Sandown Park hosts its biggest afternoon in the jumps calendar on Saturday, with the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase over two miles the highlight.
Moscow Flyer, Kauto Star and Master Minded have all won multiple renewals of this race in recent times and now Altior and Politologue get the chance to emulate them.
Sandown’s seven-race card runs from 12.05pm-3.35pm and you can watch all the action via live streaming when logged into MansionBet. Check out our tipster’s selection for all the Sandown races.
12.05 – Betfair Free Bet On The 1.50 Introductory Juvenile Hurdle (2m)
Goshen won this race last year and his trainer Gary Moore has two decent recruits in Hudson De Grugy and ROYAUME UNI. The last-named is a gelded son of Galileo with soft-ground winning form on the Flat for Andre Fabre before he left France. He gets the nod from Jamie Moore and is a speculative suggestion. Nicky Henderson’s Paros already boasts winning hurdles form from his time in France and despite conceding weight to this field, he’ll likely start favourite on his British bow.
Selection: Royaume Uni – 13/2
12.40 – My Oddsboost On Betfair ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Hurdle (2m)
GRAND MOGUL should be hard to hold here for Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville. He won a Chepstow maiden (2m3½f, soft) on his return from 300 days off in October and has since shaped creditably in Grade 2 company around Cheltenham – a race in which things didn’t go entirely his way. This is a glorious chance to double his tally.
Selection: Grand Mogul – 1/4
1.15 – Read Paul Nicholls On betting.betfair Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (2m)
Chasamax went down all guns blazing in a strong contest at Cheltenham last month and surely must break his duck over timber soon. He continues the strong hand of Henderson/de Boinville but faces a useful opponent in FIFTY BALL for Gary Moore. He travelled like the best horse at Ascot and it was very encouraging that he rallied to win when Straw Fan Jack eyeballed him late in the race. He looked to have saved something for himself and can handle this drop in trip to go in again.
Selection: Fifty Ball – 9/4
1.50 – Planteur At Chapel Stud Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (Grade 1, 2m)
Allmankind hardly put a foot wrong in launching his chasing career at Warwick recently and is sure to improve on it for the Skelton team. This has the appearance of a piping hot contest, however, and he’s got a race on his hands. Hitman and Tamaroc Du Mathan represent a trainer with a fine recent record in the race in Paul Nicholls, while front-running Ga Law is improving all the time and feared. ELDORADO ALLEN benefited from the late fall of Gumball at Cheltenham when recording his second chase win, but his ability over the jumps stands him in fine stead and, with this set to be run at a fine clip, that might pay him further dividends.
Selection: Eldorado Allen – 3/1
2.25 – Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1, 2m)
Politologue is the reigning Champion Chaser and a former winner of this race but Paul Nicholls’ grey still has some questions to answer. The renewal he landed here in 2017 was not vintage and his Cheltenam virtuoso in March came after Chacun Pour Soi and ALTIOR were late withdrawals, while favourite Defi Du Seuil badly underperformed.
Does that clear the path for Nicky Henderson’s star to regain this prestigious crown as he nears his 11th birthday? Altior suffered his only defeat to date at Ascot last season on his comeback, when he failed to master C&D specialist Cyrname over 2m5f on soft ground. His trainer was rueful afterwards at taking on that rival with an undercooked horse, he felt.
We can only assume then that Altior is cherry ripe for this and, having won the Game Spirit at Newbury on his only run since Ascot, he retains plenty of ability and rates the likeliest winner.
If he misfires or the passage of time is finally catching up, six-year-old Rouge Vif – so impressive in a Cheltenham handicap in October – is favoured over stablemate Politologue and Greaneteen to pick up the pieces.
Selection: Altior – 4/5
3.00 – Betfair Exchange Back And Lay London National Handicap Chase (3m5f)
Cloudy Glen readily won the Southern National at Fontwell on his comeback and despite rising 11lb for that win, he’s got definite potential for better over this sort of trip and stands to hold a leading chance. At the prices, perhaps SHANROE SANTOS is being overlooked. He was fourth in a stronger renewal of this two years ago and has dropped 12lb in the ratings since. His return at Huntingdon should leave him spot on and he’s got an eye-catching partner in Harry Cobden for a trainer in Lucy Wadham that savoured a maiden Sandown success on Friday and will be eager for more.
Selection: Shanroe Santos – 12/1
3.35 – Betfair Exchange December Handicap Hurdle (Listed, 2m)
It was a real positive to see MISTER COFFEY settle at the rear of affairs over C&D last month and he made short work of his rivals once Nico de Boinville have him the office late on. That was at odds to a horse that shed his unbeaten record at Huntingdon back in January, primarily having raced too keenly early on. He may still be well ahead of the handicapper and can send favourite-backers home contented. Totterdown goes back over hurdles from a handy mark – with 7lb claimed – and is an each-way alternative.
Selection: Mister Coffey – 2/1
*All odds correct at time of writing