ITV Racing Saturday Sandown & Wincanton Preview - 07/01/23

The first race of the afternoon on ITV comes from Sandown in the Handicap Chase over 2m4f and Scipion for the Tom Lacey team looks overpriced.

The seven year old was a decent hurdler for Lacey last season running four times last term, hitting the frame in every run including a close third in the Grade Two Leamington Novices' Hurdle and then third again behind Hillcrest in the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices' Hurdle at Haydock.

He got off the mark on his final run last season at Chepstow in March and was sent Chasing this term when making a decent debut in a 2m 6 1/2f Handicap Chase at Uttoxeter in October when third behind two progressive types.

Dropped 2lb for that run to a mark of 129 for this run, he has been waiting for the ground to turn soft and gets his ideal conditions in a winnable race.

Wincanton's first race of the afternoon is their feature on the card with the Class 2 Handicap Chase over 2m4f and Celebre D'Allen for Philip Hobbs looks a big player.

Lightly raced for his of 11, the gelding showed superb form over hurdles on his first season with Hobbs, winning on seasonal/British debut at Haydock on heavy ground in a good Handicap Hurdle over 2m3f.

He went up 6lb for that win to a mark of 126 and over the same C&D again on heavy ground he made a mockery of his mark to bolt up by close to eight lengths.

Landing a hat-trick off 9lb higher at Warwick next time out when switched back to fences getting up late in the day, he then rounded off the season at the Cheltenham festival in March when a good fifth of 11 in the Plate Handicap Chase off 141.

Dropped 1lb for his seasonal debut this term he ran in a Veteran's Chase and was a good fourth behind the talented Ramses De Teille and now down a further 2lb for that, his mark of 138 sees him only 3lb higher than his last winning mark.

Goes well fresh and anymore rain that falls will be a bonus.

Next up from Sandown is the Handicap Chase over 1m 7 1/2f and getting his ideal ground for the first time this season Frero Banbou looks overpriced.

Having dropped to a lowly mark of 134 last season he got back to winning ways at Lingfield on heavy ground in good fashion.

Sent to Sandown after that he was bumped up to a mark of 140 and still ran a cracker to finish second to Dolos in a race he has made his own over the last few years.

Up 1lb to 141 he continued in good form to finish third of 16 in torrential conditions in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham festival in March.

Excused for his last run of the season at Aintree with it maybe coming a bit too soon, he returned this year off a mark of 142 at Ascot when just losing out to the well Handicapped Thyme White for Paul Nicholls.

Sent back over the same course and distance off the same mark he was a good fourth to the progressive Boothill and So Scottish, yet again another stellar run.

Both of his runs this season have come on good ground showing he is versatile when it comes to conditions, but his best runs have come on soft ground and having ran well over the same C&D last term in a better race last term, off the same mark, he could go close.

Wincanton's next event on ITV sees the Handicap Chase over 1m 7 1/2f and at the prices we are siding with last year's winner Another Crick.

Winning this race last year off a mark of 122, he slightly struggled to regain the winning form in his two other races last season, but still ran credibly at both Newbury and Sandown off a 2lb higher mark.

Seen twice this season, he made his seasonal debut at Kempton in November when finishing fifth of 10 in a very competitive event off 123, with the first, second and third since going on to win this season.

Sent to Lingfield in December on heavy ground he finished a better third off 2lb lower and now down to a mark of 119, which sees him 3lb lower than when winning this race last year, he looks overlooked in the market.

The feature race of the afternoon is the Grade One Tolworth Novices' Hurdle won by Constitution Hill last year and with the withdrawal of the favourite Luccia, Authorised Speed in this ground has leading claims.

Second on his first two starts under rules last term, the second when a narrow runner up at Ascot in a Listed event. He got off the mark at the third time of asking at Newbury when bolting up.

Sent back over the same C&D in another Listed event he was a fair fourth behind some nice runners and then went to the Cheltenham festival and finished a really nice fifth of 20 in the Champion Bumper behind the superstar Facile Vega in soft conditions.

Showing that the more rain the better for this horse on seasonal/hurdles debut this term, he got off the mark at the first time of asking when bolting up by 15 lengths.

Last time out over the same C&D as the Tolworth he went on to bolt up again under a penalty and getting the same conditions, if jumping better and improving once more, he has to be feared.

Arctic Bresil and Tahmuras are big dangers in what looks a cracking renewal of the race.

The penultimate race of the afternoon from Sandown is the big fielded Veteran's Handicap Chase over three miles and we have played two at each way prices.

The first is the Richard Hobson trained Saint Xavier, who got back to form last time out at Haydock over slightly further than this trip on soft ground, when landing a Veteran's Chase with ease off a mark of 121.

Only up 5lbs for that win to a mark of 126, he showed enough to say he will handle that rise and getting his preferred soft ground again, with the yard in smart form, he holds a big chance.

Handy 3lb claimer Lily Pinchin takes the ride again.

At a much bigger price of 16/1 Chirico Vallis for Neil Mullholland and owner JP McManus has seen his mark dropped down to 130 which is the same as when he last won.

Giving his best run of last season off the same mark at Chepstow in October 2021 he went on to land a valuable Handicap Chase over a similar trip, seeing off the well handicapped Kitty's Light, with the pair well clear of the third.

Since then he has ran to a good standard off higher marks, finishing third of 15 at Warwick in the Grade Three Classic Handicap Chase over 3m5f and again on his final completed run of the season he was another close up third in a Veteran's Handicap Chase at Doncaster back at three miles.

Back for another season he made his seasonal debut at Wetherby in December off 132 when a good third on soft ground over todays trip and now back down to an ideal mark, on soft ground again, he should outrun his odds of 16/1.

One of the best bets of the afternoon on ITV comes in the last race from Wincanton which sees the Kim Bailey trained Chianti Classico looking to land a hat-trick.

A PTP winner back in April 2021, he was then seen at Ascot in October that year on rules debut when second to the German raider Estacas in a strong bumper.

Getting off the mark next time out at Market Rasen when bolting up in another bumper, he rounded out the season at Aintree when a middle of the road 10th of 18 in the Grade Two bumper.

Sent hurdling this season he has been impeccable on both occasions, beating a nice type in Henri The Second on hurdling debut at Chepstow and then under a penalty next time out at Market Rasen went on to bolt up again, with the step up to 2m4f really improving him.

Now handicapping off a mark of 131 he has a big chance to make it 3/3.

The final event of the afternoon at Sandown sees the Class 2 Handicap Hurdle over two miles and off a mark of 131 on handicap debut, Iceo for Paul Nicholls should go well.

Bought by Chris Giles and given to Nicholls after being a taking winner at Dieppe in August 2021, he then made his British debut at Kempton when bolting up by 17 lengths in a Juvenile Hurdle on soft ground.

Sent into deeper waters next time out at Cheltenham's Trial Day meeting in late January of last year he finished fourth behind the very talented Pied Piper.

Rounding off last season again in Grade Two company at Kempton in the Dovecote Novices' Hurdle, he finished a close up fourth behind some talented horses.

Now handicapping off his current mark and showing he goes well fresh, he holds a leading chance for the inform yard.