Hi all,
Inside today’s main piece I’m looking at the best of the action at Sandown, Aintree and Navan.
It’s another busy Saturday at Sandown on Tingle Creek Day, with good cards at Aintree and Navan adding to the options. Plenty of betting opportunities, but I’ll get the two Sandown Grade 1s out of the way first. They’re great races to watch, not ones I want to bet.
Sandown
In the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (3:00) you can never rule out Jonbon but I think he wants further than two miles these days. I respect L'Eau du Sud, but Il Etait Temps looks a bit of a machine and can take this Grade 1. That said it should be a cracker of a race.
The Betfair Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (1:50) brings the big four together. Lump Sum and Alnilam will go forward and try to stretch Lulamba and Be Aware. If the pace unfolds that way, it’s a proper jumping test for Lulamba. If he handles it, he wins but if he doesn’t, Lump Sum could give Sam Thomas a first Grade 1 as a trainer. Be Aware looks the least likely winner as this trip around Sandown might be too sharp.
Elsewhere on the card, Green Book returns from a 996-day layoff in the Pertemps Qualifier (1:50). He can’t… can he? Well’s he’s on his last winning mark, and two of his best RPRs came over this C&D. There has been some money around for him but it would be some training achievement by Venetia Williams if she can pull it off
Knickerbockerglory bids to win the two-mile handicap hurdle (2:20) for the second year running. He’s the most likely winner in a race where few appeal apart from L'Astroboy, absent for 993 days. He was second in the Tolworth Hurdle over C&D in January 2023 and looks nicely treated if he retains that level after a long layoff.
The London National (3:35) closes the card. Only seven runners, but they include O'Connell, Ask Brewster, and Tanganyika. All three make appeal, and the first two are in my tracker.
Aintree
Up at Aintree, the feature Becher Chase (2:40) takes centre stage. I’m hoping for a good day for Warren Greatrex as I like Ayiko (1:30) and Bill Baxter in the big one. In the concluding handicap hurdle (3:15), Bear Market is also worth a second look. He won at Southwell on stable debut and remains unexposed at 2m4f. My only real concern too much rain at Aintree.
Navan
Navan offers two appealing handicaps. In the Bective Stud Handicap Hurdle (1:42), Ayiko makes his seasonal return. He ended last term in fine form and can land a staying handicap hurdle this winter. Goes well fresh and has a big chance. In the Foxrock Handicap Chase (2:17), the classy Inthepocket drops into handicap company. He’s interesting but his price at around 2/1 isn’t.
I was tempted to put up Ayiko as today's free tip but instead I'm going to Aintree and Margaret's Legacy.
Saturday Selection
Aintree
1:30 – Margaret's Legacy
We have racing on ITV from Huntingdon and Kelso on Sunday and we have a good card at Cork featuring the Hilly Way Chase. I’ll be doing a Sunday column this week looking at the big races.
Good luck with your Saturday bets.
John