Free horse racing tips: Best Bets for Sandown
Andrew Asquith looks ahead to the action at Sandown on Saturday and has a particularly strong fancy in the bet365 Gold Cup.
Weekend View betting tips: Saturday April 27
2pts win Le Milos in the 3.35 Sandown at 11/1 (Bet365, William Hill, 888)
1pt e.w. Secret Squirrel in the 1.50 Sandown at 11/1 (1/4, 1,2,3,4 General)
The National Hunt season comes to a close at Sandown on Saturday and it is looking increasingly likely that Willie Mullins will be crowned Champion Trainer after saddling the first, fourth, fifth and sixth home in the Scottish Grand National last weekend.
He is well represented up and down the country this week and will have several interesting chances at Sandown on Saturday, none more so than El Fabiolo who is on target to renew his rivalry with Jonbon in the Celebration Chase.
Dan Skelton will also be mob-handed this weekend in his attempt to be crowned for the first time and I really like the claims of LE MILOS in the bet365 Gold Cup.
He was a progressive chaser for Tim Vaughan, but he took his form to new heights for Skelton last season, making a mockery of his mark when making a winning stable debut at Bangor and he proved better than ever when following up in a typically-competitive renewal of the Coral Gold Cup at Newbury (had Corach Rambler back in fourth).
The Grand National was his target after that win, but he failed to land the odds in a Listed event at Kelso on his next start, powering through that race like a horse still in top form, but he was arguably sent for home too soon and proved vulnerable to a course specialist in the closing stages.
Le Milos left the impression that the much longer trip stretched his stamina too much in the National itself, making smooth headway into contention but unable to sustain that effort and he was ultimately well beaten.
All three of his runs so far this season have come over hurdles, and he has been beaten a fair way on each occasion, but it is worth noting that he started the 6/1 second favourite for the ultra-competitive Pertemps Final at the Cheltenham Festival last time, so connections clearly thought they had him back to his best from a falling mark.
Le Milos represents one of the best target trainers in the country and it is hard not to think that he has been teed up for a big pot back over fences. There is no doubting he is a much better chaser than he is a hurdler and he is just 3lb higher in the weights than when successful in the Coral Gold Cup now returned to this sphere. The ground will be no problem for him – his win at Newbury came on ground Timeform described as good – and the trip shouldn't be an issue, either.
Le Milos has winning form at this course and he looks a big price taking everything into account. He will have undoubtedly been well prepared for this return to fences, and we have seen time and time again this season that Skelton has few peers when it comes to executing a long-term plan, while Le Milos should also relish a return to these larger obstacles.
The bet365 Novices’ Final Handicap Hurdle is a valuable race of its type and it has proved a race to follow in recent years, with the likes of Knappers Hill winning in 2022 and Under Control beating Iberico Lord in last season’s edition.
There are plenty of interesting types among the entries for this year’s renewal, too, but top of my list is the Hughie Morrison-trained SECRET SQUIRREL, who was impressive when resuming winning ways at Taunton earlier this month.
He really is a picture to look at, and showed useful form in winning both of his starts in bumpers, while he also looked a graded performer in the making when making a successful start over hurdles at Kempton earlier in the season.
That form isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but the way he put that race to bed was particularly eye-catching, and he improved in defeat on his next two starts.
He bumped into one in a good-looking race at Newbury in December – the winner went on to win a Grade 2 next time – and he left the impression he wasn’t suited by a steadily-run affair when beaten a neck by Fire Flyer (will meet that rival on the same terms on Saturday) in a novice at Taunton in February.
Secret Squirrel didn’t settle fully on that occasion, and moved into the race like the likeliest winner – he traded at 1.12 in running on Betfair – but an untidy jump at the last and a lack of know-how proved his downfall.
He also shaped much better than the bare result switched to the Flat in what looked an above-average race of its type at Southwell afterwards, very well backed on that occasion and he may well have justified his position at the top of the market had he kept straight, but his jockey was unable to ride much of a finish on him and he finished with running left (also lost a fore shoe).
Secret Squirrel looked much more professional back over hurdles when resuming winning ways at Taunton last time, though, making all of the running this time and really powering through the line. Secret Squirrel is still clearly learning all of the time and he looks very interesting now making his handicap debut from a mark of 126.
This will be a completely different scenario for him in what will likely be a big field and a race run at a true gallop, but he travels so well through his races that it could actually bring out the best in him. Hughie Morrison doesn’t have too many runners in this sphere, but he does particularly well with the ones he does, and I’m expecting Secret Squirrel to take another step forward now moving into an even more competitive environment.
Preview posted at 1320 BST on 23/04/2024
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