Recommended bets:
1pt win Artifice Sivola in 4.15 Sandown Park at 9/4
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I'm a big fan of Grand Military Gold Cup day at Sandown: Decent jumps racing at a brilliant racecourse in front of a small and very enthusiastic crowd, most of whom are billeted (see what I did there) in a marquee opposite the stands, leaving the vast grandstands, including the lovely real ale bar, at the mercy of the casual racegoer. Happy days.
I'll be heading to Sandown at some ungodly hour in the morning tomorrow to catch the action on Imperial Cup day (another of my favourite racedays) and the interesting post-racing Cheltenham Festival preview, which usually features a worthwhile snippet or two from Nicky Henderson. Paul Nicholls can't do it this year, but he's been replaced by Alan King, a very good signing.
Back to today, the best bet on the card looks to me to come in the shape of Artifice Sivola in the two-mile handicap chase at 4.15. He jumps, he gallops and he's never been in better form for this six-runner contest.
An uncontested lead would suit ideally and he's not sure to get that with a couple of other potential frontrunners in the line-up. However, fundamentally, I believe he's just a better horse than these rivals, and even if he has to be ridden fairly aggressively to get to the front, his sound jumping will help to keep him in pole position at a track where fluid fencing is so often rewarded.
Artifice Sivola's unbeaten run came to an end last time, but only because one younger and better-treated rival got the better of him in bottomless ground at Warwick, and the selection was still trying to fight all the way to the winning post. He can get back on the winning trail here.
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Posted at 0730 GMT on 09/03/17.
