2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips – DS
2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips
We went agonisingly close to nabbing a nice 16/1 winner last weekend. Half Shot ran a massive race but he just couldn’t get past the gutsy winner. Wajaaha ran well in the Morebattle, if his jockey had waited another furlong to make his move he might have held on for place money. Umndeni shaped well too and he is one to keep onside. Banjaxed was far from disgraced and he is a promising horse. The ground went too soft for Enemy Coast Ahead. Hopefully we can convert some decent runs into place money this weekend, 2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday tips are below.
1.30 Wolverhampton – 6f Handicap (Class 2)
In races at this distance around Wolves, a low draw is a big plus. All but three of the last 10 winners of this race were drawn 6 or lower. With that in mind, the 14/1 about Soldier’s Minute is too tempting to turn down. Trained by Keith Dalgleish, who recently announced he’d be stepping away from the sport, this horse has run very well on his previous visits to Wolverhampton. He’s run here twice before finishing 3rd off 99 in 2019 and then winning a class 2 conditions race on Boxing Day 2021.
He was rated 100 in that conditions race and he beat horses rated 108, 104, 105 and 106 off level weights so it was a very good effort. Dalgleish has been running this lad in Bahrain over the Winter months so he’ll be fit and he returns to UK action off a mark of 102. That’s 4lbs lower than he was when beat 1.75L at Chelmsford in November and 2lbs lower than he was when winning a handicap at Lingfield just over a year ago. He’s well drawn, he likes the course and he’s competitively weighted. So, at odds of 14/1, Soldier’s Minute is the e/w selection.
2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips: Soldier’s Minute e/w @ 14/1
1.50 Sandown – Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Premier)
The ground is going to be a proper slog at Sandown, if the meeting even goes ahead. There is an inspection called for 8am and with a sharp frost forecast, hopefully it gets the green light. If it does, it is going to be a day for bog monsters. The horse I like at decent odds in this valuable heat is Cerendipity for Sue Smith and Daryl Jacob.
This son of Sageburg ran okay in a couple of decent ground bumpers last season. He had a wind op after the second one at Newcastle and he made his return to action a year later at Haydock in a 15.5f (sft) novice. He again shaped nicely enough in that race, finishing 13L, 5th of 13 behind War Soldier, keeping on well and looking as though he would come on hugely for the run.
Relished Heavy Ground
Next time at Catterick he relished the heavy ground and step up to 19f. He beat General Officer by a length and they pulled nearly 40 lengths clear of the 3rd. A month ago he ran in another Novice at Wetherby (19.5f gd/sft) and he again ran a lovely race, finishing 1.75L behind Get Up Mush, to whom he was conceding 7lbs. The 6L 4th from that race, Ernest Gray, hacked up off 106 in a handicap next time out and is now rated 115. Cerendipity gets in here off 121.
Thomas Willmott rode when this lad won at Catterick but he is out with a broken arm. Daryl Jacob gets the leg up and it will be his first ever ride for this owner and trainer. Sue Smith has already done us a favour this season with Romeo Brown and she has had 2 winners and 15 top 4 finishes from just 38 previous runners at Sandown. Hopefully she can enhance that record with Cerendipity. At 22/1, he is the e/w selection.
2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips: Cerendipity e/w @ 22/1 (5 places) NAP
2.05 Wolverhampton – Lincoln Trial Handicap (Class 2)
It is looking like this could be the year of Billy Loughnane, especially in valuable handicaps. The young jockey has taken racing by storm and he is going through his claim at a rate of knots. No doubt there’ll be lots of trainers keen to enlist his services and Ed Walker has booked him for the ride on Hafeet Alain in this Lincoln Handicap Trial.
This horse is drawn in stall 12, which is never ideal at Wolverhampton. However, he is a horse that comes from off the pace so the draw shouldn’t be too much of a hindrance. The 7yo son of Elzaam has been mostly running well during his all weather winter campaign. He put back to back solid efforts together when beat just over a length at both Newcastle (7f) and Kempton (8f), when he was doing all his best work at the finish.
Southwell possibly didn’t suit on his next start but last time at Lingfield he again finished off his race well when beat 3.5L off 93. The assessor has now dropped him to 91 and with Loughnane’s claim, he is effectively in off 86. That’s 10lbs lower than he was when going close at Newcastle and 9lbs lower than when beat 1.25L at Kempton in January. Hafeet Alain is effectively 8lbs lower than he was when last winning at Lingfield a year ago. While he will need the breaks to come in running from the widest draw, at odds of 25/1 he is still worth backing e/w.
2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips: Hafeet Alain e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
2.25 Sandown – Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (Premier)
It’s going to be tough going on the forecast heavy ground at Sandown and the top two in the betting, Playful Saint and Zoffany Bay, should both enjoy the conditions. Quite a few of those at the head of the market have heavy ground form so it might be difficult finding one at bigger odds today. Royale Margaux will definitely go on the ground but he was formerly trained by disgraced French handler David Cottin.
This horse flopped on his first start for Tom Symonds and the fact he was sent for a wind op after that run sets alarm bells ringing. When you look at how Easysland’s form has nosedived since leaving Cottin’s yard, it would put you right off backing anything that has come out of that stable. Instead, I’m going to take a chance on Fine Casting for Ben Pauling and Luca Morgan.
This 7yo son of Shantou likes to get his toe in. He has had soft ground once this season, a 11L win at Haydock (19f) off 123. Pauling gave him a 6 week break after that run and he returned with a decent enough effort in a minor race at Uttoxeter. This horse has form figures of 11 on heavy and the weather gods have smiled on him ahead of his first crack at a proper handicap pot. At odds of 16/1, hopefully he can sneak into the money.
2023 Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips: Fine Casting e/w @ 16/1 (5 places) NB
2.40 Wolverhampton – Lady Wulfruna Stakes (Listed)
Angel Bleu and Berkshire Shadow are the class acts of this race but they may need the run. Dhabab is another who lacks match fitness and of those at the top of the market, Harry’s Bar and Tinker Toy probably make most appeal given their superior race sharpness. However, Ado McGuinness also runs Hodd’s Girl and it is interesting that Ronnie Whelan has opted to ride her over her higher rated stablemate, who will be ridden by James Doyle.
Surely Whelan had the pick of these two horses. He rode Harry’s Bar on his last UK run at Lingfield and he has ridden Hodd’s Girl plenty of times in the past. Last time out at Dundalk this daughter of Zebedee was beat 3.5L over 7f but previously, she won very easily over 6f off 87 at the same track.
I’d imagine the mission is to get this filly some black type. She has never run in pattern company before and given that her dam is a half to the classy sprinter G Force, black type would be a huge boost if the plan is to send her to stud. Whelan will likely drop her out, hopefully she can stay on late for place money at odds of 33/1.
I’m not a fan of bumpers and just six run in the last live ITV race, so I’ll leave those races alone. We’ll be back on Monday with our selections for Day 1 of Cheltenham, make sure to keep an eye on our Twitter feed.
