Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on the racing front on Sunday.
Can Pipe improve another recruit from Collier?
Doors Breaker doesn't have an appealing profile on the face of it as he's been off the track since being pulled up at Perth in August 2023, which was the third time in five starts that he failed to complete. He's also 5 lb out of the weights on his chasing debut and first start for David Pipe at Ffos Las (15:00).
One factor worth highlighting, which offers encouragement for Doors Breaker, is how well Pipe has done with another recruit from Tjade Collier. Chemical Warfare also finished his time with Collier on something of a low note but was revitalised by Pipe and has won five times for the stable since June, increasing his Timeform chase rating by 25 lb.
The switch to Pipe's stable has generated Timeform's Trainer Uplift Flag for Doors Breaker and he'll be worth a market check at a course where Pipe has enjoyed success in recent years.
Since the start of the 2019/20 season Pipe is operating at a strike rate of 22% at Ffos Las, a notable improvement on his overall record in that time around 14%.
Note Nicholls' runners at Ffos Las
Given the size of his stable, Paul Nicholls has had relatively few runners at Ffos Las in recent years and has had only 32 representatives at the track since the start of the 2019/20 season.
Ten of those runners have won, however, at an impressive strike rate of 31.3% which compares well to his overall record around the 24% mark in that period.
Nicholls has two runners at the course on Sunday, Tutti Quanti (12:10) and Farland (13:50), both ridden by champion jockey Harry Cobden and both leading contenders. Tutti Quanti has especially compelling claims in the opening novice hurdle having shaped promisingly when runner-up to another good prospect at Taunton on his stable debut last season.
Chepstow trio clash again
The first three home in the veterans' chase at Chepstow last month feature among the four-runner field for the similar event on Sandown's card (15:25).
Good Boy Bobby was attempting to win that Chepstow chase for the second year in a row but he had to settle for third behind the rejuvenated Copperhead, with Certainly Red splitting the pair.
Copperhead, a Grade 2-winning novice chaser in the 2019/20 season, went four years without a win until delivering a long overdue success a Plumpton in May. That was a weak four-runner affair and he was in a more competitive event on his seasonal reappearance at Chepstow, but, with his trainer Joe Tizzard in flying form, he rolled back the years to register a three-and-a-quarter-length success and then underlined his wellbeing by powering to a 14-length win at Aintree two weeks ago.
The rejuvenated Copperhead is clearly in rude health, but he's 11 lb worse off with Certainly Red, whose promising return earned him the Timeform Horse In Focus Flag, and 13 lb worse off with Good Boy Bobby who won this race last year.
Tip of the Day
Certainly Red - 15:25 Sandown
Flags: Horse In Focus, Horses For Courses, Top-Rated
Certainly Red had to settle for second behind Copperhead at Chepstow last month but he shaped well on his return to action and looks capable of turning the tables on these much more favourable terms (he's 11 lb better off with the winner who subsequently won at Aintree). Certainly Red failed to win last season but he ran some good races in some competitive handicap chases at this venue, finishing third in the London National, runner-up in the Masters Handicap Chase and fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup. A win at Sandown during the previous campaign further underlines Certainly Red's effectiveness over this course and he can build on his encouraging comeback at Chepstow where he jumped well and stuck to his task.
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