2.35pm Sandown Tips & Betting Preview 07/03/2015

Saturday 7th March, 2.35pm Sandown – 3 miles 110 yards, live on Channel 4

Just the seven runners bothering to show up despite the £15,000 guaranteed prize money but then we do have a major meeting just around the corner I suppose, so maybe owners have a decent excuse for a change.

Twenty-two pounds separate the best from the worst horse here according to official ratings, leaving Umberto D’Olivate (6/1) to carry eleven stone twelve, and Kings Apollo a mere ten stone four. The top horse will have to shatter his own records to win here having never won off a rating higher than 130 (132 today) or carrying more than eleven five, but then records are there to be broken.

With no evidence that he truly stays three mile a place may be the best he can hope for, and preference is for Mosspark (6/1) who could pull off a serious surprise here.  His record over this sort of trip makes him a doubtful stayer as well but the form of his third behind Sausalito Sunrise at Chepstow reads well and could be a bit better than most on show today, and if they can settle him to get the trip then he could go close at pretty decent odds.

Having already mentioned Kings Apollo (11/2) in passing, we ought to add a bit more detail, especially as the son of King’s Theatre has won his last two races at Taunton and Wincanton. He has been put up another eight pounds for his last victory which will not make his life any easier, but he likes to make the running and stay out of trouble and stays well, leaving every possibility that he could have this lot in trouble a long way out, especially the doubtful stayers.