ITV Racing Tips: Saturday Each-Way Double for Sandown

There is plenty of quality jumps action in store for viewers on Saturday, with the Cheltenham Festival nearing ever closer and the first part of the double comes in this typically competitive handicap event by the shape of the Sue Smith-trained CERENDIPITY (best price 20/1) who makes the long journey to the Surrey venue.

The six-year-old might have slipped under the radar at a wild price as the six-year-old ploughed through heavy ground to score on his hurdles debut and ran a solid race when second at Wetherby last time. He makes his handicap debut off a nice mark of 121 and that is lenient based on the fact he beat a horse rated 124 on his hurdles debut.

Clearly, improvement is needed, but the fact he makes the near 500 mile round trip to contest this race means he isn’t here just for the day out plus connections have appointed Daryl Jacob to do the steering, which is a positive sign. With five places widely available, and being his trainer's only runner on the card, he is the each-way punt at double-figure odds. 

The Gary Moore-trained HUDSON DE GRUGY (best price 6/1) was behind the Lac Du Constance when the pair met at Kempton back in November and needs to improve on what he has shown over fences but is much better off at the weights this time with the top-weight and has won three times at this course over hurdles, which bodes well for his chances. 

He has yet to match his hurdles form so far in this sphere but he will get his favoured conditions this weekend and is in receipt of weight from all of his rivals, which is massively advantageous. His three wins at this course were on soft or worse and he’s twice defied higher marks than this one as well. 

I get the impression he will have the perfect set-up with an ideal pace to aim at and Jamie Moore gets down to do the low weight too. He is up in class from last time but he is the course specialist and, at the odds - from this attractive mark - I cannot help but feel he is capable of winning a race like this should things go his way in the interim. 

Bonus ITV Racing Tips for The Imperial Cup

Whilst last season’s Triumph Hurdle ambitions didn’t materialise for Paul Nicholls’ ICEO (best price 9/1) after only finishing fourth in the Trial race at Cheltenham last January behind Pied Piper, he caught the eye with a solid close-up fourth in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle next time and that is amongst the best form on offer, which gives him a great chance of potentially winning this valuable race. 

That form has worked out well given the winner has subsequently won the Betfair Hurdle and this highly-promising five-year-old won convincingly on his stable at Kempton on soft ground when beating subsequent winner Rewired by 17 lengths.

He reappeared after nearly a year off with a creditable second of 10 over track and trip last time on his handicap debut, where he travelled well and that run should have sorted him out fitness-wise. 

He is likely to have been targeted at this prize since and will strip a lot fitter from that encouraging display. The handicapper has only raised his mark a pound, which seems really fair, and he has the perfect-looking profile for this scenario. He must have a strong each-way chance for the champion trainer with the potential to rank higher. Five places generously and widely available. 

I’ll also be having an each-way play on the Irish raider MAN O WORK (best price 10/1), who is another to have likely been targeted at this race by connections and despite arriving here on the back of a fall, he looks fairly well-treated based on his exploits on home soil and gets an each-way vote with five places widely available.

His fourth of 17 in a Grade A Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse on soft ground reads well plus his heavy ground win at Limerick when beating Instit is a decent bit of form as well. He could only finish fifth in a Grade 1 next time behind Vauban but clearly he is held in decent regard as connections could have found him an easier race elsewhere. 

He was in the process of running a big race against Icare Allen around this time last year before he took a tumble at the second last when travelling well and given the winner is now rated 145+, Peter Fahey’s charge is thrown in here off 132 if he can recapture his best. The ground will be to his liking and Will Kennedy is an interesting addition to the saddle.