Veterans’ Chase big-race verdict: ‘He’s a huge player at a double-figure price’ 👴🏻 🐎

‘He is one of the worthy favourites’

Wandrin Star has never won two races back to back which would be the only slight niggle in my head but if he doesn’t bounce after his most recent effort, he is a massive player. He won Leg 9 of the series over course and distance on his return to action after eight months off the track. The wind op he just had might ensure that he doesn’t put in a stinker on his second run of the season, at least I hope so. Only 3lb higher in the weights now, if he can back that run up then he is one of the worthy favourites to take down the series final. – Adrian Wall

‘This front-running grey is well suited to Sandown’

Consistency can be hard to find with veterans and that’s what draws me to the beautiful grey Valadom, who simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He’s now a 13-year-old, but in four runs in Britain last season, he posted form figures of 1322. Latterly, he finished second in the series final at Newbury, only giving best after the last. He’ll arrive to Sandown two pounds lower than that mark on the back of a perfectly respectable reappearance over course and distance last month. Totally uncomplicated, this front-running grey is well suited to Sandown, and if he gets into a good jumping rhythm, he may be hard to catch under Lilly Pinchin. – Owen Goulding

‘This is very much his time of year’

With five of his top six RPR’s coming right-handed on soft ground, things look perfect for The Kings Writ. The top three of those all came in the month of January so this is very much his time of year. He was runner-up in the Somerset National last January from a mark two pounds higher than he runs off here. There have been excuses since, his next run came too quickly after that huge effort, then good ground and a drop in trip were no help the last twice. Those have helped his handicap mark slide to one that he is more than capable of hitting the frame from and with Josh Newman back in the plate, claiming seven pounds, he’s a huge player at a double-figure price. – Matt Newman

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