Sandown racing tips for jumps finale, bet365 Gold Cup preview and odds
Sandown Park Racecourse hosts their jumps finale on Saturday as well as a fantastic flat card on Friday with Graded and Group contests starring in an action-packed weekend.
The bet365 Gold Cup has produced two fantastic winners, with both Hewick (2022) and Kitty's Light (2023) going on to feature heavily in top contests throughout the year, including the King George VI Chase and Grand National respectively.
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Kitty's light is the big favourite this year though having been in fantastic recent form and clearly thriving in Surrey.
He's placed in this race in the top three in its last three renewals and has to be fancied to go well again.
It would be a big ask of the eight-year-old gelding who managed to come fifth in the Grand National just two weeks prior.
However, he won the Scottish National last year before reappearing just a week later to claim this race.
That race follows the Celebration Chase with the off time of 3.00pm.
Which could finally be the time we see El Fabiolo vs Jonbon, in a long awaited rematch from the 2023 Arkle at Cheltenham Festival.
Since then El Fabiolo has won three on the bounce in style before something was amiss in the Queen Mother Champion Chase where he blundered badly and had to be pulled up.
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Gold Cup odds
- Kitty's Light 4/1
- Threeunderthrufive 7/1
- Le Milos 9/1
- Nick Rockett 9/1
- Amirite 10/2
- Minella Cocooner 10/1
- Guetapan Collonges 16/1
- Kinondo Kwetu 16/1
- Slipway 20/1
- Your Own Story 20/1
- Enrilo 25/1
- We'llhavewan 25/1
- Weveallbeencaught 25/1
- 28/1 BAR
View full list of Gold Cup odds HERE.
Gold Cup tips
- Kitty's Light 4/1
Kitty's Light
Hard not to fancy this stamina specialist, who plugged on incredibly well to place in the Grand National two weeks ago.
He loves it at Sandown, placing in this race twice before winning last year.
He's still only eight-years-old and clearly has plenty of running left in him and he's as tough as the rest in the field.
Especially as he's not been bumped up in the weights for that place effort, only 5lb higher than when winning this last year.
That came a week after his Scottish National win and he's certainly in top form.
Sandown Racing Tips
- 1.50: Maasai Mara 20/1 each-way & An Bradan Feasa 22/1
- 2.25: The Real Whacker 5/2
- 3.00: El Fabiolo 10/11
Maasai Mara & An Bradan Feasa
An Bradan Feasa is only four-years-old but has held his own in two tough contests this year, placing fourth in listed company to Liari, Roaring Legend and Balboa.
He then went to the juvenile handicap hurdle and was a respectable eighth in tough conditions in a stacked field.
This is a little easier but still has a plethora of top horses, but he's been dropped another 3lb which makes him a huge chance at a massive price.
The same can be said for the unexposed Maasai Mara who's going to carry very little as he's rated just 119.
But that's still potentially too low for his potential having shown real ability winning at Catterick in February, beating Golden Maverick comfortably, before placing just four lengths off Insurrection last time out, which saw him go up 7lb.
Those two went nicely clear of the rest of the field and it was possible he could have got even closer had he not been bumped heading into the last hurdle.
The Real Whacker
The Oaksey Chase, a Grade 2 2m6f contest has been opened up considerably with a few not being declared.
Ahoy Senor is out and it leaves The Real Whacker, Hitman, Ga Law and many other big prices becoming the frontrunners.
Easy Game represents Willie Mullins' strong hopes for another big payout on the jumps finale, with £45,000 on offer for the winner.
But it's just 15 days after he struggled at Aintree and may be a bit too much to ask for a horse that has won twice and struggled twice in a year, with around two months break between each run.
Hitman hasn't won since November 2022 and it's tough to back him in this ahead of The Real Whacker, against a horse that has gone up and down around his current mark in defeat.
The Real Whacker however, has ran well in Grade 1 company this season, in the toughest races there is including the King George VI Chase.
He then came second at Cheltenham to Capodanno and does look like he'd be able to make it a tough stamina test if he runs from the front over the extended 2m6f.
El Fabiolo
While it was a concerning run for the 2/9 favourite, that very run makes him close to evens for this race which would be unheard of had he ran well.
Willie Mullins will have him in the best condition and he's looking to claim the British Champion Trainer title this weekend and could add a huge gap to his lead with this victory with nearly £100k on offer.
Jonbon and Gaelic Warrior present El Fabiolo's biggest threats, but Jonbon has to reappear after just two weeks having bypassed Cheltenham Festival and did well being upped to 2m4f for the first time at Aintree's Melling Chase.
Gaelic Warrior might be the future of the 2m chases for Mullins, but he's only six-years-old and should be the danger next season after he's given another summer to progress further.
The expectation is that El Fabiolo is going to bounce back convincingly with his only danger Jonbon, who was stepped up to 2m4f last time out and may need this run at a good clip to stand a chance when El Fabiolo comes back stronger.
Tom Lunn's Racing Tips Profit + Loss
- NH 2023/24 P+L: +139.19pts
- P+L from July 2023: +209.86pts
All odds correct at time of writing
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