ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Each-Way Double for Wincanton & Sandown

Just the six runners but this is a high-quality handicap with some good horses in the field. Messire Des Obeaux and Magic Saint are good horses in their own right but both might just need this and conceding fitness to former Grade 1 winner ELIXIR DE NUTZ (best price 9/2) might prove a difficult task, especially on these terms.

This nine-year-old found handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree festivals last spring too hot to handle but he was back on track when dropped in class at Doncaster last month when a narrow second and the first-time cheekpieces added to usual tongue tie could help him see out this race as he goes back up in distance.

He lost little in defeat to the winner, who was winning that race for the second year in a row, plus he was conceding six pounds to the winner as well. The return to this longer trip on this ground should suit and he’s likely to be ridden quite positively with his fitness assured. He remains well-handicapped on his best form and is only three pounds higher than when winning by 13 lengths at Kempton last February.

All of his best form has come around this time of year and if he can get into a fluent jumping rhythm on the front-end, or even if he tracks the pace, this former Tolworth Hurdle winner could be tough to beat. Galahad Quest and Celebre D’Allen have obvious claims on their best form but the Joe Tizzard-trained grey appeals most at the odds and should make a bold effort in a race that should see him to best effect.

The final race on the ITV coverage will see a competitive field of 11 line-up for the Unibet New And Improved Bet Builder Handicap Hurdle. 

A few of these being significant potential to the table but none more so than the Paul Nicholls-trained ICEO (best price 5/1), who was expected to develop into a leading contender for the Triumph Hurdle last season and whilst that didn’t materialise, he should be extremely hard to beat on his handicap debut here. 

Having looked a good prospect at Dieppe on hurdling debut in the summer, winning impressively, he confirmed that initial promise when he translated that form to the UK for the champion trainer at Kempton back in December 2021 on soft ground, winning by 17 lengths. 

The form has offered mixed results since but the third has won since and it is worth mentioning that he recorded that victory in nearly a two second quicker time than Rowland Ward, who won over the same track and trip later on the card in a class three event off a mark of 129. 

He then went to Cheltenham to contest a Grade Two trial event for the Triumph Hurdle and was sent off just 15/8 second-favourite behind Pied Piper. In the end, he could only manage fourth, but perhaps the combination of the better ground and undulations of the course were the reason behind his slightly disappointing display on the day. 

He was only seen one more time afterwards, which came in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle. He ran a very strange race, given he led for a bit of the journey before seemingly getting outpaced and at one stage looked like he was going to be pulled up. 

To his credit though, he found a second wind after jumping the last hurdle and stayed on powerfully to only be beaten around four lengths. That form has substance, as the first, third, sixth and seventh have all won since. 

This promising five-year-old has been off for 10 months but based on the numbers and what he has shown to date, an opening mark of 131 on his handicap debut is really lenient plus the softer ground can only be recognised as a positive as well for his chances. 

With plenty of rain forecast around the course within the next 24 hours, and seeing this promising youngster take a huge drop in class for his reappearance, he has a lot in his favour and therefore must have excellent each-way claims. If he is fit enough though, I am confident he will go close to beating these.