Top commentator Simon Holt has three selections for Saturday afternoon's Tolworth Hurdle card at Sandown.
GALICE MACALO, a battling second to Benson over the course and distance in handicap company last month, is fancied to take advantage of weight concessions all round returning to Sandown for Saturday's Grade One Unibet Tolworth Novices' Hurdle.
Under heavy ground conditions, the five-year-old mare ran an eye-catching race when kicking clear approaching the final flight before being collared by the winner (who has since run well in a high class handicap at Ascot) with the promising Mister Coffey over seven lengths away in third.
With the going again likely to be testing, Sandown's two-miles becomes a specialist's test and, getting 7lb from all her rivals, a reproduction of that last effort back against novices can prove good enough.
Likely favourite Metier could certainly be anything after easy victories at Newton Abbot and Ascot but neither of those races looked particularly deep and this is a step up in class.
Later on, THE PINK'N is fancied to gain due reward for some consistent efforts in the closing Unibet Casino Deposit £10 Get £40 Handicap Hurdle.
The Seamus Mullins-trained five-year-old has faced solid rivals in his three starts this season, chasing home Thyme White, Botox Has and Floressa respectively under dryish conditions.
But The Pink'n appears ground versatile having won on the soft at Stratford last March over two-and-a-quarter miles, and that extra bit of stamina here will give him every chance of getting his head in front against rivals who, so far, have seemed best at a bare two miles.
Proven staying power could also be the key in the earlier Unibet "You're On" Mares Hurdle in which the progressive ROBIN GOLD can add to her four victories this season, the last two over nearly three miles.
Dan Skelton's improver travelled really well in those two contests at Ascot and Bangor in deep ground and, while this represents a tougher task in listed company, there seems no stopping her at the moment.
Again, Sandown's hurdles course provides a stamina-sapping test on heavy going and the drop in trip to two-and-a-half miles can prove in Robin Gold's favour even though she has a bit to find on official ratings with Stormy Ireland and Whitehotchillifili.
Published at 1550 GMT on 01/01/21
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