 4 times from 11 starts on the all-weather. Yet to taste success from 13 runs on turf but didn't disgrace himself in major handicaps at Ascot and Doncaster last season and each-way squeak with James…	James Doyle	G Boughey	6	56.7 kg	21 20/1
22th	21	1	Samuel Colt (G) [H1] Curragh 2-y-o maiden winner on debut for Aidan O'Brien and performed with credit both starts in pattern company for that yard in 2024. However, he has failed to beat a rival home in 3 starts for present connections and probably best watche…	Cieren Fallon	Mrs A J Perrett	5	56.7 kg	67 66/1
9th	22	17	Stem (G) Wide-margin winner of 7f novice here (soft) on sole start at 2 yrs and placed both runs switched to handicaps in second half of last season, latterly chasing home a progressive type over this C&D (again on soft ground). Still has low milea…	Joe Leavy	R Hannon	4	55.3 kg	10 9/1
12th	23	3	Cogitate (G) Reliable operator who made the frame in a trio of 1m Kempton handicaps in October and resumed with a good second in another over the same C&D 3 weeks ago. However, he remains 5 lb above his last winning mark and it could be that some of th…	Saffie Osborne	C Hills	5	54.9 kg	26 25/1
8th	24	15	Boyfriend (H) Successful over 7f here as a 2-y-o and added to his tally in 1m Nottingham handicap last summer. Wasn't disgraced in 3 subsequent starts but doesn't appear to be the stable first-string here judged on jockey bookings.	S Hitchcott	R Hannon	5	54.4 kg	26 25/1
15th	25	10	Hot Cash (G) Bagged the Carlisle Bell off this mark last season but form gradually tailed off thereafter (gelded since latest start in September) and Urban Lion is the stable No 1.	Rose Dawes	J Channon	4	53.5 kg	26 25/1
—	26	12	Jimmy Speaking (G) Hit a purple patch last summer, during which he got his head in front at Yarmouth, and looked better than ever when landing a 16-runner Doncaster handicap (7f, good to soft) on return. 4 lb rise not the end of the world but this demands a …	Nicola Currie	C A Dwyer	5	52.2 kg	21 20/1

Betting forecast: Shout (4/1), Back In Black (6/1), Fifth Column (13/2), Stem (9/1), Linwood (10/1), Urban Lion (10/1), Rogue Diplomat (12/1), Ebt's Guard (12/1), Tony Montana (16/1), Classic (18/1), Oliver Show (20/1), Jimmy Speaking (20/1), Hand Of God (22/1), Boyfriend (25/1), Cogitate (25/1), Hot Cash (25/1), Al Mubhir (25/1), Whip Cracker (28/1), Checkandchallenge (28/1), Ancient Rome (50/1), Old Cock (50/1), Samuel Colt (66/1), Nikovo (80/1), Ozat (80/1), Serengeti (80/1), Nizam (80/1)

Prize money

Position	Prize
P1	36078.0 GBP
P2	16919.0 GBP
P3	8463.0 GBP
P4	4228.0 GBP
P5	2114.0 GBP
P6	1057.0 GBP