Setting the Scene: Why the Old Newton Cup Matters
If you want a snapshot of the best older handicappers in training over a mile and a half, the Betway Old Newton Cup is your race. Run at Newbury on the first Saturday of July, it sits at a sweet spot in the calendar — the Flat season is in full swing, horses have had enough runs to be properly handicapped, and trainers who've been plotting since the spring are finally ready to pull the trigger. At £125,000 in prize money and rated Class 2 with GBBPlus status, this is a race that attracts genuine quality. Twelve have been declared for the 15:15, the ground is riding Good to Firm, and there's a proper puzzle to unpick. Let me walk you through it.
Key Contenders Analysed
Burdett Road (Draw: 2 | Rating: 103 | Luke Morris)
Top weight, but don't let that put you off. James Owen's six-year-old carries 9-12 and has both course and distance form to his name — that's a combination you simply cannot ignore in a race like this. Course winners at Newbury over this trip are a legitimate angle, and Burdett Road has already shown he handles the track's long, sweeping home straight. Luke Morris knows this horse inside out and has been riding him with increasing confidence. The draw in stall two is workable — he can slot in on the rail and get a nice tow into the race. On good to firm ground, he's proven. The concern is the weight: carrying top burden in a competitive open handicap always asks questions, but if Owen has him spot-on — and he usually does when he runs one here — he's the one they all have to beat.
Plage de Havre (Draw: 11 | Rating: 102 | Callum Hutchinson)
Andrew Balding sends this five-year-old out in excellent heart. He's a confirmed distance winner and Balding's yard has been in fine nick through the summer months. The wide draw in stall 11 is the only real concern — over a mile and four furlongs at Newbury, you can afford to be wide early as the field settles, but Callum Hutchinson will need to make a decision quickly about whether to push across or settle wide and hope the pace is strong enough to bring him into it late. If the tempo is honest, Plage de Havre is a serious player. He's lightly weighted relative to his rating and Balding doesn't tend to run these long-distance types without a plan.
Claymore (Draw: 1 | Rating: 99 | Silvestre De Sousa)
A seven-year-old with both course and distance form — Jane Chapple-Hyam has kept this horse remarkably fresh and he clearly loves Newbury. Stall one is a gift on the straight mile-and-a-half course; Silvestre De Sousa will have him tucked in on the inside rail from the off, saving every inch of ground. At 9-8, the handicapper hasn't buried him, and De Sousa is one of the best in the business at riding patient races before producing a late challenge. The age is a slight flag — seven-year-olds can be tricky in the summer heat — but Claymore's record suggests he's one of the exceptions. Solid each-way claims.
Klassleader (Draw: 8 | Rating: 98 | Tom Marquand)
The interesting one. William Haggas runs a four-year-old colt — the only colt in the race — who is a confirmed distance winner but stepping into open handicap company at this level for what looks like the first time at this trip. Haggas doesn't run horses to make up the numbers in £125k handicaps. Tom Marquand gets the ride, which tells you everything about how seriously the stable is taking this. If Klassleader has been quietly improving at home — and Haggas horses often have — then a rating of 98 could look very generous by the autumn. The draw in stall eight is neutral. The question is whether he's ready to take this step up in class today, or whether this is a confidence-building run before a bigger target. Given Haggas's record, I'd assume the former.
Paddy The Squire (Draw: 6 | Rating: 101 | Andrew Mullen)
Iain Jardine's six-year-old comes south wearing a tongue tie, which is worth noting — it's often applied when a trainer wants to ensure a horse settles and travels better. He's a distance winner and the mid-draw in stall six leaves Andrew Mullen with options. Jardine is a canny operator and doesn't haul horses down from the north without believing they can run well. The tongue tie is new headgear to watch, and if it has the desired effect, Paddy The Squire could outrun his odds at a track that often suits hold-up horses who can pick up through the final two furlongs.
Fierce Fortitude (Draw: 10 | Rating: 90 | David Egan)
Kevin Philippart de Foy has been one of the most exciting trainers to follow over the past couple of seasons, and Fierce Fortitude is a four-year-old on a lenient mark of 90. No previous course or distance win on the form card, but the yard's horses tend to improve sharply once they find their conditions. Good to firm ground and a mile and a half — if this is the target they've had in mind, he's the each-way outsider worth a small interest.
Going and Draw: What the Conditions Tell Us
Good to firm at Newbury in early July is as close to ideal as it gets for a staying handicap. The ground rewards horses with a smooth, flowing action — those that can quicken through the final quarter-mile rather than grind it out. Horses with previous form on quick ground move to the top of the shortlist.
The draw on Newbury's straight mile-and-a-half track is less of a lottery than on some courses, but low draws carry a marginal advantage — horses in stalls one to four can establish a position on the rail without burning energy crossing the track. Claymore (stall 1) and Burdett Road (stall 2) both benefit here. Plage de Havre (stall 11) faces the stiffest task positionally, though it's far from insurmountable with a strong pace to chase.
Value Picks and Dangers
The dangers lurking at bigger prices are worth a mention. Enemy (stall 9, rating 97) is a nine-year-old who has been around the block — Ian Williams runs him in a tongue tie and he's a proven distance performer. At his age, he needs things to fall right, but on a day when the pace is strong and he can come late, he's capable of nicking a place. Ammes (stall 3, rating 90) wears a visor for James Owen — the same trainer as Burdett Road — and at 8-13 he's on a very manageable mark if he's improved since his last run.
For value, Klassleader is the one I keep coming back to. A Haggas four-year-old colt, lightly raced at this trip, with Marquand in the saddle. If he's ready, he could win this comfortably. If he's not, he'll still be competitive. That's the kind of each-way proposition worth getting excited about.
My Selection: Burdett Road
I'll take Burdett Road as my main selection. Course and distance form in a race like this is not a coincidence — it means the horse has already proven he can handle exactly what's being asked of him today. James Owen has him at the top of the weights for a reason: he's in the form of his life. Luke Morris is underrated by the wider public but has an excellent strike rate with Owen's string, and stall two hands him a dream passage.
Good to firm suits, the trip suits, the track suits. In a race where so many of the field have question marks — the draw, the age, the step up in class — Burdett Road has the fewest. He's my banker on the Newbury racecard this Saturday.
Each-way alternative: Klassleader at the prices, with Claymore as the place banker if you're building a Lucky 15.
Who is the favourite for the Betway Old Newton Cup Handicap Stakes 2026?
Based on the weights and form credentials, Burdett Road is likely to head the market as top-rated runner with proven course and distance form. However, William Haggas's Klassleader — a lightly raced four-year-old with significant unexplored potential — could attract significant support once markets firm up on race morning. Always check the latest odds before placing, as market moves in competitive handicaps can be telling.
Does draw matter in the Old Newton Cup at Newbury?
Over a mile and four furlongs on Newbury's straight track, the draw is a factor but not a decisive one. Low draws (stalls one to four) carry a marginal advantage as horses can slot onto the inside rail without wasting energy, which is why Claymore (stall 1) and Burdett Road (stall 2) are well positioned. High draws like Plage de Havre (stall 11) are not impossible — a strong pace helps wide runners — but jockeys need to make quick decisions about positioning in the early stages.
Is Good to Firm ground at Newbury an advantage for certain horses?
Absolutely. Newbury on quick ground rewards horses with an efficient, ground-covering action rather than those who need cut to bring out their best. Any horse in this field with previous wins or placed efforts on good to firm should be prioritised. Burdett Road, Claymore, and Klassleader all have profiles that suggest they'll handle — or actively relish — the conditions. Conversely, if any runner's best form has come on softer ground, treat them with caution regardless of their rating.
