Alan Thomson, the former Racing Editor at the Daily Record, puts up five tips at Sandown and Leicester on Saturday. View selections below.
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SUPPORTERS of Blaklion in the Randox Health Grand National knew their fate at the very first fence when he was brought down, but compensation of sorts may lie in wait at Sandown.
BLAKLION (3.35) shoulders top weight in the bet365 Gold Cup and this will be his first trip to Sandown where the accent is on fast, accurate jumping. That has been Blaklion’s forte in the past as he demonstrated with a foot-perfect round of fencing in the 2017 Grand National before fading into fourth behind One For Arthur.
Nigel Twiston-Davies gave his gelding a wind operation following a remote second to Yala Enki on deplorable ground in the Grand National Trial at Haydock and he possesses the class to plunder this big end-of-season prize.
Missed Approach bounced back to winning form in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at Cheltenham and the track should suit his bold running style. The Young Master was a staying-on sixth at Cheltenham and should get a bit closer this time. Bigbadjohn should go well if his jumping holds up.
TOP NOTCH (2.25) will be very hard to beat in the bet365 Oaksey Chase.
Nicky Henderson’s gelding beat Double Shuffle eight lengths in a Grade 2 at Ascot back in November and has winning course form, having scooped the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase last February. Soft ground is ideal.
In the bet365 Celebration Chase, amazing ALTIOR (3.00) is at very cramped odds to register his 14th straight victory. The Henderson superstar thumped Special Tiara eight lengths 12 months ago and looked as good as ever at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.
The opening handicap hurdle has attracted 20 runners, with any number holding sound claims. ACT OF VALOUR (1.50) is one of them and should reward an each-way interest.
The gelding finished ninth behind Veneer Of Charm in a typically ultra-competitive renewal of the Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham but was back in the winner’s circle after landing an
unusually hot Fakenham novices’ hurdle, lowering the colours of Pacific De Baune and Oistrakh Le Noir.
At Leicester, KIMBERELLA (2.45), better known during his illustrious career as an out-and-out sprinter, took the step up to seven furlongs in his stride at Thirsk and the eight-year-old should make a bold bid to plunder the totepool King Richard III Stakes.
Kimberella was very brave from the front, beating off challenges from So Beloved and Above The Rest. Richard Fahey’s gelding was conceding 7lb to the useful runner-up, while Above The Rest is 3lb worse off for his two lengths defeat.
Likely favourite Emmaus is a course and distance winner having beaten Sir Dancealot on the nod in October on similar ground. He was in receipt of 10lb and this looks a slightly stiffer task.
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Tally Ho
Alan
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