Today's Tote Placepot Tips for Sandown

Leg 1 Selections: Spirit D’aunou, Start In Front

A difficult opener but SPIRIT D’AUNOU was marginally denied on his hurdles debut but has put together a pair of wins since and while he has to prove he’s effective on softer ground, Gary Moore’s charge might be capable of completing the hat-trick, meanwhile START IN FRONT has a win and two seconds to his name so far for connections and could go well. 

Leg 2 Selections: Cerendipity, Etalon

A huge field assembled for leg two but the most interesting runner, in my opinion, is the Sue Smith-trained CERENDIPITY who is his connections only runner on the card and will make the 500 mile round tip to contest this race. 

Furthermore, Daryl Jacob is an interesting jockey booking and the six-year-old ploughed through heavy ground to score on his hurdles debut. An opening mark of 121 ahead of his handicap debut seems generous based on his form to date. 

ETALON ran a tidy race when third on his debut in a Chepstow bumper and finished runner-up in his first two hurdle starts before he duly obliged at Wetherby last time. He is progressive and I will be slightly bemused if he cannot surpass a handicap debut mark of 119. 

Leg 3 Selections: Iceo, Man O Work 

Whilst last season’s Triumph Hurdle ambitions didn’t materialise for ICEO after only finishing fourth in the Trial race last January, he caught the eye with a solid close-up fourth in the Grade Two Dovecote Novices' Hurdle. He won convincingly on his stable when beating subsequent winner Rewired by 17 lengths.

Paul Nicholls’ charge reappeared after nearly a year off when 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. He must have strong place possibilities at the very least. 

I’ll also include Irish raider MAN O WORK, who is another to have likely been targeted at this race and despite arriving here on the back of a fall, he looks fairly well-treated based on his exploits on home soil. His fourth in a Grade A Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse reads well plus his heavy ground win at Limerick when beating Instit. He could be decent value for Placepot purposes. 

Leg 4 Selections: Mercian Omen, Larchmont Lass

Leg four is a wide-open Listed bumper but Amy Murphy’s MERCIAN OMEN shaped with a bundle of promise when a staying-on second of nine on his stable/rules debut at Wetherby and the winner has boosted the form by going close since in a higher grade race. With more to come, he could easily be competitive with the stiff finish to play to his strengths. 

LARCHMONT LASS has hit the frame in both starts to date, including when second at Wincanton last time, where he probably would have come out on top should he have had a smoother passage when the race started to develop. He did well to recover from being hampered to only be headed in the closing stages and must have excellent claims. 

Leg 5 Selections: Hudson De Grugy, Lac De Constance

Gary Moore’s HUDSON DE GRUGY was behind the former at Kempton but is much better off at the weights this time and his connections have enjoyed plenty of success at this course over the years. 

He does need to cast aside a lesser effort when last seen but he has won three times at this course over hurdles and should be able to match that form in this sphere with conditions in his favour and off a mark he is capable of defying when everything comes together.

LAC DE CONSTANCE impressed on his chase debut at Kempton and while his two chase starts since haven’t seen him jump well, especially last time, Dan Skelton’s charge has a touch of class and he should be able to get back on track with a clear round. He is a value choice against the favourite, Easy As That. 

Leg 6 Selections: Make Me A Believer, Run To Milan

MAKE ME A BELIEVER is very lightly raced for his age and shaped well on his chase debut at Exeter when sixth of 11 after an absence. He has proven form on deep ground and was third in a Grade Two over hurdles in 2021 at Warwick. He looks well-handicapped off this mark and could run a big race with more to offer.

RUN TO MILAN is a consistent staying chaser and ran a really good race to finish third of 18 in the big veterans chase here last time. The assessor has kindly reduced his mark a pound, which is extremely lenient, and with conditions not being a problem, the 11-year-old has excellent prospects of being competitive.