Warwick betting tips for January 12 say Ok Corral rates the NAP of the seven-race card in the Listed 3m Hampton Novices’ Chase at the weights. Movie Legend, meanwhile, is the next best bet in the 2m handicap chase following consistent performances. Notwhatiam, meanwhile, is one to consider each-way in the Pertemps Qualifer over 3m for Team Skelton. Read all about these horses in our preview of the supporting card on Classic Chase day with Warwick betting tips for January 12. Ok Corral weighted to win HamptonA classy renewal of the Listed 3m Hampton Novices’ Chase is the main supporting race on Classic and Leamington day at Warwick this Saturday (13:50), and Ok Corral is well-fancied at the weights to win it. Trained by Nicky Henderson and owned by JP McManus, the nine-year-old son of Mahler gets 5lb from the more experienced Rocky’s Treasure in this four-runner contest and that puts him 3lb well-in on official figures.
Ok Corral was lightly-raced over hurdles by connections, presumably with this sphere in mind. After winning a Kempton bumper and finishing second in another during the 2015 Punchestown Festival, he then spent 746 days on the sidelines but was bought by leading Irish owner McManus.
A belated hurdles debut back at Kempton in May 2017 could not have been more impressive. Ok Corral travelled strongly throughout and led on the bit approaching two out to win by a dozen lengths. Although then turned over after a summer break at Newbury by stable companion Whatswrongwithyou, he relished the step up in trip to 2m 5f when drawing right away to score by seven lengths at happy hunting ground Kempton.
Connections then went straight to the Cheltenham Festival and upped Ok Corral in trip again for the 3m Albert Bartlett. He outran a 16/1 starting price in that to chase home Kilbricken Storm and finish in front of the stable’s first string Santini when beaten three lengths.
Promising chase debut win
Although then an 18 1/2 lengths fifth to that one in another Grade 1 at Aintree, anything Ok Corral achieved over hurdles was a bonus. He has always looked a chasing type and plundered a bonus race on reappearance at Plumpton that entitles connections to more money if he goes on to win at the Festival.
Ok Corral jumped into the lead at the ninth fence and made the rest. While his round wasn’t flawless, he is sure to come on a bundle for the outing and is relatively unexposed to main market rival Rocky’s Treasure, who is proven at a higher level but a short price as a result.
As the Kim Bailey horse has already had plenty of outings this term, including when second to Santini at Newbury, he looks vulnerable here, especially giving Ok Corral 5lb. Official figures have them just 2lb apart, so the bold jumping, front-runner has it all to do at the weights.
With race terms in his favour, Ok Corral looks a great value bet at the odds on offer. He thus rates the NAP of our Warwick betting tips for January 12 and is readily taken to improve and progress past Rocky’s Treasure, with Secret Investor and White Moon no mugs either.Movie Legend also appealsIn the class 3 handicap chase over 2m (13:15), Movie Legend has an eye-catching jockey booking that may result in him landing a deserved success after a string of solid efforts this season. The Lucy Wadham trained nine-year-old is three from 15 over fences, but has made the frame on a further seven occasions leaving him with a career chase win and place ratio of 67 per cent.
A wind operation over the summer looks to have got him right again after he finished last season by failing to complete his last two starts. Prior to that, Movie Legend won at this level off his current mark of 124 at Wetherby 13 months ago an easing down eight-length victor over Pistol Park.
He was then far from disgraced off a career high rating of 131 when a 15-length fourth to Just Cameron in the Castleford Chase. Movie Legend broke the maiden tag over hurdles on reappearance at Fakenham, before just being outpaced up the Cheltenham hill when beaten eight lengths by Bun Doran in a class 2 handicap chase.
Promising chase efforts this term
This son of Midnight Legend was desperately unlucky back at Wetherby on his penultimate start when headed 30 yards from the line to go down fighting by a length to Bouvreuil. As Movie Legend was beaten 13 lengths by Hell’s Kitchen last time out at Kempton, he drops down in class again and now gets the services of champion jockey Richard Johnson in the saddle.
As the assessor has dropped him back to his last chase winning mark and Johnson is still on a 15 per cent strike rate in the last 14 days at the time of writing, everything is in place for a big run. Movie Legend is thus the next best bet among our Warwick betting tips for January 12.Notwhatiam the Pertemps punt each-wayOne of many Pertemps Qualifiers held throughout the UK and Ireland comes later on the card, and brothers Harry and Dan Skelton ride and saddle Notwhatiam in this 3m handicap hurdle (15:35). These are typically ultra-competitive events like the Final itself at the Cheltenham Festival, so the nine-year-old is one to consider backing each-way.
Notwhatiam has been in good form since a wind op and joining local trainer Skelton, just prevailing by a head on debut for the yard in a Uttoxeter handicap in October. He was giving the runner-up 11lb, so there was lots to like about how he held despite idling close home.
Although then coming to grief two out in another Pertemps Qualifier at Cheltenham, Notwhatiam was still travelling well enough and then resumed winning ways back at Uttoxeter. He was switched right to lead at the last and needed driving out to beat the re-opposing Oh Land Abloom by a couple of lengths.
This son of Morozov was then far from disgraced last time out when third to Midnight Shadow in the Merseyrail Handicap Hurdle – a similar class 2 contest to this over 2m 4f. That trip may have been on the sharp side for him, but he stayed on to be beaten just 8 1/2 lengths.
As the winner has since come out and landed the Grade 2 Relkeel Hurdle in taking style to be rated 158, that form reads well in the context of this. Others have claims in this contest – notably First Assignment, Lurgano Palace and staying chaser Blaklion who is back over hurdles – but they lack the consistency Notwhatiam has produced of late and he thus completes our Warwick betting tips for January 12 as the each-way selection.Your Next Bet
