Liam Firkin has picked out his ante-post selection for Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup Chase at Sandown.
bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
Just the one bet for this week’s Ante-Post Angle with the National Hunt season coming to a close before we really get rocking and rolling with the Flat.
15:30 - SANDOWN
The market for the end of season Gold Cup Chase has been squeezed, especially towards the head of it which has left little room for any value to be taken ahead of the weekend.
I am happy to play one who is a little bit further down the card and on official ratings he has a bit to find but he will love the going conditions with firmer ground underfoot and has some very good form going this way around (right-handed).
OUR POWER (20/1) lines up for Sam Thomas who has earned over £346,000 in prize money with his chasers so far this season and that is mainly due to his fantastic strike rate when sending his horses over the larger obstacles. He’s amassed 13 winners from 42 runners giving him a fantastic 31% strike rate and that may well improve this weekend.
BetMGM UK
Our Power hasn’t been seen since Wincanton in January and that run came on heavy ground which would not have been optimal conditions to see him at his best but he has a very good record when getting better ground including a third place over the marathon trip of the Scottish Grand National this time last year at Ayr where he was towards the head of the weights and just didn’t quite see out the trip over the 4m.
His career chase record when going right-handed with good in the going description reads as follows: 5113113 and although he’s now an 11-year-old he has seemingly been kept fresh for this by connections and the slight drop back in distance from that Scottish National could be ideal and I’ll be hoping there’s still plenty of zest left in the old boy and he can cap off what has been a very good season for Sam Thomas.
