December is home to some wonderful jumps racing as evidenced by the two Saturday cards at Aintree and Sandown this week. There was no question where the ITV Racing cameras would be with the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown and racing over the Grand National fences at Aintree to enjoy.
Not only does this promise to be a cracking day of racing but there are some great bets to be unearthed. That’s exactly what we have tried to do in this week’s Saturday Racing Tips.
1:30 Boylesports Many Clouds Chase
Grade 2, 3m1f
Ahoy Senor’s meeting with Bravemansgame in the Charlie Hall Chase was not the ding-dong battle that many had predicted. Far from it in fact. Lucinda Russell’s charge ran too freely in the opening stages and his goose was cooked by the time the bulk of the race got going. Still, Russell wasn’t overly despondent and suggested that Ahoy Senor will be in a better place for that opening run of the season.
The market is also happy to retain faith in Ahoy Senor as he makes his return just over a month later in the Boylesports Many Clouds Chase. There is no doubt the seven year old will have to be much better this time around with Chantry House, Sounds Russian and the Grand National winning Noble Yeats among his competitors on Aintree. He will surely take a step forward though and is the right favourite for the first ITV race of the day at odds of 5/4.
1:45 Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices’ Chase
Grade 1, 1m7½f
We’re still relatively early in the National Hunt season but already a number of highly fancied horses have fallen way short of expectations whilst having plenty of punters’ money on them. Jonbon, however, lived up to the billing when he won his first race of the season with ease.
Nicky Henderson’s six year old takes a considerable step up in terms of class when he runs in the Grade 1 Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices’ Chase on Saturday. His presence has scared off much of the competition though and the fact that he only has to beat three rivals at Sandown means Jonbon is as short as 2/7 for a second win of the season. It’s very hard to see him getting beaten.
2:05 Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase
Premier Handicap, 3m2f
The Grand National fences are among the most iconic sites in all of horse racing. The fact that we only see them in use a handful of times during a season only adds a special something and we look to have a special renewal of the Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase on Saturday. A strong field of 23 contains several potential winners. Each of them, however, will have a tough job to get the better of bookies’ favourite Gesskille who made a very strong seasonal reappearance when second over the Grand National fences in the Grand Sefton Handicap four weeks ago.
If backing the favourite for such a competitive race doesn’t tickle your fancy, a better option could be De Rasher Counter who looks like very good each way value at odds of 18/1. Emma Lavelle has already sent the experienced campaigner out twice this season so there are no qualms about his fitness or willingness to run as he approaches veteran status. He will likely fall short of winning but a place is well within his capabilities.
2:20 Betfair Daily Rewards Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m
Unlike the first ITV Racing contest of the day at Sandown, the second does not feature a rock-solid favourite. Indeed, Love Envoi has a tough task ahead of him to live up to his billing as the 7/4 favourite especially with the presence of Homme Public looming large.
Homme Public comes into the race on the back of a nice win at Wetherby to start his season. He also ended the last season on a high with victory at Newcastle and has seen his official rating jump 15lb for those two performances. He is a horse who remains very much on the upgrade though and he can another rise in his stride to win at a price of 7/2.
2:40 Bolyesports Daily Money Back 2nd Handicap Chase
Class 2, 2mff
Riders Onthe Storm secured one of the surprises of the jumps season so far when he got the better of Do Your Job and Hitman in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree at the end of October. Richard Hobson has kept his nine-year-old under wraps since then so that he is fresh and ready for another crack at Aintree in the Bolyesports Daily Money Back 2nd Handicap Chase.
The bookies’ favourite has only been raised 2lb for his recent win and that is enough for the support to continue to come pouring in even as his price reaches 11/4. There are obvious dangers in the shape of Gunsight Ridge in Kiltealy Briggs but this looks very much to be Riders Onthe Storm’s to lose.
2:55 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase
Grade 1, 1m7½f
The Tingle Creek Chase is the jewel in the crown of Sandown’s jumps racing season. This Grade 1 contest boasts an incredibly strong list of previous winners with Sprinter Sacre, Altior and Politologue each winning inside the last 10 years alone. This year’s contest is certainly up to the usual standard with Shishkin taking on Greaneteen and Edwardstone.
The first named is the bookies’ favourite and for good reason. If he turns up in top form then Nicky Henderson will add another Grade 1 win to his CV as a trainer. Tough as it may be to predict how well a finely tuned racehorse will run on any given day, Shishkin is going to take some stopping and at evens.
3:15 Boylesports Extra Places Daily Handicap Hurdle
Class 2, 2m4f
In keeping with the rest of the day’s racing, the final offering from Aintree is a competitive affair with a strong field. A field containing 13 runners is some way short of the maximum potential field of 22 but there are some high-quality and high-potential horses competing in the Boylesports Extra Places Daily Handicap Hurdle.
Sizing Pottsie may be eight but he still has enough room for improvement to label him as having high potential. A handicap mark of 133 certainly isn’t his ceiling and David Pipe believes that he is well worth his place in this field. Many shrewd punters will think likewise and be very happy to take the 10/1 on offer.
3:30 Winners Wear Cavani Menswear London National Handicap Chase
Class 2, 3m5f
When Harry entered Revels Hill in a 2m5f contest at Ascot for his first run of the season he wasn’t expecting much. That’s not because he doesn’t rate the seven-year-old – far from it – he just knows that Revels Hill is only at his best when stretched over a genuine staying trip. That is what he will get at Sandown when he’s asked to run over a mile further.
The main challenger to the bookies’ favourite is Deise Alba who certainly has the class to win this sort of race and even a higher level. The Philip Hobbs inmate is forced to carry top weight though so Revels Hill can take advantage of the four pounds he gets from his main market rival at odds of 15/8.