Who To Follow At Sandown On Saturday - 07/01/23

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Thu 05 Jan 2023 15.04

Sandown 14:25

Authorised Speed

J: Jamie Moore

T: Gary Moore

N/A

Age: 6

Weight: 11-8

OR: 132

Days: 35

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.

Gary Moore sends a strong team of runners to Sandown on Saturday looking to land the big Grade One whilst also unleashing a potentially smart runner.

His first runner of the day is the exciting Bo Zenith who has some solid form from his sole run in France and now making his British debut looks the one to beat.

Moore's next runner is Sopran Thor in the 2m4f Handicap Chase with the eight year old now back on his last winning mark and getting his preferred deep ground.

Authorised Speed is the trainers biggest runner of the day with the talented bumper horse now a dual winner over hurdles and had had this race in mind for some time.

His final runners of the afternoon come in the lucky last with In The Air looking to bounce back to form and Imphal trying to spoil the party at big odds.

Moore heads into the weekend posing a 17% strike rate for the last two weeks, managing to land six winners from the last 35 runners.

Jockey Charlie Deutsch has been one of the stars of the weighing room over the last few years and on Saturday has some nice rides for his retained trainer Venetia Williams.

His first ride of the afternoon comes in the second event of the day with Fautinette looking to upset the odds in the Listed Mares Hurdle.

One of the riders best chances of the afternoon comes in the 2m4f handicap chase with Gemirande looking to make it back to back wins.

Deutsch then sits on Frero Banbou who gets his ideal ground conditions at a track he performs well at and then in the Veteran's Handicap Chase is looking to role back the years, now 15lb lower than his Cheltenham festival win.

In the final event of the afternoon, Deutsch rides Djelo at the top of the market with the gelding maybe out too soon last time out and he should go close.