Cheltenham festival pointers await with £100,000 bonus bid at Sandown
The most likely candidates in a typically competitive renewal of the last significant event before the festival include last year's winner, Go Dante, who has not managed to add another win to his record in six subsequent starts but looked to be working his way back to form when seventh in the valuable William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Newbury last month.
He was still around 16 lengths behind the easy winner, Joyeuse, in that race, however, while Sam Thomas's Lump Sum (2.25), the top weight, was eight lengths closer to Nicky Henderson's mare in second.
Lump Sum heads the weights again on Saturday, but the stable's useful claimer, Dylan Johnston, takes off a handy 3lb and time may well show that the seven-year-old faced an impossible task trying to give 21lb to the lightly raced and fast-improving Joyeuse last time out.
Lump Sum holds an entry in the County Handicap Hurdle, the second race on Gold Cup day next week, and looks over-priced at around 8-1 to give his excellent stable a tilt at the six-figure bonus.
Sandown 1.50 Paul Nicholls has a strong recent record in this handicap and Belliano, who won with something to spare at Market Rasen last time, can give the trainer a third win in five seasons.
Hereford 2.05 Track and going look ideal for the front-running Hypotenus to get a soft lead and notch his first win of the current campaign.
Wolverhampton 2.45 A closely matched field of handicappers and the lightly raced Silent Age could outrun huge early odds of up to 40-1. He was entitled to need his first run for 10 months when making his debut for Ian Williams last month, finished fourth in a warm Newmarket handicap in May last year and makes plenty of each-way appeal with most bookies offering four places.
Sandown 1.15 Narragansett 1.50 Belliano 2.25 Lump Sum (nap) 3.00 Charisma Cat 3.35 Dreaming Blue 4.10 Walks Like the Man 4.45 Theformismighty
Hereford 1.30 Musique De Fee 2.05 Hypotenus 2.35 Lions Peak 3.10 Lyle View 3.45 Langley Hundred 4.20 Greatness Awaits 4.55 Gaelic Saint
Ayr 1.42 King Of Answers 2.17 Heads Or Harps 2.50 Fox's Fancy 3.25 Thereisnodoubt 4.00 Ned Tanner 4.35 Glory Hights 5.10 Geordie Mackem
Wolverhampton 2.45 Silent Age 3.20 Al Shabab Storm (nb) 3.55 Arizona Rock 4.30 Harbour Vision 5.05 Probe 5.40 Bank On Kent 6.15 Civil Law
Chelmsford 5.25 Major Major 6.00 Pantile Warrior 6.30 Just Like Magic 7.00 Silky Robin 7.30 Match Anthem 8.00 Angelica K 8.30 Repartee
Sandown 3.00 Charisma Cat is arguably a little unlucky not to be unbeaten having found some trouble in running last time before gaining all the way to the line and eventually going down by a neck. Conditions look ideal for Alan King's mare to make amends.
Wolverhampton 3.20 The surface is an unknown for Al Shabab Storm but he could well prove to be a very shrewd purchase for the Marco Botti yard and his turf form, including a Listed win at Chester in July, gives him every chance.
Sandown 3.35 Better ground should bring the best out of Dreaming Blue, who appeared to have a valuable handicap chase in his grasp over course and distance last month but faded within sight of the line after a gruelling climb up the hill on heavy going.
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