Jake Price has four tips for the Jumps Finale at Sandown on Saturday, check them out here.
Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
13:13 Sandown
Dan Skelton well and truly has the £5,000,000 prize money barrier within his sights, and I’m hoping that he can do the majority of the remaining damage required in the opener, where MADE U BLUSH has been specifically aimed at this rearranged Cheltenham April Meeting contest.
On all known form La Luna Artista has clearly achieved the most here and you would be entitled to say that a mark of 125 is not beyond her considering how she won the Grade 2 Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton in February, but I seriously worry that the Jane Williams horses are over the top at this stage, as plenty have been running poorly in defeat.
Instead Dan Skelton’s Filly comes into this race as a fresh horse, as she has not been seen since the end of January where she dug deep to win a Listed Juvenile Hurdle at Musselburgh. She looked a proper top of the ground Filly when she bolted up on good ground at Doncaster at the end of December, and she once again showed plenty of pace when picking up after the last to beat Lord (124). Her mark of 118 means she will be in receipt of 7lbs from the favourite, and we know the quick ground will suit our selection better as well.
Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle
13:45 Sandown
The Novices’ Championship Final is always a competitive affair, but I have been very taken by the progress of COSMIC CONNECTION in his short career under rules to date. If the exploits of having his third start in a month don’t take their toll, then I seriously think he could take all the beating.
This 5yo only won his Irish P2P in January before moving privately to Chris Gordon, and on stable debut he sprung a bit of a surprise when rallying gamely to beat subsequent winner Road To Wembley (120) by a length and a quarter. Crucially however that Novices' Hurdle was a Qualifier for this Sandown race, and as such connections decided they wanted to try and get him qualified with the three runs required.
Firstly he went to Chepstow on the 2nd April where he jogged around to finish a good second behind Hurricane Pat (143) when only in receipt of 2lbs, but then on Grand National Day he returned to Chepstow for a 2m Handicap Hurdle. Once again he had a really easy race when readily beating The Kemble Brewery (129) by 1.5 lengths, but you have to say that it was a serious performance to beat a talented rival with such ease. Whilst Saturday will be his third start in a month then, he has not received anything more than a hands and heels ride on his two latest efforts.
Unfortunately with Minella Yoga being a 4yo he does have to shoulder top weight of 12-0 despite only having a mark of 129, but I that says more about the race than it does about his mark, because he has potential to have loads left in hand. The big hope in the race for punters may well be Kadastral, but he has very much been a work in progress, and I do wonder if they are worried about the quick ground for him as he was a non-runner on similar at Wetherby when due to make hurdles debut in November.
Bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
15:30 Sandown
This is a very weak renewal of the Bet365 Gold Cup compared to what we have come accustomed to in recent years, and as such the front end of the market is full of horses further down the handicap than usual. The one I want to be on though is IN D’OR, who looks ripe to pick up a prize like this, and has freshness on side.
Last season he ran well in the National Hunt Chase over 3m6f at the Cheltenham Festival when finishing in sixth place under previous owner David Maxwell, but at the dispersal sale he fetched a massive £220,000 from Jane May, and he duly went into training with Fergal O’Brien. I think it is safe to say that the aim was to get him to the Grand National, but they couldn’t get his mark high enough – as on debut he looked to need the run somewhat when finishing third at Sandown over three-miles.
He certainly stuck to his task that day when only beaten two lengths come the line, but it was his next start at Ascot that paints in him in particularly good light for Saturday. That January race was a very good one for the grade, with the winner The Jukebox Kid (142) going on to win a Grade 2 next time out. The second Montregard (132) also franked the form a month later, and the fourth placed horse Kap Vert (136) went on to win the Scottish National on Saturday. IN D’OR himself travelled into it nicely but once again shaped like he wanted further when sticking to his task late in the day in third position.
Importantly due to the subsequent form our selection will now be 7lbs better off with Montregard for only a 3.5 length defeat, but I also like that he comes to Sandown as a fresh Horse having missed Cheltenham due to a slight setback, before then obviously not getting into the Grand National. A prize like this would go some way into repaying his purchase price, and Fergal O’Brien has been in good form lately with 8 winners from his last 29 runners.
Handicap Hurdle
17:15 Sandown
This concluding 2m4f Handicap Hurdle is extremely competitive, but there does not look to be an obvious stand-out contender who everyone wants to be on. Considering he never got involved in the race when I put him up at Aintree however, I think it is probably worth giving TRUSTINTIMES one more chance, as this is clearly much calmer waters for him to tackle.
This 5yo had been a bit of a prolific winner before Aintree, landing a Bumper at Kempton before a Maiden/Novice Hurdle double at Uttoxeter. On Handicap debut at Ascot in November he was a very game winner over Fortune De Mer (134) when still racing over two miles, and he rounded off the first half of his season on Boxing Day where he was second behind Williethebuilder (134) during that rival’s pomp.
His Aintree race was pretty much over as quickly as the tapes came down, as he lost all position and ended up having to race right in the rear. You would hope connections have learnt from that though, and this less crowded 15 runner contest should mean we don’t see a repeat, as he has always raced in touch with the leaders on his previous starts. I still think he could be well handicapped off 127 if getting it right on this occasion, and Harry Fry is another trainer enjoying a hood time of things lately.
