Rory Delargy

SANDOWN SATURDAY

1:15 BETFRED “TREBLE ODDS ON LUCKY 15’S” HANDICAP CHASE 1M 7F 119Y

Richard Lee trained Grey Gold to win this race in 2014, and daughter Kerry has very much picked up where her father left off, producing the same horse to score last year. She is responsible for the pair who head the weights here, and it will be disappointing if she doesn’t score another victory for the Presteigne yard.

Top Gamble is respected, but endured a really punishing race in horrible ground at Cork in December, and was a little flat at Cheltenham last time. He needs to prove he’s back to his best now, and preference is for Gino Trail, who was facing a tough task trying to concede a stone in weight to Speredek over this course and distance on his latest start, and he was still in front when making a rare error at the penultimate fence.

That form looks much better after Speredek ran so well against Un de Sceaux at Ascot, and the 11-year-old, who is lightly raced for his age, is taken to make all the running. Those tactics will surely put Big Jim on the back foot, while Cepage will find his suspect jumping tested at the speed the selection will go. The latter may be popular given how well Venetia Williams does in handicap chases here, and she’s also won this race twice in recent years, but Williams has not found any rhythm with her horses this winter, and a brief flurry of winners hasn’t been maintained. Many of her recent runners have run as if amiss, and a watching brief is advised until better signs emerge.

2:25 BETFRED TV SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE (GRADE 1) 2M 4F 10Y

This should be a spectacle, and there are plenty to consider in a strong-looking renewal. Terremoto represents the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede combination which has produced the last three winners, and he impressed many with the manner in which he won on his British debut at Huntingdon, jumping boldly and drawing clear before being eased late on.

He certainly merits his place here, but perhaps not his price-tag, and it’s hard to argue that his win in a handicap, when receiving weight from the likes of Exitas, should be viewed as better form than the Grade 2 Kempton win of Cyrname, who jumped impeccably to beat Shantou Rock over a trip which would surely be short of his best. He was going away again after the last fence, and will do better still at this trip, so looks the value call at the prices.

3:00 BETFRED HEROES HANDICAP HURDLE (GRADE 3) 2M 7F 98Y

A low weight has been a prerequisite in this, with the mighty Baracouda the only horse to carry more than 11st to victory, and not many at the head of affairs come with convincing profiles. Dashing Perk is totally unexposed, and the handicapper couldn’t do much to him after he scored a facile win last time, and it will be interesting to see how he shapes in the market, but his lack of experience is a concern, and he stopped quickly on his only try at this trip, so he’s passed over in favour of King Of Fashion, who is an intriguing recruit to the Kerry Lee yard from Ian Duncan.

The son of Desert King hails from the family of Duncan’s National Hunt Chase winner Another Rum, and is unexposed at staying trips. King Of Fashion was a good fourth behind Lee’s Kris Spin at Ayr after a break last time, his effort flattening out as if the run was needed. The change of scenery is likely to do him good, and he features on what could be a very lenient mark.

3:35 BETFRED MOBILE MASTERS HANDICAP CHASE 3M 37Y

Ballydine has clearly had his training issues to have been restricted to just a handful of races in the past two years, but the handicapper has taken a huge chance by dropping him for a perfectly sound effort behind the exciting Acting Lass at Leicester last time.

Ballydine lacked the pace of the winner up the straight at Leicester, but he jumped soundly and kept plugging away, suggesting he’s at least as good as he was over hurdles, and giving hope for a better performance back up in trip. He split Barters Hill and Amis Desbois in a Grade 2 hurdle at Doncaster two seasons ago, giving the winner a huge fright in the process, and the bottom line is that a mark of 131 could underestimate him by some margin, as long as he can stand training.

4:10 BETFRED FOLLOW US ON TWITTER NOVICES’ HANDICAP HURDLE 2M 3F 173Y

Seamus Mullins is beginning to emerge from a quiet spell, and in Landin he has a horse who is potentially well treated if shrugging aside a laboured effort on his latest start.

The five-year-old ran a stormer in last year’s Triumph Hurdle, and has come up against a number of good prospects at the ‘gaffs’ this winter. He was no match for Tikkanbar at Plumpton in November, but that rival scored in a decent listed race at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, and while he disappointed last time, the winner is another potentially smart hurdler.

Landin hasn’t looked suited to the sharp track at Plumpton the last twice, and the return to a stiffer test should help, as should the assessor’s decision to drop him double digits in the handicap since the Triumph.

VALUE

Elsewhere on the UK cards this weekend, Amis Desbois could provide value in the Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby, where track and trip are expected to bring out the best in him.

It’s very difficult to predict how Knock House will fare back over hurdles in the Pertemps Qualifier at Muselburgh tomorrow, but this fragile sort is very talented on his day, and hails from a yard enjoying a full-blown renaissance this season. He has been placed at the Cheltenham Festival in the past, and remains lightly raced for his age, so if the old ability remains, then he could be well treated. One proviso is that he bled when disappointing at Aintree when last seen, and that does temper confidence a little.

RECOMMENDED

KING OF FASHION 3.00 Sandown - 1pt win @ 12/1 (general)

BALLYDINE 3.35 Sandown - 2pts win @ 7/1 (Bet365) or 13/2 (Hills)

LANDIN 4.10 Sandown - 1pt win