2.20pm Sandown tips for Sunday’s race. Read on for our free betting tips, predictions and analysis.
IN SUMMARY: MIGHT BITE is the most likely winner by some margin and even though he is a very short price he is impossible to oppose and fully expected to go on to challenge for all the major staying chases this season. Frodon could be interesting for the forecast if we assume Sam Twiston-Davies chose him ahead of As De Mee.
1 FRODON – Class act with six wins over fences last season and looks to be the Paul Nicholls first string with Sam Twiston-Davies riding. Ran as if the race would bring him on a bit when third on his return at Newton Abbot and he ought to be cherry ripe now, should go well and no doubt they will look to make the most of his fitness advantage if at all possible.
2 MIGHT BITE – The winner of both the RSA at Cheltenham and the Mildmay at Aintree making him by far the best novice staying chaser of last season. He did fall at Kempton on Boxing Day which is the only blemish on his chasing record in his last five starts, winning the other four, and with all the major Championship races on his agenda this year, he should prove hard to beat.
3 AS DE MEE – Presumably the Nicholls second string with Harry Cobden riding, and although outclassed on paper, he does get six pounds from the two above him. Won the Grand Sefton here over the National fences last December and showed his wellbeing when winning at Kelso over further last month and may well try to burst the favourite’s bubble from the front if necessary.
4 LABEL DES OBEAUX – Three wins over fences last season with victories at Ludlow Exeter and Ayr, and a decent enough six-year-old who will win more races but unlikely to be successful in this high-class field. Alan King’s six-year-old ought to improve for his eighth at Chepstow but he will need the major players to fluff their lines to get involved here.