1.50pm Sandown Tips & Betting Preview 02/01/2016

1.50pm Sandown Saturday 2nd January

Free Tip: Pearls Legend at 11/2

Race Details

Race Time: 1.50pm Meeting: Sandown Day: Saturday 2nd January 2015 Full Race Name: 32Red Casino Handicap Chase Class Two

Betting Preview

With the rain falling down South as well now, the going here has switched to soft and a large percentage of those originally declared have now cried off, but that’s the way it goes in this game. Just Cameron (7/1) has just about the most consistent recent form and deserves first mention at the very least with his highly promising comeback second to Un De Sceaux as good as is on offer this afternoon. The winner was ten to one on that day, and is as short as 6/4 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, so being beaten a comfortable three lengths at level weights is pretty impressive.  That run was following on from wins at Ayr, Carlisle, and Haydock so it can’t really be seen as a fluke, but we are just a little wary that he hasn’t had a run since April and may just need it here, though the Micky Hammond yard are in decent form of late and young Joe Colliver is good value for his three pound claim, so you never know?

Pretty much everyone in racing has nothing but good things to say about Venetia Williams and she has a couple entered here, presumably headed by Arthur’s Oak (9/2) who will be ridden by Aidan Coleman who we suspect had the choice between him and Cash And Go. Still only an eight year old, he won last time out at Haydock over this trip when well supported despite his eight months off the track, making all to pull away at his leisure for a wide margin victory, and although he has been put up a ridiculous fifteen pounds for that win (I bet they wish he hadn’t put so much daylight between himself and his pursuers now), he should still be able to put up a bold showing here though be warned, the last race was on heavy ground and thus the distances were exaggerated.

Trainer John Spearing has certainly moved quickly to book Nico De Boinville to ride Pearls Legend (11/2) again, and we wonder if we should take the hint? Admirably consistent, the nine year old has finished in the first four in all of his last twelve races, including two wins here at Sandown over this distance, a 100% win record at the track. Another win last time out, this time at Cheltenham, has seen his weight go up another six pounds which would mean he needs a career best effort here but he gets on well with his jockey and with his track record could be a solid each way option which is exactly how we intend to play it!

Looking further down the weights and Barrakilla (7/1) could be of some interest for trainer Evan Williams and jockey Adam Wedge. The nine year old ran a blinder on his return to action after nine months off when runner up to Balgarry at Taunton over two and a quarter miles but does seem better over further than the minimum trip, so we wonder why they spent good money to enter him here? He doesn’t really look as if he has the speed to live with some of these but will be staying on late through beaten horses, and could possibly get in to a place if the rains come and stamina becomes more relevant by race time.

Grey Gold (13/2) will be our last option today for trainer Kerry Lee and jockey Jamie Moore (who we notice is getting more and more good rides from outside of father Gary’s yard), and as he won in the same class over this sort of trip at Newbury last time out, what’s not to like? His form with Sire De Grugy suggests he may not be outclassed here at all, though a rating of 153 will make his life very difficult. Generally speaking he jumps well and has plenty of resolve when the chips are down, but once again his consistency seems to have seen him punished by the handicapper, and we suspect a place would be the best connections can even hope for here.