Four runners have been declared for the Listed intermediate chase on Sunday’s Sandown card. Read on for our full race preview and experts’ betting tips.
IN SUMMARY: Voix D’Eau has started the season with two decent efforts in handicaps and is expected to give another good account here but there is a slight doubt about his stamina for 3m and this can go to VIVALDI COLLONGES. Paul Nicholls’ 7yo shapes like a thorough stayer and confidence would be higher on slower ground, but he won’t mind making his own running if nothing else goes forward and Sean Bowen will presumably be instructed to ensure this becomes a proper test at the trip, in the hope he can draw the sting out of Voix D’Eau. Amore Alato is still a maiden over fences and had a very mixed campaign last season but, at the weights, has the ability to figure if all goes to plan. Ballybolley needs to better the form he shown when winning two small-field novice event last month.
1 Voix D’Eau – Made good progress last season, winning three times along the way (2m3f-2m5f), and returned from break with another decent effort when third at Chepstow (2m3f, good) last month; failed fully to convince stamina-wise when upped to 3m for Grade 3 handicap at Ascot last week but wasn’t beaten far and has a major role to play here.
2 Ballybolley – Dominated a valuable series final from the front at Haydock (2m4f, good) in March but wasn’t anything like as impressive when justifying favouritism in two small-field novice events last month (2m3f/2m4f); not favoured by today’s weights and needs today’s longer trip to unlock some improvement.
3 Vivaldi Collonges – Won three of his four starts over fences last season, most recently in a Class 2 novices’ handicap at Ayr (3m, good to soft) in April, and climbed to a BHA mark of 152; would probably prefer some underfoot ease but has a very good chance at the weights here.
4 Amore Alato – 0-6 since switched to fences for new stable last season but was in front before unseating his rider at the final fence in a Grade 2 novice event at Ascot (2m5f, soft) in December and didn’t run badly when midfield in the novices’ handicap at the Cheltenham festival; not out of this if suited by the step up to 3m.
myracing Forecast Prices: 10/11 Vivaldi Collonges, Voix D’Eau, 5/1 Ballybolley, Amore Alato