Sandown Tips for Jumps Finale Day on Saturday 23rd April

The jumps finale is upon us, where Brian Hughes will be crowned Champion jockey for the second time after surpassing an impressive 200 winners in a season and Paul Nicholls will again win the Trainers Championship for the 13^th Time.

The field sizes aren’t the biggest but not lacking in competitiveness and David has been through the Sandown card and given us his tips for each race.

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1.50 Bet365 Novices Championship Final Handicap Hurdle

A good handicap hurdle over 2miles to kick things off and my selection HEAD LAW (4/1) has improved massively and is on a 4-timer. He won at Warwick off 109, then went in again at Stratford running off 116 and has been put up 10lbs for that. Wears a tongue-tie for the first time and will appreciate the good ground and will continue the hot form the trainer and jockey are in.

 

2.25 Bet365 Oaksey Chase

Only the 4 runners but with 15/8 the field tells you any one of these 4 could win it. MISTER FISHER (7/4) is probably the safest option to pick. A real consistent type of horse, who always runs his race in these types of Grade 2 races, however, he just seems to lack that extra bit in Group 1s. He won a similar race at Kempton in January, beating Eldorado Allen who since won the Denman Chase at Newbury and ran well in the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival. He was second in this race last year when he looked to have the race won but was headed at the finish by a game Frodon. Trust would be needed to back his rivals on the back of bad runs and a fall and even though he is giving 6lbs to his rivals he is very much the horse to beat.

 

3.00 Bet365 Celebration Chase

Just the 5 runners for this Grade 1 and NUBE NEGRA (6/4) looks the likeliest winner, he’s only run twice this year, bolting up in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham beating Politilogue by 6L. Excuses can be made for his next run in the Tingle Creek only a few weeks later which was too bad to be true and probably came too soon. He was a non-runner at the Cheltenham Festival due to the horrific ground. His best runs have come after a layoff and having not run for 4 months, fresh he most certainly will be. There’s no Chacun Pour Soi or Shishkin in the race and this looks his for the taking.

 

3.34 B365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase

The biggest field of the day for the feature race with 15 runners, most firms are offering 5 places so if you fancy a horse at a bigger price shop around! POTTERMAN (12/1) looks to have been aimed at this once again after being awarded the race 12 months ago when Enrilo was demoted.

He started the season off running off 148 with a good second, outrunning his odds at Wincanton in the Badger Beer where he just couldn’t get to the winner and needed a stronger pace. Was pulled up the next twice in the Ladbroke Trophy and then a Pertemps qualifier, but seemingly came back to form when he won over 3m2f  at Kelso running off top weight has only been put up 2lbs for that win and is now only 2lbs higher than his mark last year. They always seem to go a fast pace in this race which will suit him, he likes good ground and running for the second time after a wind op, this certainly looks to have been the plan for quite some time. Around the 12/1 mark, it will be very hard to see him out the places with a good chance of winning

 

4.07 B365 Select Hurdle

Another 4 runner race for this G2 hurdle but another quality small field. SCARAMANGA (15/8) looks the pick at the weights. Rated 150 and getting 6lbs from his main market rival yet is rated 1lb higher than him. Was last seen when finishing down the field in last year’s Cesarewitch, but won his last two hurdle races last year including when winning a handicap hurdle on this card last year off 6lbs lower. He won on his reappearance over hurdles last year, so the layoff wouldn’t worry me. He seems to be the yards number one and just looks to be a horse who needs this ground and performs best at this time of year, a continuation in his improvement seems likely which will make him very hard to beat

 

4.40 B365 Josh Gifford Novice Handicap Chase

The penultimate race of the card, unfortunately only 7 runners so not a great race for the EW punters. But the ew won’t be needed when BRIEF AMBITION (7/2) becomes the second horse of the day to complete a 4-timer. Won off 117 back in November then rewarded odds on backers when going off 1/3 fav after being put up a whopping 11lbs. Ran off the 128 again and once again rewarded favourite backers for when he won a strong 3-runner race last month at Ludlow. The second that day won a match race last week so the form has had a boost. He has been put up 6lbs for that run but he should be able to shrug that off with further progress, he looks solid and if he can cut out a few of those silly errors from last time, the 4 timer will surely be on the cards.

 

5.15 B365 Handicap Hurdle

The final race of this year’s Jump season isn’t an easy one to work out. I’m going for another stable who have had a cracking year in the Chris Gordon yard and their runner PRESS YOUR LUCK (9/2). Another horse on the massive upgrade this year, having gone up 10lbs in his last two runs. He won a conditional Jockeys race by an easy 6L. Ran off 2lb higher next time, last month when winning a similar handicap at Kempton. That day he made a mistake at a crucial time 3 out but soon recovered and led just before 2 out and the powered on and finished very strongly indeed winning by over 3L. He has gone up 8lbs for that run but nothing suggests he won’t be able to overcome that, the stable thinks very highly of him and with them running at 33% strike rate over the last two weeks, you know he will give you a solid run for your money and will take a good horse to beat him.

 

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