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Saturday, March 13th

Again apologies if this is not as in-depth as usual but I am sure you can understand why. Bar Sandown, it isn’t overly exciting anyway as so many of the best horses are being kept back for next week.

As for next week, I will be at Cheltenham all week (try and catch out my Bettrends Live copy if you can for continual updates throughout each day for the first time thise year) so I will be unable to provide a Wednesday or Friday copy previewing next weekend’s racing so I will add an extra week onto the service than was originally advertised. As a subscriber to this service you can access my Overnight Online copy for each day of Cheltenham next week which will be posted by 6.00 p.m. the previous day.

2.00 SANDOWN
The EBF NH Novices’ Hurdle Final is always a rich source for future winners and the last three winners of the 3m handicap hurdle at Aintree at the Grand National Meeting all ran in this race. Competitive is the first word that springs to mind. I’ve been following Ballybach since I saw him in an Ascot bumper last season but he is proving disappointing though it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go well at all at a big price in a better race with a stronger gallop. If he is 25/1+ I could easily be tempted to have a silly each-way bet. Nick Williams won this two years ago when Beshabar ran away with the race only to then have him whipped away by Harry Findlay’s cheque book and he runs Alfie Spinner this time who is chasing a hat-trick. I would just be worried the ground may be on the lively side for him seeing how much he has improved for soft ground on those last two starts compared to his runs on a quicker surface. Therefore I just about come down in favour of the Swansbrook-Red Harbour Ascot form as they fought out the finish to a good qualifier for this final where they had Lush Life back in third who has since taken the scalp of Menorah. That looks good form in the context of this race. I actually felt that Swansbrook won with a little up his sleeve as he came from rear at Ascot to win that day which is not easy to do on that pace-favouring track but ideal tactics for Sandown’s hurdles course. Swansbrook for me with Ballybach the best long shot.

2.30 SANDOWN
Not the strongest handicap chase to be shown live on terrestrial television but I can see a big run from Bowleaze here who runs the course so well. He’s cracking on a bit now at the age of 11 but this is his first opportunity to run off his last winning mark of 126 which was here back in November of 2008 and he also won this same race two years ago also off this same mark of 126. I am sensing a pattern emerging here. He should be a decent price as he was beaten 20 lengths last time but that was his first run in three months and, knowing the Alners are creatures of habit, I would be pretty sure that was just a tee-up to try and win this race again. They also ran my Kim Muir fancy Shillingstone after a break in that same race as his prep for the Festival. He will do for me as an each-way bet rather than win-only as I would be a little concerned the younger horses have more improvement in them though none of them are in obvious good form. Fresh Air And Fun could be the danger and he is coming here off a break for Jonjo O’Neill, they have put on McLernon claiming 3lbs and he is also a course and distance winner having won this race off 115 last year. You would have to think Jonjo has laid him out for a repeat off just a 1lb higher mark so Bowleaze and Fresh Air And Fun would be two against the field.

3.05 SANDOWN
On Wednesday, although I didn’t suggest any bets, I highlighted the claims of Eradicate (best of the leading fancies at the time) and Caravel (best of those at bigger prices) but the former has not been declared and neither have the big Pipe two of Hunterview or Salut Flo got a run. I do still like Caravel’s chance as long as the ground stays good or close to it as I know they have one eye on the bonus if he wins here and at the Festival. A classy horse on the Flat, the better the ground the better his chance. I’ve said before that 2m handicap hurdles are not really my thing and this looks viciously competitive with 24 runners so I will only have a small each-way interest. Qaspal is likely to be all the rage near the foot of the handicap as he needs to win to get a run in the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle at the Festival for which he is second favourite so expect a powerful ride from McCoy if he is anywhere near the scene at the final flight and there is every chance this novice will be gunning for a hat-trick. Gary Moore’s runners in these big two-mile handicaps have to be strongly considered and especially at Sandown where he has such a good record and he relies on Numide. Anything but straightforward, he hasn’t be sighted on his last four starts but the better ground may help him being a class horse on the Flat and he is dropping back close to the mark that saw him win last season’s Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham. He is interesting and could be a win or bust job. Tocca Ferro is another I have plenty of time for as Emma Lavelle was considering a crack at the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with him until finishing fourth at Kempton last time in the same race Quantitativeeasing and The Betchworth Kid were placed in. Now in a handicap for the first time in a shrewd yard, I can see a big run from him. Caravel at a push but I respect Tocca Ferro and think Numide is dangerous if on a going day.

3.40 SANDOWN
You don’t get many mares’ bumpers featured on Channel 4 racing and my default position for such races is to check out the Alan King and Nicky Henderson runners. King doesn’t have a runner here but Henderson lets Lifestyle take her chance and she won her only start 44 days ago and the yard would have had many qualifiers for this final so it is interesting they only rely on her. A very easy winner at Ffos Las on that occasion where she was value for more than the official six lengths’ margin beating a seemingly good yardstick in second who had some fair form to her name. If she progresses again she could prove hard to beat especially receiving 8lbs from arguably her chief rival Mizzurka who secured wins at Newbury at Taunton. That 8lbs could easily be the difference so maybe Chicklemix could prove a bigger threat. Pam Sly knows how to train a good one and she might be just that after an easy win at Fakenham last time but obviously this is an altogether different course. Chiclemix has each-way claims but Lifestyle looks the one.

4.15 SANDOWN
They have been running Joe Jo Star in novice chases he couldn’t win this season until now and the Swinton Hurdle winner looks well treated by the conditions here getting 10lbs from Tchico Polos and also now has the services of Timmy Murphy taking over from Brian Hughes and Aidan Coleman for the first time so he is interesting receiving 10lbs especially as I know they are hopeful he can develop into a legitimate contender for the Grade 1 Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree. His first run was eye catching given he was pitched straight into a Grade 2 and he travelled well for a long way and then they stuck him in behind Long Run last time which didn’t do wonders for his handicap mark. He does jump well very for a novice touch wood and the weight he receives here makes him interesting.

4.50 SANDOWN
I have been a Nikos Extra fan this season and have collected one win and two losses with him so he is making me a profit though given I felt his jumping was his strong suit I didn’t expect to lose my money so early last time but he was badly impeded when unseating Thornton so it wasn’t his fault. As this is a jumper’s course and that element of his game is his strong suit I will keep the faith again as he looked so good when winning sneakily at Folkestone in a race working out well and the yard were out of form at Christmas when he ran okay in a decent handicap at Kempton to finish third.

Sunday, March 14th

2.55 LIMERICK
Morning Supreme and For Bill would be fourth and fifth favourite if they lined up for the Mares Hurdle at the Festival in my opinion but these two very smart Irish mares tackle this race instead and although some of the opposition is useful, it should fall to one of them and I just prefer For Bill who is unbeaten in seven point-to-points, bumpers and hurdle races. In fact, I reckon she wouldn’t have been out of the reckoning for the Supreme or Neptune getting a mares’ allowance. So far all her wins, and impressive ones they have been too on occasions, have been on soft ground but she is by Presenting so should relish this better ground and that is why I give her the edge over Morning Supreme who could be a mudlark.