1.50pm Sandown
Dream Du Grand Val
He was a bit disappointing in the Imperial Cup here, and maybe the testing ground didn’t suit him as well there as his French form suggested it may. The handicapper did him a decent favour by dropping him 3lb for it, so I can see him going well if he returns to the form of his earlier wins on this better ground. It’s clearly a competitive race, though.
2.25pm Sandown
Josses Hill
The absence of Cyrname at this meeting makes life easier for a lot of us, and this is particularly true for the runners in here. Of course, Josses Hill still has plenty to find with most of these on current form – and he needs better luck than he had at Ascot last time – but he will have his preferred ground and coming back a bit in trip will be no hardship at all. In fact, I think it’s a positive. But he clearly has to show more than of late to have more than a place chance.
3.00pm Sandown
Altior
You never know what will happen at the end of the season but Altior has won this race for the past two years, and we have been delighted with him since Cheltenham. I think we all know that he wasn’t quite at his brilliant best when winning the Champion Chase last time – and he probably wasn’t when winning this race last season – but whenever you ask this horse, he delivers.
He does the hard yards late on better than any other horse. He could be going into unknown territory if the ground is on the quick side here, but it will hopefully be good at worst – they have been watering, and a bit of rain is forecast – and he will be fine on that. I never underestimate the opposition – and Sceau Royal ran superbly at Cheltenham, and is clearly the major threat – but if Altior runs his race, then his records tells you that he ought to win. He is that level of horse.
At @CheltenhamRaces, Altior made it 18 straight victories!!!
Can he make it 1⃣9⃣ this weekend?! pic.twitter.com/5tCcuCtwuI
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) April 25, 2019
3.35pm Sandown
Step Back
He was obviously a revelation when sauntering home in this race last season and, although 10lb higher here, he would probably take plenty of stopping again if in the same mood. But obviously he hasn’t reproduced that form since, and we don’t know what the Grand National took out of him. He ran well for a long way for me there, in spite of jumping right, and he came back a bit sore, too.
I definitely think going back right-handed will suit him, and he was great when I schooled him on Thursday morning. However, like a few of these, a bit of rain probably wouldn’t go amiss, though good ground should be okay. And hopefully the fitting of a tongue-tie proves a positive, too.
4.10pm Sandown
On The Blind Side
He was good when winning over fences at Kempton in January and he took his chance in the RSA as a result. But he was never going there, and we have decided to bring him back to hurdles and the scene of his impressive Grade 2 win here in December 2017. He is a very smart horse when it all clicks for him, and hopefully he can bounce back in a race which lacks a stand-out contender.
5.15pm Sandown
Colonial Dreams
He ran poorly the last time we saw him at Taunton in February and he was a non-runner at the Ayr meeting. Hopefully, the ground will be okay for him here as he ran really well when second at Ascot two starts ago and still looks fairly weighted on just a 2lb higher mark here.
