Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips Dave Stevos
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday Tips
We had been knocking on the door in terms of landing a big winner and it finally happened last week. Dragon Bones, who drifted from 20s out to 40s, got the job done nicely at Doncaster. Valadom also ran a gallant race for us to land place money, advised e/w at 11/1. Special Prep, also advised e/w at 11/1 was backed into 5s and was narrowly beaten into 2nd. Tommy’s Oscar had an off day and I still have faith in him. Bareback Jack was also disappointing, as were Return Ticket and Weather Front. Still, it was a very profitable day overall and hopefully I can find more value bets this weekend. Check out my Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday tips for live ITV4 races below.
1.50 Sandown: Novices’ Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
A maximum field of 18 will go to post for this Grade 3 novices’ handicap and it looks wide open. The one I am going to take a punt on e/w at a price is Press Your Luck for Chris Gordon and Tom Cannon. This fella won his first two starts over timber, both on ground with good in the description. I actually fancied him to run well at Ascot in a Grade 2 heat in December. However, the ground was probably far too soft for him and he was pulled up. He was given a couple of months off after that run before returning to action on the all-weather at Kempton.
That was admittedly a poor effort but maybe he just didn’t handle the track. In any case, that run should have blown away any cobwebs and Press Your Luck will have no excuses on the fitness front. He is in off a mark of 129 and that could well be workable on handicap debut. He had a horse called Across The Line 6L behind in 3rd when winning at Uttoxeter. That fella has since won a Novice and gone close in another under a penalty.
Potentially Well Treated
When he won at Newton Abbott he had Glajou almost 3L behind. He has since won a handicap chase off 124 and is now rated 131. The 3rd (15L behind) won on handicap debut off 117 by 8.5L . He then followed up in a Novice and he is now rated 130. Even the 4th, beat 16L, went on to finish 2nd on his next two runs. Including off 120 in a handicap. All this suggests that Press Your Luck could be potentially well treated and his trainer is coming into form. On pedigree the 20f trip should suit, the cheekpieces are applied and at odds of 40/1 Press Your Luck is the each way selection.
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday: Press Your Luck e/w @ 40/1 (6 Places)
2.05 Wolverhampton: Lady Wulfruna Stakes (Listed)
The first of three quality contests from Wolverhampton on Saturday is this 7f Listed heat. A field of 9 have been declared and it is a high class renewal. Five of the nine runners are rated 100+ and only two can really be discounted (Belle Anglaise rated 89 and Ghaith rated 88). Documenting (109) is the top rated but he has tended to need his first run of the season. At the prices, the one that appeals most is Ostilio for Paul Midgley and Kevin Stott. This son of New Approach ran a stinker on his first start for this yard at Doncaster back in November.
He was sent off at just 11/2 in that Listed heat but he never travelled and was beat a distance. There is no doubt he is a better horse than that though. While he has yet to run at this track he has finished 2nd on both previous all-weather outings at Newcastle and Lingfield. He ran a blinder on his seasonal bow last season at Haydock behind D’bai (7f gd/sft). A repeat of that would put him right in the mix today. 8/1 looks a more than fair price and at those odds he is worth chancing e/w.
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday: Ostilio e/w @ 8/1
2.25 Sandown: Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)
A field of 15 will fight it out for the valuable Imperial Cup this season. Natural History, a wide margin Plumpton winner on good ground last time on handicap debut, is the clear favourite for the Moores. He was handed a hefty 16lb hike for that win but he was a classy operator on the level. There could be more to come from him. However, I have zero interest in backing a horse at 3/1 in a race like this and I would rather look elsewhere for a bit of value.
One horse with a similar profile to the fav is Hasanabad. He hails from the in-form Ian Williams yard who did us a big favour with Dragon Bones last weekend. This horse was rated as high as 97 on the level and he has had just three runs over timber. He won his maiden in facile fashion at Southwell back in September (16f gd) before he finished 7L back in 3rd behind The Bees Knees later that month.
Entitled To Be Competitive
Hasanabad was conceding 9lb to the winner that day. He has since gone close in handicaps off 125 and 128. Ian Wiliams’ charge races off just 121 in this race so on that line of form he is entitled to be competitive. He reverted to the flat for his next three outings, running well enough in a handicap at Chelmsford off 92 and then in a jumpers’ bumper at Kempton.
He shaped nicely enough on his return to hurdling at Newbury last weekend. Hasanabad finished 3rd off 122 and while he was beat 12L, that looked like a prep run for a bigger target. Williams won this with a similar type, London Prize, back in 2017 and Sean Bowen, on board the last day, keeps the ride. As a former Galway winner the testing nature of Sandown should suit and at odds of 14/1 Hasanabad is the e/w NAP of the day.
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday: Hasanabad e/w @ 14/1 NAP (4 Places)
2.40 Wolverhampton: lincoln trial (class 2)
The first big flat handicap of the season is the Lincoln and this serves as a trial race. A maximum field of 13 talented types will go to post and it looks an extremely tricky puzzle to solve. In recent years a mark of around 97 or higher is required to even get a run in the Lincoln. The winner of this race will be handed a 5lb penalty for the big one so you would think that those who are entered and who are already guaranteed a run won’t be keen to blow their handicap marks.
The one I like at double figure odds is Milltown Star for Mick Channon and David Probert. This 97 rated 4yo had some quality form as a 2yo and he showed he retained his ability in just three runs last term. He was beat just 1.5L off 100 on his seasonal comeback at Goodwood last season so he is weighted to be competitive off his current rating.
The son of Roderic O’Connor has produced his best form on soft turf but he hacked up in a 6f novice on his only previous run at today’s track. Mick Channon hasn’t had a winner in the last fortnight but plenty of his have gone close. Hopefully Milltown Star gets him back in the winner’s enclosure today and at odds of 14/1 he is the each way selection.
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday: Milltown Star e/w @ 14/1 (4 Places)
3.00 Sandown: Mare’s National Hunt Flat Race (Listed)
Usually I steer well clear of bumpers. There is very little form to go on normally but at least most of these have had a run. Anthony Honeyball is always a trainer to watch in these races and he won it last year with 13/8 fav Coquelicot. This season he runs three and Rex Dingle, who rode Coquelicot in 2020, is on Ucanaver.
This mare dotted up by 20L on her second outing at Fontwell (13f gd/sft). However, she flopped when favourite in a Listed contest on softer ground last time and she has since had a wind-op. I never like backing a horse on their first run after that procedure. So, instead I’ll be having a small e/w bet on Swincombe Fleat.
Bred For The Job
This daughter of Yeats showed a glimmer of promise first time up when 4th on heavy at Ffos Las. She built on that next time out when winning on similar ground at Fontwell. Today’s ground is an unknown but if she is anything like her full brother Master Debonair she should be absolutely fine on it. He beat none other than Thyme Hill in a Listed bumper on good ground at Cheltenham and two of his four wins have come on that type of a surface.
Her dam, Swincombe Flame, won this race on good ground back in 2011 so there is lots of encouragement in her pedigree. Sean Bowen is 3/8 when riding for Honeyball with a further 3 places, so he looks a positive jockey booking. Hopefully Swincombe Fleat can follow in her mother’s hoofsteps and at 20/1 she is the each way pick.
Sandown and Wolverhampton Saturday: Swincombe Fleat e/w @ 20/1
3.15 Wolverhampton: 6f Handicap (Class 2)
A field of eight sprinters will line up in the stalls for this 6f handicap. The one I am interested in on handicap debut off a mark of 101 is Repartee. Trained by Kevin Ryan, this son of Invincible Spirit was gelded during the Winter. He showed smart form as a 2yo, placing in a Group 2 at Ascot and finishing second in the £300k Wetherby’s Stakes race at Doncaster. Last season he won a Listed heat at Windsor on his seasonal return (6f gd/fm). However, he failed to fire on his next two outings and his season came to a premature end at the end of July.
The horse he beat into 2nd at Windsor, Above, has since gone close off 100 in a handicap. That suggests that Repartee’s mark of 101 could be workable. He won first time up last season, which is another positive. He has yet to race on the all-weather but his sire has had 743 runners at Wolverhampton yielding 108 wins (14.5%) and 263 places (35.4%). That is a frame hitting strike rate of almost 50% so the chances are he will take to the track. He is probably the least exposed horse in the field and at odds of 6/1 Repartee is the e/w pick.
Wolverhampton Saturday Tip: Repartee e/w @ 6/1
3.35 Sandown: Novices’ Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
The last live race of the day on ITV4 is this 20f Listed Novices’ Handicap Chase. A field of 10 horses will battle it out for the £22k first prize and the interesting one here is Annsam for Tom O’Brien and Evan Williams. This 6yo son of Black Sam Bellamy was a decent hurdler. He won 3 of his 7 starts over the smaller obstacles and finished last season with a rating of 135. However, he has looked a much more talented chaser. After falling on his first start over fences he has put together a couple of excellent efforts.
House Island is a horse I rate and he was only 2L behind him in a Novices’ Chase at Ludlow in November (20f gd/sft). Annsam then followed that up with a demolition job over the same C&D in another Novice on his last start. The handicapper has reacted by hiking him 12lbs in the weights so he races off 139 today.
He made all the last day but he doesn’t have to lead as he showed when winning over hurdles at Taunton. Annsam will love the ground, his trainer is in good form and Tom O’Brien is 3/13 with 4 places when riding for Wayne Clifford. His last four completions have yielded form figures of 1121. At odds of 16/1, hopefully he continues that sequence at Sandown.
