Competitive handicaps are the order of the day at Sandown on Saturday afternoon.
The Premier Raceday meeting on the eve of the Cheltenham Festival has attracted large fields in the main, on ground posted as good to soft.
Go Dante (Sean Bowen) bid to keep the Imperial Cup title (Sandown Racecourse on FB)
Race 2, off at 15h50, is a novices’ handicap hurdle run over two and a half miles. Eighteen contest a very open looking contest and last year’s winning trainer Ben Pauling could follow up with his progressive five-year-old Meetmebythesea.
Leading amateur rider Callum Pritchard reunites with the JP McManus owned gelding, having won his last two starts on him, and the step up in trip is sure to suit. Pritchard’s 5lb claim is an added boost.
Favourite is the Paul Nicholls trained Belliano, a six-year-old who looked impressive when winning both his last two starts. He looks the main danger with George’s Lad and Silver Thorn also worth a mention.
The days highlight is the Betfair Imperial Cup Handicap Chase (16h25). A two-mile puzzle to solve with 17 runners separated by 35 lbs from top to bottom of the handicap.
Paul Nicholls saddles Afadil of a mark 8lbs lower than when finishing fifth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham last season. He last start was a positive one when finishing second at Musselburgh. He gets the services of another top amateur in Freddie Gingell and a 3lb claim, coming in here carrying only 10 stone.
Go Dante, the mount of leading rider Sean Bowen is another very much in the mix, now 2lb lower than when winning this last year.
Favourite for the £51,440 first prize is the Nicky Henderson trained Bo Zenith. A case can be made from him and the Willie Mullins trained Batman Girac, but top-weight Lump Sum is selected to complete the trifecta with his rider Dylan Johnston claiming a 3lb allowance.
Dan Skelton has a 33% winning strike rate at Sandown this season and the point should be noted in the Best Odds On The Betfair Exchange Handicap Chase (17h35).
His runner Hoe Joly Smoke takes on five rivals in the three-mile event and would prove hard to beat if re-producing his penultimate start when an easy winner over the course and distance. He carries joint-bottom weight and has the top-notch Harry Skelton onboard. Fellow bottom-weight Dreaming Blue is the obvious danger.
