1.35 Newcastle – Gutherie Financial Planning Services Ltd Handicap Chase.





Just the seven declared for this £7,500 handicap chase, but it looks a very competitive race, with all of the runners holding claims of some sort and within 7lb of each other in the weights. Nicky Richards has a good record in this type of event at northern tracks and he saddles Un Noble here, who has won on the last three starts that he’s completed the course. In between unseating at the first last time out and being pulled up in a very competitive 21K event at Naas three runs back, he was a good winner of an event very similar to this at the same track, just over half a mile shorter. He was only raised 5lb for that and even though his attempts at a trip close to three miles haven’t ended well over hurdles and fences so far, he’s always shaped as if he’d get the trip. He’s going the right way and if he’s none the worse for his spill at Kelso last time, he could go well again here.



Trickaway was the winner of that Kelso race and Malcolm Jefferson’s horse again has the assistance of the in-form Brian Hughes to help his claims. He stayed on powerfully over two miles, five and a half furlongs, so it would seem that this 2m7f trip shouldn’t pose a problem, even though his subsequent run off a 4lb higher mark at Haydock was very disappointing (finished 63 lengths 10th). The bigger concern is the ground – all of his best form recently has come on ground with ‘good’ in the description and he might find it a little too soft for his liking here.



One who certainly won’t lack for stamina in this soft ground will be Sue Smith’s Smooth Stepper, who was last seen running in the 4m Scottish borders National at Kelso. He finished a respectable fifth that day off a 2lb higher mark, so he could be one to run well here. His last win came over C&D in November 2015, in what looks a very similar event to this, off a mark of 127, so a mark of 125 here could be an exploitable one for the eight-year-old.



Another who won’t mid trip or ground is Revocation from the Lucinda Russell stable, a nine-year-old who is very lightly raced for his age (only 11 runs under rules) and one who could still be improving judging by his recent runs. A staying-on second to Palm Grey over 2m 5f at Carlisle last time out was a decent effort and a 2lb rise shouldn’t be enough to stop him running well again here.



Batavir is an interesting entrant for David Pipe and on his five length third behind Splash Of Ginge over hurdles at Haydock over this trip last time out, he holds decent claims. His chase mark is 2lb lower than that so on the face of it, he has a great chance, but his first go at chasing was a distinctly uninspiring effort and he might need more practice before he can translate his hurdles ability to the larger obstacles.



On his best form, Harry Skelton’s Corrin Wood would destroy this field off a mark of 125 considering he was rated 156 over fences less than three years ago. However, he’s regressed significantly in that time and his 2nd, 3rd and 4th places since joining the Skelton yard aren’t suggestive of him being back in love with the game. However, they were much better efforts than before and, on his two hurdle runs, he led over the final obstacle. His return to chasing looks OK on the face of it, 4th of 16 at Haydock, but the fact he was beaten 30 lengths doesn’t – Kayfleur, rated 118 now, beat him by 13 lengths. Until he proves he’s got his enthusiasm back for fences, I’ll avoid him, even though his handicap mark is hugely appealing and he’ll be well supported.



Rose Dobbin’s BIGIRONONHISHIP doesn’t have the experience of the others over fences, having only run once over the bigger obstacles, but is a highly unexposed contender who could improve past a few of these. The six-year-old point winner has only had four runs under rules and has done well over hurdles already, beating The Dutchman on his debut. However fences were always going to be this big horse’s bag and a mark of 124 could underestimate what he’s capable of, especially on a line through his chasing debut second behind the useful Calett Mad over C&D here in November. That horse is now rated 138 and having only beaten Dobbin’s charge by one and a quarter lengths last time, a mark of 124 could be very lenient, especially given the expected improvement that he should have gained from that run. The Beneficial gelding’s jumping will need to have improved a bit, but he looks one to keep on-side given his liking for ground conditions and a staying trip – the booking of Will Kennedy to ride is also a very positive factor.





Advice





BIGIRONONHISSHIP – 1pt win @ 7/1 (Paddy Power)









2.40 Wincanton – The Bathwick Tyres Yeovil Steeple Chase (A Novices’ Limited Handicap)





Wincanton has a fair supporting cast to Sandown’s headline fixture and this particularly contest looks a rather good race for the grade.



Favorito Buck’s had a lofty reputation upon joining current connections having scored impressively by eight lengths in a Listed Hurdle in France on his only start. In truth, he was pitched in at the deep end when failing to justify favouritism and pulling up in a hot juvenile hurdle at Kempton’s King George meeting but a lot more was expected in a lesser contest at Newbury on his next start and he could only finish a distant third despite being odds-on. He is entitled to come on for his debut outing this season but needs to show a great deal more here despite being eased 7lb by the handicapper. The application of cheekpieces and switch to the larger obstacles may bring about the requisite improvement but he still rates a fairly risky proposition at present.



Fellow chasing debutant Wild West Wind rates an interesting prospect now tackling fences given he was an easy winner on his only point-to-point start over in Ireland. Tom George’s charge was steadily progressive in novice hurdles last season and would look to have a leading chance off the same mark that saw him finish a good second in a competitive heat at Exeter at the back end of last campaign. However, he may well come on for his first run for nine months and the drop back in trip does seem a strange move for a horse that connections have mooted to be a ‘dour stayer;’ and Welsh National contender one day!



Nicky Henderson’s Clondaw Banker is another making his seasonal bow having not been seen since finishing mid-field in a Kempton handicap hurdle last April. He seems fairly treated for his chase debut off just a 3lb higher mark than when going in at Sandown in the early part of last season but his profile isn’t an altogether convincing one and he may just need this outing to blow away the cobwebs.



Therefore, preference is for another chasing debutant in DRAYTONIAN. The well-bred seven-year-old has always been well regarded by connections and possibly slightly underachieved with his exploits over hurdles last term. He did however win in good style at Warwick to round off his season and has put in a pair of solid efforts in competitive handicap hurdles to kick start the current campaign (although nobody really knows how close he was when fourth in the infamous fogged out Haydock race last time!). As a big, strapping animal, he looks ready made for chasing and could well come into his own in this sphere.



The biggest danger to the selection could well come in the shape of the sole mare in the field, Bagging Turf. She is still relatively unexposed having had only four starts under rules but arrives here with the benefit of previous chasing experience having stayed on eye-catchingly to score at Huntingdon on Boxing Day. That race perhaps wasn’t the strongest, though it was the way in which she got the job done that stood out and it seems likely that there may still be a bit more in the tank. An 8lb rise does look fairly harsh though and she will need to up her game in this much stronger contest.



Third Act sneaks in at the foot of the weights and arrives here in good form with a pair of runners-up efforts and a win next to his name. He looks every inch a chaser but this is now his third stint over fences and his previous exploits have left a lot to be desired, his jumping proving to be a big frailty on more than one occasion. Consequently, he does have a 5lb lower chase mark than over hurdles but he may need every bit of that and he has to prove that he can be effective over this sort of trip to boot.



Greybougg looks to have developed into a pretty reluctant chaser, showing no interest at getting over the first at Exeter on New Year’s Day but there is more to like about Pilgrims Bay despite him coming to grief at Wetherby last time. A ‘novicey’ mistake caused him to take off far too late as he crashed through the sixth from home but assuming he is none the worse for that, he still remains of interest. It will be no easy task conceding weight all round in a race as competitive as this though.



Advice



DRAYTONIAN – 1pt e/w @ 15/2 (bet365)









3.00 Sandown – 32Red Veterans’ Handicap Chase Series Final.





In what is an extremely competitive event, Dynaste is by far the classiest name in the field, even though he hasn’t shown much of that class since finishing third in the 2015 Betfair Chase. A mark of 145 would be extremely lenient if he was to bounce back to something like his best, but he hasn’t shown anything recently and is best watched, especially at his current single-figure price.



Rocky Creek staged something of a revival last time out when he took the London National off a mark of 144. That race was staged at Sandown, so the course won’t be an issue, but the step back half a mile in trip could well be. Extreme trips in softer ground could be his ideal conditions, so a bare three miles might not be enough, especially up another 4lbs for that last win, but again under promising 3lb claimer Jack Sherwood, he could still go well at the head of affairs for much of the race. The worry would be that he might find others finishing a fair bit faster than he can.



Heading the weights is the Harry Fry-trained Shuil Royale, who won nicely on his last start in leg 7 of this series at Aintree. He enjoys being up with the pace and should find a strongly-run race right up his street here, but the 6lb ride in the weights puts him on a career-high mark by quite some way, something an 11-y-o surely won’t find easy to overcome in this kind of company. The ground may also be too soft come the off, so he’s overlooked too.



Another in a fairly similar situation is Forgotten Gold, the winner of two of the ten legs of this series this season. A career-high mark of 143, just 3lb higher than his last run at Leicester, where he won well, might not be a deal breaker, but the softer ground just might be – Tom George has already gone on record as saying he feared that the ground would be too soft for him. The same may also go for Saint Are, George’s other contender, even though his mark of 147 is just 1lb higher than when he last won, at Doncaster in February 2016.



Loose Chips and Court By Surprise are both something of course specialists, but neither covered themselves in glory in the London National behind Rocky Creek. Still, this drop back to the bare three miles should help them and they’re both within 2lbs of their marks when finishing first and second respectively here in November for leg 8 of the series (Saint Are and Rocky Creek well-beaten in behind). However, Loose Chips is likely to appreciate conditions more, so the balance tips in his favour in that battle and this C&D specialist could go well again at a large price.



A race that could hold quite a few clues to this is the tenth and final leg of the series that was held at Kelso and won by Ian Williams’ Gas Line Boy. The 11-y-o won the race by a comfortable 11 lengths that day, but a lot of credit has to go to Brian Hughes’ canny ride off the front, kicking clear of the field before they could respond. The 9lb rise in the weights he received could make things difficult for him now in a race where he won’t get his own way in front. Aerial, Wychwood’s Brook and Dynaste were very well beaten there and even though they all get at least an 11lb swing in the weights with that rival here on softer ground, it’s a lot of ground to make up.



The one from those three with the best chance would be Wychwoods Brook as that was his first run since February, on ground that would have been too quick. He’s down to a mark of 130 now and has the services of 7lb claimer James Nixon to assist further – an ‘effective mark of 123 is 6lb less than his last winning mark, so if the ground is soft enough after the Friday/Saturday overnight rain that’s forecast, he could run a big race for trainer Harry Whittington.



However, 11 lengths behind the winner that day was Sue Smith’s CLOUDY TOO, running for the third time this season in ground that would have been much too quick for him ideally. The 2m 6f trip and the way Gas Line Boy stole the race from the front wouldn’t have suited this thorough stayer’s style, so the effort can be marked up, even though the handicapper saw fit to drop the horse 2lb for that run. The subsequent 11lb swing in the weights and this big field could see those placings reversed here. His last win over fences was a 15 length demolition of the useful Virak at Haydock in a heavy-ground Peter Marsh Chase last year and that come off a mark of 139 – he’s now running off 140 so if Sue Smith has got him in good shape, he has to go well here, especially after the Cloudings gelding showed his wellbeing in late November when running away with a handicap hurdle in soft ground at Uttoxeter. Clearly this is a better horse on softer ground, so we need a decent amount of rain on Friday night/Saturday morning, but as we saw at Cheltenham last week, things can turn very testing, very quickly at this time of year so I’m relatively confident it will be by 3.00. The amount of front runners and horses that like to dictate makes it almost certain that this will be run at a fair clip and that should bring this strong stayer’s best qualities into play up the hill. As long as the ground is soft, I think CLOUDY TOO has a superb chance of at least being in the 3.





Advice



CLOUDY TOO – 1pt e/w @ 14/1 (bet365, SkyBet) (4 places)







3.15 Wincanton – Bathwick Tyres Poole Handicap Hurdle





The weights for this race are headed by Roadie Joe who comes here following a couple of disappointing efforts over fences this term. The most recent of those saw him pulled up behind A Hare Breath at Bangor in December and despite winning at Worcester in September, he doesn’t seem to have taken to the larger obstacles so far. He has been given some relief by the handicapper on his return to hurdles and with Lewis Gordon taking a valuable 7lb off his back he looks to have a solid chance, especially with the Evan Williams team amongst the winners of late.



Another yard in form is that of Colin Tizzard who saddles Wizards Bridge here, although connections will be hoping that he can bounce back from a below-par showing at Chepstow last time. He dropped away tamely on that occasion over three miles and they will be hoping that the drop back in trip shows him in a better light. However, he won off a mark of 116 with a 10lb conditional on his back in November and it might be that he is a little high in the weights at present on 123.



One horse who arrives here in better form is Roger Teal’s Agincourt Reef who showed a fine attitude to get the better of the progressive Solomn Grundy at Wetherby on Boxing Day. That was the eight-year-old’s second victory in quick succession, having won readily at Ludlow the time before and despite a further 5lb rise, it is hard to see him being out of the mix if continuing his fine run of form.



The bottom weight Trans Express also arrives on the back of a win, having got the better of Rocklander at Exeter a few weeks ago. The runner-up was only narrowly denied at Cheltenham last weekend so the form looks pretty strong and Sue Gardner’s seven-year-old hasn’t been judged overly harshly by going up 5lb.



However, the one they have to beat is ABOVE BOARD who got off the mark at the second attempt over hurdles in December and doesn’t look to have been treated too harshly with an opening mark of 123. Jonjo O’Neill’s six-year-old got the better of smart bumper horse Coeur Blimey at Carlisle, when winning eased down and he looks more than capable of following up on his handicap debut. Connections will probably be hoping that he settles a little better tomorrow but he barely came off the bridle last time and he looks to have bundles of potential.



Of the remainder, Neil Mulholland’s Hadfield could be interesting if building on his run at Ffos Las last time, where he would have finished closer but for a couple of errors at the final couple of hurdles. The former John Ferguson-trained five-year-old is still unexposed and with the tongue-tie/cheekpieces combination retained, he could run into a place.



Advice



ABOVE BOARD – 2pts win @ 7/2 (bet365, William Hill)







3.35 Sandown – 32Red.com Handicap Hurdle.





Sandown’s finale on Saturday is a competitive looking 2m handicap hurdle and he weights are headed by Robinshill who has improved no end this term, winning three of his four starts, mostly recently at recently at Ffos Las. That was back in novice company, with his last handicap success coming off a mark of 127 in November, although it is worth bearing in mind that Jamie Bargary took a valuable 3lb off his back that day. Now on a mark of 135, Sam Twiston-Davies gets aboard and whilst further improvement could be forthcoming, he is likely to bump into one or two better-handicapped rivals here.



One such rival could be Discours D’Un Roi who has his first start for Nicky Henderson, having won two hurdles in France for Guillame Macaire. The five-year-old was purchased for 105,000 euros following his latest win although it is worth noting that was in October 2015 so clearly not all has been straightforward since then. His form is also difficult to weigh up although the runner-up on his final start is now with Paul Nicholls. Henderson has a very good strike-rate and despite the absence, he should be thereabouts.



Nicky Henderson also saddles another runner in the shape of Maestro Royal who ran with plenty of promise on his return to action at Cheltenham in December. He just found the race-fit Kapstadt too strong on the day and should improve for that initial outing. He isn’t the easiest to predict but his latest effort was arguably a career-best and he won’t be far away if building on that.



Ian Williams’ Faithful Mount must also come into the reckoning having run well behind Brain Power and Consul De Thaix at Sandown in December. He made the running in the absence of any pace and ran well for a long way before getting tired late on. Richard Johnson has been booked to replace Charlie Deutsch onboard and with the first two having franked the form, perhaps that run was better than first thought.



David Evans saddles one of the more interesting runners in the race in John Reel who has his first start over hurdles since 2013. The eight-year-old is a reliable stayer on the flat and was a close third off his current mark of 97 last month. As a rough guide, a horse’s hurdle mark is normally 40lb higher than their flat mark but John Reel is rated just 123 over hurdles, so he could be potentially thrown in. Aidan Coleman has been booked and it could be worth watching for market support to see how he is likely to fare.



However, the one that gets the nod is KRUGERMAC who looked to have a bright future ahead of him when winning at Ascot last November. He beat some useful rivals comprehensively and his trainer spoke glowingly about him afterwards. He was subsequently well beaten on bottomless ground at Lingfield and hasn’t been out since but he looks of major interest starting out off a mark of 122. Gary Moore has already indicated that the Betfair Hurdle is likely to be the horse’s main target this term which gives you an idea of the regard in which he is held. Moore has an excellent record here at Sandown, boasting a +95.98 level-stakes profit in the last five seasons and at the foot of the weights, I think he has a strong chance.





Advice



KRUGERMAC – 1pt win @ 4/1 (32Red, SkyBet, bet365)