Short And Sweet With Cheltenham Coming Soon - Kid In A Sweetshop Here, I Can’t Wait.

ALL VIEWS ARE MY OWN

Very much one of my shorter articles this week as I am beavering away in the background looking at Cheltenham (and unsurprisingly using my latest book available here https://tinyurl.com/ytndbvnm to help me find us all a few winners). Therefore, I have simply covered a few races at the weekend (its not the best on the weekend before Cheltenham) but I will make it up to you all over the coming days.

Saturday racing

Sandown 1.15pm

Two miles for juvenile hurdlers to start our weekend action, and with just the seven runners we have no chance of an each way bet one-two-three. If Melon brings his “A” game to the table he certainly has the form in the book to win this, having beaten Narragansett at Wetherby last time out by a length and three-quarters giving that rival 10lb on the day. He is actually 3lb better off here and although I am convinced the Neil Mulholland gelding is on an upward curve, he will need another step forward to get the better of his old adversary this afternoon.

Sandown 2.25pm

Time for another look at the statistics ahead of the Imperial Cup over two miles. In the last 27 runnings I note that: 26 winners were priced at 20/1 or shorter, 26 were aged eight or younger, 26 came from the first 10 in the betting, 26 were rated 117 or higher, and 26 were rated 136 or lower. None had raced in the last seven days and all had raced in the last 120 days, and 26 had raced five times or less in the current season. Add all those together and we now have a more workable shortlist of five - Batman Girac, Oooh Betty, To Chase A Dream, Wreckless Eric, and Spirits Bay. Of the trainers of that quintet, only Nigel Twiston-Davies (Spirits Bay) has won this race before (two wins from six attempts), and returning to handicap company after being put in

his place by Constitution Hill and Brentford Hope at Cheltenham, he will be carrying my each way pennies here.

Sandown 3.00pm

A mares only bumper sitting in the middle of the card makes a change, and if A Path To Ronda is as good as connections hope, she looks outstanding each way value. A half-sister to some very useful sorts headed by Simonsig, who won eight races with a bumper and the Arkle in 2013, she powered home despite taking a keen hold early on, and if she improves at all as I hope, then the current price looks too good to ignore.

Wolverhampton 3.20pm

A Listed race over seven furlongs rounds off my weekend calls this week but in a race won by the favourite in the last two years, I am immediately pointed to the chances of Jabaara who heads the market for Newmarket trainer Roger Varian. The daughter of Exceed And Excel is one of the top-rated entries on official figures off a mark of 108, only bettered by the 110 of Al Shabab Storm but she gets 5lb from that rival, which suggests she is “best in”. her stable are in acceptable form with two wins in the last fortnight, and although her success record could be better (three wins from 10 starts), she rarely misses out on hitting the frame, and has consistency on her side.  

Sean’s Suggestion:

A Path To Ronda Each Way 3.00pm Sandown