1.50pm - bet365 Novices Championship Final Handicap Hurdle
This is a really tricky contest to kickstart the card at Sandown on Saturday, but there is one I really like (providing the rain does stay away over the next few days) and that is Geezer Rockstar for the in-form Harry Fry stable, who are currently operating at around a 25% win strike rate for the last two weeks or so.
This horse had just one bumper run, which was a 3-length win at Taunton, before going on to have three runs over hurdles so far this season, and although he did look a shade disappointing on his first two hurdle runs, he soon put amends to that when landing a nice contest at Ascot last time out.
His first two hurdle efforts were on softer going, and Harry Fry stated last time the reason for the marked improvement when winning a maiden contest at Ascot last time was down to the much better Ground conditions. That was a Class 3 maiden contest last time, so on paper was a pretty strong race, and Geezer Rockstar travelled well and jumped nicely throughout, before getting headed down the home straight, but then battled on superbly well to win gamely in the end by a length.
Maybe a step up in trip will suit this horse in the future, and he will most likely come good with a fence in front of him in time, and given the ground is expected to be good at Sandown on Saturday, he is the one to side with for me off the mark of 121, which could be a little lenient at this stage after a nice effort last time.
- Selection - Geezer Rockstar (12/1)
2.25pm - Grade 2 bet365 Oaksey Chase
It seems a little crazy that I am siding with Hitman in this contest, as he has been more miss than hit over the last season or two, but if he was to reproduce the performance of his four-length second to Shishkin back in February at Newbury, then that should be good enough form to be landing a contest of this nature.
In truth this is a pretty poor contest for the first graded race of the day, as three of the main four in the market are coming off the back of pulled-up efforts, and although they take a slight ease in grade, I don't particularly like to side with horses who didn't complete last time unless they were unlucky in running.
That run behind Shishkin from Hitman was a decent enough effort, and at one stage he looked to be a real danger to the Nicky Henderson star, but in the end Shishkin just forged clear in the final stages. Protektorat was in behind Hitman that day in third, and he has since landed the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival, the race Hitman did struggle in, but he probably isn't one for Cheltenham these days.
At this sort of trip, I think we shall see the Paul Nicholls horse to full effect, and aspiring Champion Jockey Harry Cobden is still riding well at present, so that is enough to sway me in favour of Hitman for this Grade 2 Chase at Sandown on Saturday.
- Selection - Hitman (3/1)
3.00pm - Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase
This is it, the contest we have been waiting for all season long - El Fabiolo vs Jonbon, the battle of the two "best" two-milers in the business at this moment in time.
El Fabiolo has had a fairly productive season this term, winning two of his three runs, but did disappoint when pulling up at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase last time when hitting a fence pretty hard on the way around. It is well documented that he does have the tendency to put in a dodgy jump, and he proved that last time at Cheltenham, which begs the question whether it might have left a little mark on him.
No matter what you think of Nicky Henderson, fair play to him for lining Jonbon up this weekend as the horse looks to defend his crown in this race just 15 days after that win in the Melling Chase at Aintree last time. Ultimately, he is a racing man and probably just wants the spectacle to happen that all of we racing fans have been wanting all season, and there is probably no better time to strike against El Fabiolo then now, given the fact his confidence might be slightly dented after that mishap last time at Cheltenham.
Jonbon has certainly had an on-and-off season, given the Seven Barrows troubles, but he has still been pretty productive, landing two Grade 1's, coming 2nd in another (very unlucky that day) and winning a Grade 2 on his first start of the season. He unfortunately had to bypass the Champion Chase, which is a real shame as he might have got his head in front given that El Fabiolo disappointed that day.
Jonbon won this contest as a novice last season, beating some proper Grade 1 horses in the process, and given that this will be a real test against a real Grade 1 rival on Saturday, I think he can strike whilst the iron is hot after that win at Aintree last time. Ultimately it might be my heart ruling over my head, but as I said in the previous selection, horses coming in off the back of pulling up are an off-putter for me, no matter who they are trained by and what horse they are.
Nico De Boinville is a magician on this horse, and the ride he gave Jonbon at Aintree last time was a real thing of beauty, so with him onboard this weekend, anything can genuinely happen. If there is ever a time Jonbon was to beat El Fabiolo, it is this weekend... and I really hope we get to see that.
- Selection - Jonbon (9/4)
3.35pm - bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
The most competitive contest of the day, and the feature one at that, this is a very tricky contest to pick the winner, given how the maximum 20 runners head to post at this stage.
Willie Mullins has all but secured the UK trainer championship this season, and wins in the Grand National and Scottish National did do wonders for the Master of Closutton, and given the fact he has pretty much mopped up in all of the big staying chases in the UK in the last month or so, it is one of his horses I am looking to side with here.
Nick Rockett was fairly well fancied for the Irish National last time, and although he did disappoint, he still ran reasonably well to claim 7th spot, but was ultimately beaten by 30 lengths in the end. However, those were very testing conditions, and although he has won on heavy and soft going previously, I just think he found it a little to testing last time out at Fairyhouse.
Although he is yet to win on the good going that is expected on Saturday, I think that will suit him a little better for a contest over this trip, and if he can get around safely and jump well, then I feel he might be a little too good for the rest of these.
He is still only a novice chaser, but we saw last weekend in the Scottish Grand National that Willie Mullins can win these staying feature races with a novice, as Macdermott landed the feature Scottish prize up at Ayr last Saturday.
Nick Rockett has run in some good novice chases this season, and has won once and come 2nd to American Mike in a Grade 2, so I think he has what it takes to win a contest of this nature. Paul Townend has decided to stick with this horse, and I think that could be a good move as he should run well in this.
- Selection - Nick Rockett (8/1)
4.10pm - Grade 2 bet365 Select Hurdle
The battle of Impaire Et Passe and Langer Dan is going into round 2 here on Saturday, as these two locked horns with Bob Olinger in there as well in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle over 2m4f just 16 days ago, where the latter improved tremendously to run a huge race to claim 3rd, slightly unlucky in the running.
No matter what you thought of the race or the subsequent stewards enquiry, Impaire Et Passe still won the contest for the guys in double green. I think it could be pretty close between the two rivals once again here, and given the fact Langer Dan ran well last time, he could reverse the form with Willie Mullins' horse, but I just don't see it personally.
Paul Townend stated he got to the front a little too soon on his runner last time, as he does have the tendency to idle slightly these days, so if he were to get him in a position to pounce late on, then no one will be able to catch him, but it all needs to fall right in the race for Impaire Et Passe to be at his very best.
I think he might just prove to be too strong once again, so he is the one I would side with at this stage, and land back-to-back Graded contests for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
- Selection - Impaire Et Passe (1/1)
4.45pm - bet365 Josh Gifford Novices Handicap Chase
This is a pretty strong novices’ handicap, with some nice chasers doing battle for the £20,000 prize money on offer. However, the feeling is that the rest of the field could be playing for placed prize money as Nickle Back is the one they will all have to catch in this.
He is a real tearaway, loves to just ping his fences from the front and must be a real thrill for James Best when riding him, but at the same his heart will most definitely be pumping out of his chest whenever he goes to fly over a fence.
Sarah Humphreys’ star put in one of the best jumping performances I have seen when landing the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Chase in February. He performed his usual tearaway antics, but he jumped impeccably, gaining more and more ground at each fence he jumped, and for a novice to do that, it was a spectacular watch and probably one of the most underrated performances of the season.
If Nickle Back was trained by Paul Nicholls or Willie Mullins, we would all be talking about that performance for years to come.
I feel the horse is underappreciated because of the trainer, but Sarah has shown she is more than capable of training racehorses and she has certainly found the perfect formula for her stable star here, plus Sarah is operating at a 29% win strike rate for the last 14 days or so.
I think given the way he jumped the railway fences in the Grade 1 novices’ chase a few months back, he will be very hard to catch, and although he will have to carry top weight here on Saturday, I think his running style might just prove a little too good for the rest of these. Should he be trained by a "more prominent" trainer, then he would be much shorter in the betting than this.
- Selection - Nickle Back (10/3)
5.20pm - bet365 Handicap Hurdle
Ben Pauling has had an on-and-off season this term, but does do very well with the horses he has, and he is starting to get some nice types head into the yard. His runner here Pic Roc does get to carry a fairly low weight around for this contest on Saturday, and given the fact he came a 2-length 2nd in another competitive contest at this track last time, he is the one for me.
He was a nice winner of a novice contest at Ascot by a little over 2 lengths with Inthewaterside in behind him that day, and as I mentioned he backed that up in a novice hurdle finale at Sandown just seven weeks ago.
He has had a little break since his last run, so therefore will arrive into this contest fresh. As mentioned he carries a nice weight for this contest on Saturday, and he is the one to side with for me.
- Selection - Pic Roc (7/1)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell