Sandown’s increasingly popular final to the veterans chase series has once more produced a big field of familiar names but the oddity this year is a drying surface which is unlikely to be perfect for many of them. Houblon Des Obeaux (3.00) could not be mistaken for a fast horse but he has plenty of form on good to soft ground and, at 20-1, makes a lot of appeal with the Venetia Williams yard suddenly in tremendous form.
Now 12, he did not appear to relish heavy going for his first two starts this year but he showed plenty of ability last season, including when winning over this course and distance. If the light still burns within, he has dropped to a very attractive mark of 135; the last time he was rated so low was for a handicap hurdle on New Year’s Day seven years ago, which he won.
1.50 Sandown As Laurina is second-favourite for the Champion Hurdle she really ought to be up to winning a Listed contest for mares and cannot sensibly be opposed, for all that her odds will be extremely short. Sensulano has potential but her latest success was in a handicap hurdle off a rating of 129 and that does not entitle her to get near the Irish raider.
2.05 Wincanton Though The Dellercheckout was perhaps a touch fortunate to win his Irish point to point, in which he was the only finisher, he looks a chaser and was a bit big at some of his hurdles when third at Ludlow last month. This might be a good time to catch him, on his chasing debut with Bryony Frost aboard for the first time.
2.25 Sandown Rathhill is favourite to give Nicky Henderson a sixth Tolworth success and is evidently held in high regard. But it is possible he may struggle, on this drying ground, to reel in Elixir De Nutz, who made all to score at Cheltenham in both November and December. On the latter occasion he beat Jarveys Plate, who boosted the form by springing a surprise in a Listed contest on New Year’s Day.
2.40 Wincanton Having opened at 12-1 in places, Tight Call looks a potential source of value in his first handicap. He showed good battling qualities when edged out by Kajaki at Wetherby in November, his first defeat under rules, and the worth of that form has been upheld by first and third.
3.15 Wincanton Connections of Copain De Classe had a go at winning with a penalty after he scored by 10 lengths in late October but he seemed to find that too much to ask just 12 days later. He has since had a decent break and may be worth chancing again, only 7lb higher than for his win. He faces Calipto, from the in-form Williams yard, but this one has been hard to win with.
3.35 Sandown It looked as though Court Royale was better than his ninth-place finish in Ascot’s Betfair Hurdle last month, when he was given a lot to do. The form of his previous Taunton win looks respectable and he should be a force if resuming his progress here.
Newcastle 11.55 Suggestion 12.25 Ravenhill Road 12.55 Mountain Hawk 1.30 Outnumbered 2.00 Petite Ganache 2.35 Grand Morning 3.10 Zakharova
Sandown 12.15 Honorable 12.45 Capeland 1.20 Larry 1.50 Laurina 2.25 Elixir De Nutz 3.00 Houblon Des Obeaux (nap) 3.35 Court Royale
Wincanton 12.30 Stormingin 1.05 Cheque En Blanc 1.35 Kapcorse 2.05 The Dellercheckout 2.40 Tight Call (nb) 3.15 Copain De Classe 3.50 Alrightjack
Lingfield 12.40 Forbidden Planet 1.15 Breden 1.45 Nylon Speed 2.15 Straight Right 2.50 Harvey Dent 3.25 Kodiline
Kempton 4.15 Solar Heights 4.45 Rajman 5.15 Luxford 5.45 Roman Spinner 6.15 Amade 6.45 Wedding Date 7.15 Ilhabela Fact 7.45 Highway One
