There’s competitive National Hunt action at Sandown Park on Saturday afternoon with the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase the feature race at 2:35pm, as some vital Cheltenham Festival clues could emerge. Here at GG in association with the Tote we are trying to land the Tote Placepot and pick out our selections for the first six races on the card.
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Leg 1: 12.50pm
Leg 1 Selections: (8) Peking Opera
Last seen finishing third in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes behind Vauban at Leopardstown in August whilst under the stewardship of Aidan O’Brien, Peking Opera will make his first appearance over hurdles on Saturday in the Sandown opener at 12:50pm. Sure to prove popular in the betting, the four-year-old will now line up for Gary Moore and will look to book his place in the Triumph Hurdle with victory here and he looks a solid option.
Leg 2: 1.25pm
Leg 2 Selections: (3) Alfie’s Princess
Alfie’s Princess made an impressive start to her hurdling career with wins at Chepstow and Exeter and then wasn’t disgraced when fifth in a Listed event at Haydock on her third start over timber. The Sam Thomas-trained seven-year-old will drop back to the handicap sphere for this event and is relatively unfancied in the betting with double-figured odds available, at the time of writing, but she can quite easily make the frame, if performing to her best.
Leg 3: 2.00pm
Leg 3 Selections: (1) Saint Segal
Saint Segal’s jumping can often be sketchy, so it’s interesting to see the Jane Williams team head to Sandown, which is a course that appeals to sound jumpers, but he’s a really classy handicapper on his day and if he can improve on his jumping then he has to be a leading contender here. He will have the burden of top weight here, but his second to First Flow at Lingfield last time out is decent form and he can get the better of the likes of In Excelsios Deo and Harper’s Brook here.
Leg 4: 2.35pm
Leg 4 Selections: (1) Colonel Harry
Only five go to post for the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at 2:35pm, but it should be a blinding renewal and the spearhead of the betting is Hermes Allen, who was last seen chasing home Il Est Francais in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase and is certainly the one to beat on form. Le Patron and Colonel Harry finished first and second in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase earlier in the season and that pair make notable appeal here, but it’s Colonel Harry that is the selection as he was staying on in the closing stages of that event and he can grab a top two spot her to land leg four of the Tote Placepot.
Leg 5: 3.10pm
Leg 5 Selections: (1) West Balboa, (2) Ambitious Fellow
There’s a hugely competitive renewal of the Heroes Handicap Hurdle at 3:10pm and it’s a race that will see plenty in with chances, so for the Placepot purposes it could be recommended to pick a couple of selections to try and get through to the six and final leg. Dan Skelton’s former Lanzarote Hurdle winner West Balboa was outclassed in the Grade 1 Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot last time out, but a drop back to handicap company should see him close and off top weight he should figure. One at a bigger price that could run well is the second top weight Ambitious Fellow for Peter Fahey, who was a winner at Galway two starts ago, but failed to fire in the West Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby. That Graded race was always going to be a tough ask, so like West Balboa he could relish the return to the handicap sphere.
Leg 6: 3.45pm
Leg 6 Selections: (2) Fortescue
We have another tough conundrum for punters in the final leg of the Placepot, but the Henry Daly-trained Fortescue is a course and distance winner and should run a big race in the 3:45pm race. He doesn’t win much these days, but is 6lbs lower than his last winning mark, so a figure of 137 is certainly feasible. A strong stayer, Daly’s veteran is sure to be doing all his best work in the closing stages and he can make the frame to land the Placepot!
Suggested Placepot Selections For Sandown On Saturday 3rd February
Leg 1 Selections: (8) Peking Opera
Leg 2 Selections: (3) Alfie’s Princess
Leg 3 Selections: (1) Saint Segal
Leg 4 Selections: (1) Colonel Harry
Leg 5 Selections: (1) West Balboa, (2) Ambitious Fellow
Leg 6 Selections: (2) Fortescue
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