Berkshire Winter Million: Best Bets from the Brand-New Meeting

This week sees the arrival of a new racing fixture as the Berkshire Winter Million kicks off for the very first time on Friday afternoon. Featuring 22 contests and over £1.25m in prize money, the announcement of this three-day fixture was popular with fans, trainers, and owners alike. Throw in live TV coverage of four events on each day, and everything is in place for the Berkshire Winter Million to start with a bang.

Old or new, backing a winner or two always adds to the fun of any race meeting. Here, using analysis presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out our best bets from Days 1 and 2.

Friday 1:15 Windsor – Fitzdares Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase

Johnnywho tops the weights for this 3m contest on the back of third-placed finishes in Grade 2 company in each of his last two outings. However, losing margins of 10½l and 15½l temper our enthusiasm, and he is zero from two over this trip under rules.

Deafening Silence is the choice of punters at present, but he has also failed to impress in two starts this season – most recently when fading out of contention over 2m4½f at Cheltenham. If he returns to the form of his Grade 2 win in December 2023, he should go close, but that is a sufficiently big if for us to look elsewhere.

Herakles Westwood makes the shortlist for Warren Greatrex, but the one to carry our cash is the Lucinda Russell runner, Myretown. Labelled a smaller version of stable star Ahoy Senor, this son of Dylan Thomas has yet to hit those heights. However, he arrives in form following a 19l stroll in a 2m3½f at Wetherby and promises to relish this step up in trip. A point winner over 3m, he powered to an 11l success in a 2m5f soft ground contest on his final start over hurdles. Receiving weight from all six rivals, he is completely unexposed in this sphere and fancied to take advantage of a mark of 123.

• Best Bet - Myretown to win @ 7/2 with BetGoodwin

Friday 3:00 Windsor – Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide Hurdle

Only five runners line up for this £100,000 contest, but each has something to recommend them.

Dan Skelton’s Langer Dan is 9lb clear on ratings and receives 4lb under these conditions, yet is the rank outsider of the field. If anywhere near his best, he should be able to take advantage of such a scenario. However, two defeats from two outings this season, by a combined 40½l means a leap of faith is required to back a horse who invariably peaks in the springtime.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Blueking d’Oroux shades favouritism in most lists following a second disappointing outing in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. With the evidence suggesting that 3m is too far, this drop back to 2m4f should see the mount of Harry Cobden in a better light.

Gary & Josh Moore’s Salver ran a cracker to finish third in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season but is yet to catch fire in the current campaign. That said, he looked set to be involved when falling at the last in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last time, and this represents a slight drop in class.

Kerry Lee’s Welsh Champion Hurdle winner, Nemean Lion isn’t dismissed lightly following a back-to-form success at Hereford, but we suspect the class act in this field is the Nicky Henderson-trained Iberico Lord.

Having initially had this one down as a chaser to follow in 2025, we scrapped that plan when we witnessed his attempts to jump a fence. However, he boasts excellent form over the smaller obstacles. Whilst he bombed out in the Champion Hurdle, many in the Henderson yard were under the weather at the time, and he must have shown plenty at home to earn an entry for the most prestigious hurdle of the year. Before that, he had mastered Champion Hurdle third Luccia in the Greatwood Hurdle and gave 5lb and a beating to the seriously talented L’Eau du Sud in the Betfair Hurdle. That’s amongst the best hurdle form on offer to our eyes, and we fancy this step up to 2m4f may bring out more.

• Best Bet - Iberico Lord to Win @ 4/1 with BetGoodwint

Saturday 1:40 Ascot – BetMGM Mare’s Hurdle

The action switches to the beautiful surroundings of Ascot racecourse on Saturday afternoon, with this Grade 2 contest heading up the Clarence House Chase undercard.

No shortage of likeable sorts in here, including last-time-out winner Ooh Betty, the consistent Take No Chances from the Dan Skelton operation, and Aston Martini, who is better than she has shown in two starts this season.

All of the above have solid place claims. However, if the market leader turns up anywhere near her best, we suspect that second will be the best they can hope for. Hailing from the yard of Willie Mullins, Kargese boasts form figures of 1221 in Grade 1 company, with the only horses to finish ahead of her being the brilliant duo of Sir Gino and Majborough. That level of form is comfortably the best on offer here, and she should take some stopping.

• Best Bet - Kargese to win @ 4/7 with BetGoodwin

Saturday 2:50 Ascot – BetMGM Holloway’s Handicap Hurdle

Our final selection comes in this red-hot handicap affair over the 2m3½f trip. Nicky Henderson has claimed two of the past five editions of this and looks to have live claims once again with the six-year-old Bo Zenith. Formerly based with Gary Moore, he went down by just a short head in the 2023 edition of the big juvenile event at the Aintree Grand National Meeting, only to miss the next 610 days through injury. An encouraging third on his recent return at Cheltenham, he could be well handicapped off 138.

The enigmatic Jipcot heads the betting for Jonjo & A J O’Neill, but taking a price about a runner with his own ideas about the game is a little risky for our tastes. At a bigger price, the one to take an each-way chance on is his stablemate Wilful. This son of Westerner made a mockery of Maiden and Novice company in 2024 when rattling off a hattrick by a combined distance of 47 lengths. As such, it was disappointing to see him beaten on handicap debut at Taunton in December. However, he may have needed that comeback outing and didn’t help his chance by setting a sedate gallop and making a mess of the second last. Likely to have a strong pace to aim at here, he looks a nice each-way price to resume his progress.

• Best Bet - Wilful each way @ 25/1 with BetGoodwin

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