Setting the Scene: A Midsummer Hurdle Worth Getting Excited About

Now, I know what some of you purists are thinking — August hurdles at Newton Abbot? Is that really what we've come to? But hear me out, because the Scone Estates Stone of Destiny Handicap Hurdle is no filler race shoved in to pad out a Saturday card. This is a £25,000 Class 2 over two miles and change, and with eight geldings and one gutsy mare lining up on good ground, there's proper prize money on the table and proper trainers who want a slice of it. Patrick Neville has saddled two of the eight, for the love of God — that's not a man who stumbled into the entries by accident. Check out the full Newton Abbot racecard for the whole day's action, but make no mistake — this is the race of the afternoon.

Newton Abbot in August on good ground is a very specific test. It's a tight, turning track that rewards handy, nippy hurdlers over staying plodders, and at just over two miles, you want a horse that travels well through a race rather than one who needs to be nursed along and produced late. Keep that in mind as we work through the field.

Contender-by-Contender Breakdown

1. The Last Cloud (12-0) — Brian Hughes / Patrick Neville

Here's your likely market leader, and I'll be honest with you — the case is a strong one. A course and distance winner carrying the joint-top weight of 12-0, and Brian Hughes takes the ride. Hughes is a man who knows how to ride a tight track, and Neville clearly fancies this one if he's gone to the trouble of booking him. The 129 rating means he's giving weight to the entire field bar one, but he's done it before around here. The danger is the August ground — if this horse has been campaigned through softer conditions earlier in the season, the quicker surface might blunt him slightly. Still, course form is course form, and you don't ignore it.

2. Filibustering (12-0) — Paul O'Brien / Harry Derham

Joint top weight, a tongue tie slapped on, and Paul O'Brien in the saddle — Harry Derham clearly means business here. Filibustering is a distance winner but hasn't struck at Newton Abbot before, which is a slight concern on a course where track knowledge matters. That said, Derham is a trainer on a serious upward curve and doesn't run horses in Class 2s for the craic. The tongue tie suggests there may have been some questions about his racing enthusiasm previously — if that's been resolved, he could be a serious player. One to watch in the market.

3. Squeezebox (11-4) — Stan Sheppard / Tom Lacey

Now here's a horse I have a soft spot for. Seven years old, hood and tongue tie on, and Stan Sheppard doing the steering for Tom Lacey. Squeezebox is a distance winner dropping 10lb below the top weights, and Lacey is the sort of trainer who plots a campaign rather than just lobbing horses at races. The headgear combination tells you this is a horse who needs to be kept focused — Newton Abbot's tight bends will either suit him or catch him out. I'd want to know his recent form closely before getting too carried away, but at 11-4, he's an each-way player if the market opens him up a bit.

4. Medieval Gold (11-2) — Derek Fox / Patrick Neville

And here's where it gets interesting. Patrick Neville runs two horses in this race, and Medieval Gold is the second string on paper — but is he? Derek Fox is no mug jockey, and Medieval Gold holds both course and distance form, just like The Last Cloud. He's 12lb lower in the weights at 117, carrying 11-2, and that matters on a fair track. Blinkers and a tongue tie suggest Neville has been doing some thinking about how to get the best out of him. In a two-horse Neville yard situation, the shrewd money sometimes lands on the one you're not supposed to be backing. I'm keeping a very close eye on this one.

5. Fidendum (11-1) — Nick Slatter / Killahena & McPherson

The joint-training partnership of David Killahena and Graeme McPherson is an intriguing one, and Nick Slatter is a capable pilot. Fidendum is a distance winner on a 116 rating, wearing hood and tongue tie, and at 11-1 he's got a handy weight. McPherson in particular is a trainer who targets these summer handicaps with purpose — don't be surprised if Fidendum is sharper than his odds suggest. He's my each-way dark horse of the race.

6. Nap Hand (10-10) — Fern O'Brien / Chris Gordon

Nap Hand comes in off the lowest weight of the main contenders at 10-10, trained by the ever-reliable Chris Gordon. A distance winner rated 111, he's 18lb off the top, and on good ground over a sharp two miles, that's a significant advantage if he's in form. Gordon doesn't waste entries, and Fern O'Brien is a jockey who rides with real confidence. This could be the big-priced each-way shout if the market ignores him.

Going and Track Conditions: Good Ground at Newton Abbot

Good ground in August at Newton Abbot is about as fair as it gets for summer jumping. The track dries out well and rides true — no excuses for horses who handle decent ground. The key thing here is jumping fluency. On a tight, undulating track like this, a horse that makes even one bad mistake at a hurdle can lose lengths it simply won't get back. You want a clean, confident jumper who travels sweetly into his hurdles. The Last Cloud and Medieval Gold both have course form, which tells you they handle the idiosyncrasies of the place. On good ground, stamina isn't the primary concern over two miles — speed and jumping accuracy are everything.

Value Picks and Dangers

Let me be straight with you. The market will make The Last Cloud the favourite, and it won't be wrong to do so. But at 12-0 giving lumps of weight to horses with course form of their own, he's not the value play.

  • Medieval Gold — Course and distance winner, 12lb lower than the top weights, and Neville clearly has him primed. The second string who might be the first string.
  • Fidendum — McPherson targets these races. Each-way value at a likely big price.
  • Nap Hand — Gordon's runner at the foot of the weights. Don't dismiss him if he's returned to form.

The danger to everything? Filibustering. If that tongue tie has unlocked something in him, Derham's runner could bolt up — but I want to see it rather than assume it.

Tom's Selection: Medieval Gold Each-Way

Right, here's where I put my money where my mouth is. Medieval Gold is my selection for the Scone Estates Stone of Destiny Handicap Hurdle. Course winner, distance winner, 12lb off the top, Derek Fox booked, and Patrick Neville saddling him alongside the favourite — that's not coincidence, that's planning. Neville wouldn't split his resources across two runners without believing both have a genuine chance, and Medieval Gold's weight advantage over The Last Cloud is real and meaningful on this track. Each-way at whatever price you can get.

It's a cracking little race on a Saturday afternoon. Get yourself a pint, pull up the Newton Abbot racecard, and enjoy it. Racing doesn't have to be Cheltenham to be worth watching.

Who is the favourite for the Stone of Destiny Handicap Hurdle 2026?

The Last Cloud is expected to be the market favourite, carrying 12-0 with Brian Hughes aboard for Patrick Neville. He holds both course and distance form and is rated 129 — joint top of the handicap. However, at that weight, he's giving lumps away to several capable rivals, and the value may lie elsewhere in the field.

Is Newton Abbot a good track for front-runners in hurdle races?

Newton Abbot is a tight, turning track that can suit handy, prominent racers — but it's not exclusively a front-runner's paradise. The bends come quickly and a horse that races freely can burn itself out. The best profile for this track on good ground is a horse that travels smoothly in mid-division and produces a clean round of jumping. Horses with previous course form, like The Last Cloud, Medieval Gold, Scriabin and Pure Gold, have already proven they handle the quirks of the place.

What does the tongue tie headgear mean for Filibustering's chances?

The application of a tongue tie on Filibustering for Harry Derham's yard suggests connections have identified a breathing or comfort issue that may have been costing the horse in previous runs. When a trainer fits a tongue tie for a Class 2 race of this value, it's rarely accidental — they believe it will make a tangible difference. If it works as intended, Filibustering could be significantly better than his recent form suggests. It's one of the key unknowns in this race, and worth watching closely in the betting market for any significant support.