Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson is on weather watch as to whether to run Constitution Hill in the rerouted Fighting Fifth Hurdle with his stablemate Shishkin. At the time of writing on early Friday morning the forecast rain at Sandown on Thursday afternoon and evening was less than expected, which is encouraging. Saturday currently is forecast to have around 7mm of rain, though this was 9mm on Thursday’s forecast so let’s hope we see Constitution Hill Unibet 1/4 take the Fighting Fifth with Shishkin Unibet 14/1, the Supreme winner in 2020, jumping off this time and chasing him home.
The Tingle Creek Chase, the feature of the two-day Festival will see the Scholer Chase victor at Cheltenham Jonbon Unibet 1/3 for Unibet Ambassador Nicky Henderson follow up here to make it twelve wins from fourteen appearances, with two runner-up positions to complete his current CV. Jonbon is such a smooth traveller and is generally a very good jumper, yet this striking individual still doesn’t get the praise he deserves.
At Aintree there is plenty of excellent racing too, with the Becher Chase over the National fences the feature.
Enjoy whether at Sandown or Aintree or watching #athome on ITV Racing and Racing TV.
Cheers!
The Wine Tipster
1.50 Sandown – Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (2m)
JPR One was desperately unlucky to unseat at Cheltenham, as he didn’t make a mistake, merely seemed to slip on landing at the last and poor Brendan Powell was decanted to the turf. He had made a very good impression at Newton Abbot as well, and looks a natural at the game. With Sandown’s Railway fences putting an emphasis on accurate jumping, this looks an ideal test and he has enough pace too.
2.05 Aintree – Becher Handicap Chase (3m 2f)
Highland Hunter (nap) spent 630 days on the sidelines after a below par run in February 2022 when favourite and easily beaten at Musselburgh. On his previous appearance he had finished second to the smart Iwilldoit in the Welsh Grand National, having beaten Sandown specialist Deise Aba in the London National at the 2021 Tingle Creek Festival. Highland Hunter showed after his long absence at Kelso in October on his first start for Fergal O’Brien that he still had the class and the zest for racing when rallying really well to finish second to Elvis Mail. This ten-year-old has been clearly targeted at the Becher Chase and on only his ninth chase start can run a big race over the Aintree fences.
Chambard returned to form when marked up in my Unibet blog when a good second behind Hascoeur Clermont at Cheltenham’s November Meeting with Undersupervision, who reopposes back in third. Chambard won at the Cheltenham Festival in 2022 and then struggled through the following season, yet if this classy individual takes his excellent seasonal debut to Aintree off a mark of 140 he has to be right in the mix.
Unibet’s Money back as cash offer is available on this race.
2.25 Sandown – Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund Handicap Hurdle (2m)
Arqoob delivered a career best performance over jumps when winning here with something in hand at the November meeting in testing ground. Arqoob will need to raise the bar again as this is arguably tougher with the likes of Impose Toi for Nicky Henderson in the field, as well as Spirit D’Aunou, who will need to settle better. Arqoob did finish third to Under Control and subsequent Greatwood winner Iberico Lord at the Sandown April meeting so has other credentials too. Sean Bowen looks a good booking and Arqoob has plenty in his favour.
2.40 Aintree – Juvenile Hurdle Listed Race (2m 1f)
Knight Of Allen is a double figure price and seemingly not seen as an obvious candidate to be involved in the finish after being taken out at the first flight at Cheltenham’s November Meeting through no fault of his own in a race won Burdett Road. Looking at him in the flash at Cheltenham he was definitely one of the classier-looking horses in the paddock and he gets another chance to show what he can do, and for all that a few of these have shown form, it isn’t necessarily of a high standard, and anything with improvement can take a hand.
3.35 Sandown – London National Handicap Chase (3m 4f)
Cyclop is well into the veteran stage now, but this is less about young legs and more about what can keep going under what promises to be very testing ground by the time the last comes around. Cyclop is having a good time of it at the moment, twice running well against the classy Good Boy Bobby recently, and having gone well at the track last time – his first time here over fences, surprisingly.
Those above him in the market haven’t shown his consistency and need to show a return to form.
