KILLER CLOWN is no laughing matter for the bookies in the BetVictor Greatwood Gold Cup (1.50) at Newbury this afternoon.
Emma Lavelle’s seven-year-old son of Getaway is learning on the job over fences.
Having drawn a blank on his first three attempts in the discipline – at Uttoxeter, Exeter and Sandown Park – Adam Wedge’s mount came good at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
Sent off at 9-2 for a 10-runner event over today’s two-and-a-half-mile distance, Killer Clown jumped with polish before galloping clear to beat Falco Blitz by seven and a half lengths.
The British Horseracing Authority handicapper hasn’t taken that performance lying down, raising my selection a whopping 15lb to a new rating of 138.
But there’s little doubt that Killer Clown is on the up and, with more to come on the fifth start of his career over fences, he gets the vote to take the £22,780 first prize back to Lavelle’s Wilitshire base.
Saturday racing tips
NEWBURY
12.40 NOT A ROLE MODEL
1.15 PRESENT MAN
1.50 KILLER CLOWN (NAP)
2.30 MILLERS BANK
3.05 JAVA POINT
3.40 HITMAN
4.15 FAME AND CONCRETE
KELSO
12.25 FELDSPAR
12.55 ASHJAN
1.30 MY DROGO
2.05 FLASH COLLONGES (NB)
2.40 ASO
3.15 FAIVOIR
3.50 CEDAR HILL
4.25 JOMONT
DONCASTER
1.45 EN MEME TEMPS
2.20 ALPHA CARINAE
2.55 BALLYWOOD
3.30 CANELO
4.05 SOME CHAOS
4.40 KILDIMO
5.15 PARTY BUSINESS
LINGFIELD PARK
11.45 AL SUIL EILE
12.15 TINTORETTO
12.50 HEY HO LET’S GO
1.25 LIHOU
2.00 TO THE BAR
2.36 BREATH OF SUN
3.11 ALMOST YOU
3.46 CHOCOLATE BOX
NAVAN
1.40 ILMIG
2.13 MANITOPARK
2.48 SONG OF EARTH
3.23 NOBLE YEATS
3.58 SCARLET AND DOVE
4.33 WISHMOOR
5.05 EXIT TO THE WEST
SOUTHWELL
5.30 DELPH CRESCENT
6.00 RAYMOND
6.30 LITTLE INDIA
7.00 EQUIDAE
7.30 BEALACH
8.00 VAN DIJK
8.30 BILLYOAKES
