7th Jan 2012 | Horse Racing
Sandown and Wincanton Preview
Today’s Channel 4 racing comes from Sandown and Wincanton where we navigate our way through some tricky looking handicaps.
2:35 Sandown 32Red Hurdle (Novices´ Hurdle) (Registered As The Tolworth Hurdle Race) Grade 1 2m 110y
The only non-handicap of the televised races, it should have a bearing on Cheltenham antepost markets. Prospect Wells is 14/1 (Boylesports) for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the festival and he will need to win this race to stake his claims, he is 7/4 (BlueSq) to do so.
On form he should win the race, and although he came unstuck at Ascot due to a lack of pace, it was a much tougher contest than he faces today.
Colour Squadron won a fair maiden by dictating the pace and Richard Johnson will almost certainly employ the same tactics. This is a big step up in class however and odds of 11/5 (Sportingbet) don’t look especially attractive.
Selection: Prospect Wells at 7/4 with Blue Square
2:50 Wincanton Handicap Chase Cl2 2m5f
An almost impossible handicap to solve which is reflected in the betting. The bookmakers go 9/2 the field in a seven runner race! Pasco, Consigliere, Minella Theatre and Atouchbetweenacara have one win between them since November 2009. I cannot find any evidence that they will recapture past glories today.
Coup Royale was found to be wrong when pulled up on his seasonal debut but had won before that, albeit almost a year ago. He looked quite a useful chaser in the making and with relatively few miles on the clock he can continue his progression. He is 9/2 with Stan James.
Selection: Coup Royale 9/2 with Stan James
3:10 Sandown Handicap Chase Cl2 3m110y
Plenty of horses arrive in good form with Master Of The Halls heading the market at 7/2 (Bet365). This represents a drop in class after he won a listed race at Aintree in December, it was his fourth chasing success in just seven starts. The one negative is that he has never achieved a Topspeed rating anywhere near his handicap mark.
Hold On Julio (7/2 with Bet365) sneaks into the handicap off bottom weight and arrives on the back of a win over course and distance. He has been mainly plying his trade in point to points and the step up in class might find him out.
The Panama Kid couldn’t quite complete a four-timer last time out, but on better ground he doesn’t look a forlorn hope at 25/1 (Sportingbet) considering the form he is in.
Selection: Our tipster likes Wymott at 10/1 with Bet365 (read his thoughts here).
Odds correct at time of publishing: 10:09 7th Jan, 2012 but subject to change
