This blog really has started the New Year in sensational form and Harry Senior was another Nap banged in last Saturday so I’m blessing everything I can! That said I know better than anyone you are only as good as your last winner.
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So as ITV serve up three meetings for us Saturday at Sandown, Musselburgh and Wetherby let’s pray the good run continues and get straight to it.
The 13.50 at Sandown is a Listed conditions hurdle over 2m. CALL ME LORD should be a good thing in this for Daryl Jacob and Nicky Henderson. My selection did this column a favour when scoring at Cheltenham last time and landing a big gamble on the day and despite giving weight away I can’t see anything to stop him here.
Goes well at the track as well.
Next at Sandown is the 14.25, the feature Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase over 2m 4f. All eyes on LAURINA here and a huge ride for Nico de Boinville for Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins. Laurina looks absolutely brilliant on her chasing debut for Mullins but was terrible last time. It’s hard to be sure what to expect, but if she brings her ‘A’ game she’s miles the best in this field. Also gets plenty of weight.
The 15.00 at Sandown is a Grade 3 handicap hurdle over nearly 3m. What an open event. ASK BEN is creeping up the handicap without winning which is never great, but the Graeme McPherson runner must have every chance of getting placed. Ask Ben stays 3m strong and has back form on desperate ground. He is also quite lightly raced so may improve. Have a few quid each-way.
And finally at Sandown the 15.35 is a handicap chase over 3m. I’ll back CLASSIC BEN each-way here. He’s not got that much in hand of the handicapper for Stuart Edmunds, but he goes in the mud and stays strong. Classic Ben also has fine Sandown form so all in all he should give a good account.
Meanwhile, over at Musselburgh ITV show the 14.05, a handicap over nearly 2m. GROVEMAN ran poorly at Sandown last time but coming down South might have just been too much for him. His second at Carlisle the time before is good form and prior to that he was progressing nicely. He should be in the frame for Jedd O’Keeffe.
Also shown at Musselburgh is a handicap chase over 4m 1f at 15.15. What you need here is a really slow horse with plenty of stamina. The one I like is SUMKINDOFKING, who is consistent but still capable off his current handicap mark. Trained by Tom George, Sumkindofking has done little wrong since scoring at Southwell in May and appears to stay all day.
Over at Wetherby, ITV show just the one race – a Grade 2 novices’ chase over 3m at 14.45. To beat Bob Mahler at Doncaster means BOLDMERE is full of stamina and that might be key for the Caroline Bailey challenger. Ridden by James Bowen, Boldmere might be able to provide the trainer with a huge TV success.
You hear me Paddy?
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