Hi all,
I’m time restricted today so today’s preview is a bit shorter than normal. It’s cracking finale to the 2020-2021 jumps season at Sandown this afternoon and despite the good ground the field sizes have held up well.
Sandown
1:55 – Herbiers appreciated the decent gallop and good ground when winning on his handicap hurdle debut at Ascot 27-days ago. He’s up 4lb for that success but is open to further improvement and the forecast strong pace gives him a good chance of following up.
1pt win – Herbiers – 9/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
3:40 – bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3) – 3m 5f
It’s not the classiest renewal of this historic handicap chase but it’s competitive nonetheless.
Tom Scudamore is an eyecatching jockey booking for Golan Fortune, a late starter over fences. He won on his chase debut at Ludlow and ran well in Grade 1 & Grade 2 novice chases on his next two starts over the larger obstacles. Wasn’t the best away and could never get into the race in the Midlands Grand National last time. If you forgive him that run, he’s nicely weighted here.
Kitty’s Light first caught my eye when a strong finishing third in the Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton last November. She then ran in a couple of “jumpers’ bumpers” and a hurdle race. Before returning to fences to win at Kelso last month. The handicapper has raised her just 4lb for that success. Which came over 3m 2f, she should stay further and this race looks to have been the plan for the mare who is well suited to a sound surface.
Crosspark’s form figures this year are 2222P2. He seemed to throw away a good chance to win at Ascot 27-days ago. The 11-year-old has run well here twice this season and finished runner-up in the 2019 Scottish Grand National, having earlier won the Eider Chase that season. A return to 3m 5f is a positive and he’s effective on good ground as we saw in the Scottish Grand National and on his seasonal return at Chepstow back in October.
1pt win – Golan Fortune – 11/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Kitty’s Light – 8/ 1 @ Paddy Power & Betfair Sportsbook
1pt win – Crosspark -16/1 @ Bet365
4:50 – Killer Clown an easy winner at Kempton two starts back. Improved again of 15lb higher when finishing 2nd of 14 at Newbury (good) last month. He’s been nudged up another 3lb but seems likely to progress further.
Farinet is another improving handicap chaser. The 6-year-old won a competitive C&D handicap on just his second start for Venetia Williams 42-days ago. He’s up 9lb for that success but he’s open to plenty of improvement and can defy his rise in the ratings provided he’s as effective on today’s much quicker ground.
Iconic Muddle has just had two starts over fences but he’s shaped with enough promise in both them to think he can win off his present mark. A winner over this sort of distance over hurdles and should be capable of more progress. Trainer Gary Moore saddled the winner of this race in 2019.
1pt win – Iconic Muddle – 8/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
1pt win – Farinet – 13/2 @ Bet365
5:25 – Nicky Henderson has saddled the last two winners of this handicap hurdle. He runs recent Ascot winner Cascova who makes his handicap hurdle debut here. The 6-year-old clearly like spring ground and looks capable of more improvement now going into handicaps.
Scaramanga looked as good ever when winning at Newbury last month. That was the 6-year-old’s first run for 146-days so he comes into the race fresher than most. Says to 2m on the flat so looks worth a try 2m 4f.
L’Homme Presse was visually impressive when winning on his first start for Venetia Williams in a Chepstow novice hurdle two weeks ago. The ground was good that day so he should be fine on today’s underfoot conditions. Hard to gauge his form but he’s open to any amount of improvement on his handicap debut.
Bard Of Brittany won over C&D last month. The 7-year-old is now 11lb higher than for his last success but goes well on good ground and remains unexposed over this sort of distance.
Floating Rock appreciated the return to 2m 4 when winning at Ayr last Sunday. The ground was good that day and as it was Conditional Jockey’s race, he escapes a penalty for that win. At the right end of the handicap and won’t be far away.
1pt win – Floating Rock – 6/1 @ Coral & Ladbrokes
Haydock
2:50 – Dreamloper ended last season with a career best effort on RPR’s when winning on her handicap debut at Ascot last September. A strong traveller the drop back to 7f shouldn’t be a problem for the filly who is very effective on good ground. Starts the new campaign off 6lb higher but can find further improvement as 4-year-old.
Fox Champion won the German 2,000 Guineas and finished third to Too Darn Hot in a Group 1 as a 3-year-old. He seemed to lose his way with Richard Hannon and has his first start for Ralph Beckett today. He’s now 12lb lower than when starting last season and has been gelded. If the change of yard has had the desired effect, he looks on a good mark for a yard that has hit form.
Persuasion was predictably outclassed in last season’s 2,000 Guineas. A promising enough juvenile he wasn’t disgraced when runner-up on his final start last year and given he’s only had seven career starts he could be capable of better.
Admiralty hasn’t won since winning on his seasonal return in 2019, off 2lb lower. He’s run plenty of good races in defeat since. including finishing a length third of 17 in that years Bunbury Cup at Newmarket and when runner-up in Ayr’s Silver Cup last season. Not the easiest to win with but on a winnable mark if all the cards fall right.
1pt win – Admirality – 9/1 @Bet365 & Coral
Cheers
John