The final day of the jumps season in Great Britain and Ireland focuses on Sandown, and Andrew Mount has eight top tips to make the conclusion a winning one.
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Posted: 5pm, Friday, April 26th
1.50 Sandown – STEEL ALLY (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
1.50 Sandown – SECRET SQUIRREL – 17/2 William Hill)
1.50 Sandown – KING OF TARA (0.5pt ew – 25/1 bet365, William Hill)
KING OF TARA, winner of a soft-ground novices’ hurdle at Warwick last month, was beaten miles at Taunton on April 11 and was very weak in the betting when making a quick reappearance at Hereford just three days later. Jonjo O’Neill’s five-year-old certainly improved on his Taunton effort, going down by just over ten lengths in fourth behind all-the-way winner Insurrection. He wasn’t given a hard time by his jockey and left the firm impression that he’ll be winning when handicapping, perhaps today.
Last-time out winners have landed all five previous runnings of this 2m contest and Hughie Morrison’s SECRET SQUIRREL, successful at Taunton on his latest outing, fits the bill. He made the running that day, but this sometimes-keen sort will appreciate the switch to a big-field handicap and is unbeaten in three runs in the spring under National Hunt rules.
STEEL ALLY didn’t win last time but he only went down by a neck in second place to Doyen Quest at Newbury and pulled almost ten lengths clear of the third. The time was fast and the winner, third, sixth (Finest View, tipped in this column) and ninth have all won since.
3.35 Sandown – THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE (1pt win – 10/1 William Hill)
3.35 Sandown – SLIPWAY (0.5pt ew – 28/1 William Hill, 25/1 bet365)
I’ve been banging on for years about how the Paul Nicholls-trained THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE is best right-handed and had even expected him to develop into a genuine King George contender at one stage. Frustratingly, he didn’t run left-handed last term but has done so twice this season, finding one too good in the Badger Beer at Wincanton before his Ascot win last time. His record this way round now reads 111121 (5-6) and top weight might not prevent him from making is six from seven. His prominent running style will be an asset.
I’m also going to throw a dart at SLIPWAY for the in-form Ben Pauling yard. He looks inconsistent but the key is a right-handed track in the spring – he’s had these conditions on two occasions in chase company and won both – last year’s Highland National at Perth and a 3m handicap chase at Kempton last month. Both wins came after a longer break than today’s six-week layoff but he’s worth chancing at a big price.
4.45 Sandown – OUTLAW PETER (1pt win – 4/1 William Hill)
4.45 Sandown – PERSIAN TIME (1pt win – 11/1 William Hill)
Hat-trick seeker OUTLAW PETER has a great record in the spring (March to May) recording form figures of 111911 (5-6), including two from two over fences. He scored with a bit in hand at Ayr last week and has solid claims of following month.
PERSIAN TIME is more speculative after his 29-length defeat at Ayr last week, but the left-handed track was probably to blame. His record right-handed stands at 1211 (3-4), with the sole defeat by Springwell Bay, another who is desperately hard to beat when racing right-handed.
5.15 Ripon – REGHEEB (1pt win – 9/2 bet365)
Stall 8 of 8 isn’t ideal for Archie Watson’s REGHEEB in this 1m handicap but he has the early speed to get across and his record when fresh is persuasive. The four-year-old scored at Nottingham on his racecourse debut last spring (1m, soft) and added a 1m2f Lingfield (AW) win after a break of 135 days. He was only eighth of nine over the same course and distance on his final start, but he took the ‘swamp’ route on the inside rail and that run is safely ignored. Gelded over the winter, he looks a likely improver this season.
Andrew Mount’s Best Bets
1.50 Sandown – STEEL ALLY (1pt win – 9/1 bet365)
1.50 Sandown – SECRET SQUIRREL – 17/2 William Hill)
1.50 Sandown – KING OF TARA (0.5pt ew – 25/1 bet365, William Hill)
3.35 Sandown – THREEUNDERTHRUFIVE (1pt win – 10/1 William Hill)
3.35 Sandown – SLIPWAY (0.5pt ew – 28/1 William Hill, 25/1 bet365)
4.45 Sandown – OUTLAW PETER (1pt win – 4/1 William Hill)
4.45 Sandown – PERSIAN TIME (1pt win – 11/1 William Hill)
5.15 Ripon – REGHEEB (1pt win – 9/2 bet365)
Andrew Mount’s tips for Saturday, 27th April 2024.
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