Top commentator Simon Holt previews Saturday's feature action from Sandown and Haydock including the bet365 Gold Cup.
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Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown brings together the principals from last year's race when THE YOUNG MASTER narrowly prevailed over 2015 winner Just A Par with The Druids Nephew fifth and Theatre Guide eighth.
At the revised weights, only The Druids Nephew is better off with the winner and, while The Young Master has had a patchy season, the return to this course and distance off the same handicap rating could bring out the best in him again.
Laid out for the Grand National earlier in the month, connections must have been disappointed when the eight-year-old fell when prominent at first Bechers but at least he saved himself a hard race, and his earlier sixth to Un Temps Pour Tout (The Druids Nephew seventh, Theatre Guide eighth) at the Cheltenham Festival had suggested he was peaking at the right time.
There are parallels here with last week's Scottish National winner Vicente who followed his 2016 win at Ayr off the same mark, and now The Young Master bids to do the same.
With only a short head between them last year, Just A Par seems certain to run well again, despite meeting The Young Master on 1lb worse terms (6lb worse if one considers that his rider Harry Cobden was claiming 5lb then and has since lost his allowance), but he was beaten a long way when getting round in 14th place at Aintree.
In contrast, The Druids Nephew gets a 10lb pull this time and, while needing a revival in form and winless for two years, was also not disgraced at Cheltenham.
Neil Mulholland, trainer of both The Young Master and The Druids Nephew, holds a very strong hand as Doing Fine escapes a penalty for winning under 11st 11lb at Cheltenham recently and is no less than 8lb well in compared to his future rating.
A good second here during the winter behind Rocky Creek in the London National, he will stay every yard of the trip but this does look a step up in grade.
Two others that catch the eye in a very open renewal are Vyta Du Roc, down 6lb since finishing sixth in the Hennessy back in November, and the 12-year-old Benbens who, if he has recovered from his surprising third at 50-1 behind Vicente in last Saturday's Scottish Grand National (a race he has run well in before) must be thereabouts again.
On the Flat, Frankie Dettori travels to Haydock for two rides and both El Vip and Afjaan are likely to be strongly fancied.
El Vip was a horse in many notebooks during the winter and went off favourite to make a winning reappearance at Bath only to flatten out a little in third behind the consistent Oh This Is Us.
Luca Cumani's promising colt looks sure to start a warm favourite for the Champions League Betting at 188Bet Handicap but faces a useful rival in EARLY MORNING, a winner over the course and distance in 2015 and successful under Hayley Turner at the Shergar Cup last August.
Harry Dunlop's grey has won first time out (on the all-weather) in April for each of the past two seasons and, with champion jockey Jim Crowley in the saddle, has plenty going for him.
Meanwhile, AFJAAN gets 9lb from the aforementioned Oh This Is Us in the Best Odds Guaranteed at 188Bet Handicap and should take plenty of beating.
The five-year-old gelding has always looked a useful performer in the making and came good at Kempton in September when weaving through rivals to win the London Mile Series Final before running with great credit in two big handicaps at Ascot.
There should be a good deal more to come from Afjaan, who seems effective at seven furlongs and a mile, this season.
Preview posted at 1110 BST on 28/04/2017
