Neil Morrice brings us all of his best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Sandown Park, Aintree, Wetherby and Chepstow.
SANDOWN PARK
Race 5 Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (Grade 1)
No6 ROUGE VIF
Trainer: Harry Whittington – Jockey: Gavin Sheehan
Without question the best chase run in Britain this season, the ‘Tingle Creek’ pitches the old brigade led by ALTIOR and POLITOLOGUE against new kids on the two-mile block such as GREANETEEN and ROUGE VIF. Altior’s 19 straight wins over a four year period is a staggering achievement, and although unable to cope with Cyrname when moved up in trip at Ascot a year ago, the dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winner bounced back to win easily at Newbury, only to suffer an enforced absence that caused him to miss out of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival. His absence left POLITOLOGUE an opportunity to cash in and the admirable grey put in the performance of his life to land the Queen Mother by a wide margin. His stablemate Greaneteen lost a three-race unbeaten record over fences when switched to handicap company in the Grand Annual, but returned to grittily show he’s in the top echelon with a neck triumph over Moonlighter in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter. Rouge Vif finished almost 20 lengths adrift of Put The Kettle On when third in the Arkle, but when switched to a Cheltenham handicap for his seasonal return put up a dominating performance under 11st 7lb to jump his rivals silly. Bottomless ground encouraged Whittington to scratch him from the Schloer Chase back at the same venue but on today’s going there will be no excuses. The Sandown set-up should suit the six-year-old who is at the right end of the age spectrum to become the champion elect.
Prediction: 1st ROUGE VIF, 2nd Altior, 3rd Politologue, 4th Greanateen
Race 7 No4 MISTER COFFEY (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Nico de Boinville
When MISTER COFFEY resurfaced at this course last month he was widely regarded as being one of the best handicapped horses in his powerful stable. The gelding duly hammered home that point in a first-time hood, settling well on the way to a clear cut success over Oscars Leader. And while the handicapper has had his say, there’s a strong chance the five-year-old can follow-up from his revised mark on the way to better things.
AINTREE
Race 1 No4 DARGIANNINI
Trainer: Harry Whittington – Jockey: Daryl Jacob
If there’s a seriously exciting prospect in this novices’ hurdle then DARGIANNINI fits the bill. He raced with exuberance on the way to destroying his foes on debut in a Sedgefield bumper and has schooled with panache ahead of this jumps debut. He’s definitely a horse to follow as he progresses through the ranks.
Race 4 William Hill Becher Handicap Chase (Grade 3)
No9 CALETT MAD
Trainer: Nigel Twiston-Davies – Jockey: Daryl Jacob
Aintree welcomes back race fans for the first race run over the famous Grand National fences in exactly a year. It promises to be one of the betting extravaganzas of the day, with last year’s winner WALK IN THE MILL a strong fancy to go back-to-back. The giant GIVE ME A COPPER is going to be very interesting if taking to the fences, and may well improve for a wind operation in the close season. The David Pipe stable must always be respected here, and while veteran VIEUX LION ROUGE might not be the force of old, RAMSES DE TEILLEE appeals as a progressive individual that has come a long way mentally since pulling up in the 2019 National. LE BREUIL has attracted support in the ante post market, YALA ENKI stays well and can improve further, but my two to conjure with are KIMBERLITE CANDY and CALETT MAD. Kimberlite Candy chased home Walk In The Mill in this race 12 months ago before taking out a big staying chase at Warwick. He was one of the leading fancies for the National that never happened, and is progressive. CALETT MAD returns from a near 700-day absence but has an alluring profile, having run into the money in some competitive long distance chases when last seen around this time two years ago. He hails from a stable that has won two Nationals and excels with this type of individual. He’s been working well at home.
Prediction: 1st CALETT MAD, 2nd Kimberlite Candy, 3rd Walk In The Mill, 4th Ramses De Teillee, 5th YALA Enki, 6th Le Breuil.
Race 6 William Hill Many Clouds Chase (Grade 2)
No3 SANTINI (Nap)
Trainer: Nicky Henderson – Jockey: Jerry McGrath
If there’s a horse amongst the Gold Cup fancies that can definitely improve this season then SANTINI is the one. With few miles on the clock and very solid form behind him, he’s poised at the age of eight to make a real impact in the top staying chases as long as he enjoys a health-free campaign. Indeed this is only the eleventh race of his career, one in which he’s won six races over hurdles and fences and never finished out of the money. He’s scored over hurdles at this course and gave Al Boum Photo the race of his life when beaten a neck by that rival in last season’s Gold Cup. NATIVE RIVER has the 2018 Gold Cup on his record as well as a wide margin triumph in this race 12 months ago. The former Welsh National hero is very hard to beat coming back off a break, and is greatly respected even though his stable isn’t exactly uprooting trees. FRODON has been popular in the ‘King George’ market and must also be greatly respected, looking as good as ever when scoring on seasonal return at Chepstow..
Prediction: 1st SANTINI, 2nd Native River, 3rd Frodon.
WETHERBY
Race 1 No2 WITNESS PROTECTION (Nap)
Trainer: Martin Keightley – Jockey: Sean Quinlan
WITNESS PROTECTION did us a favour when landing the ‘Nap’ vote on reappearance at Stratford. He was a juicy 12-1 shot that day but although very unlikely to start near those odds is worth backing to follow-up under a penalty.
Race 7 No7 HOOPMALASSIE
Trainer: Keith Dalgleish – Jockey: Billy Garrity
HOOPMALASSIE showed ability to chase home Mayhem Mya in what looked a decent contest at Warwick last month. The daughter of Honor Code can better that run by outpointing penalised rival Eileendover in this fillies’ bumper.
CHEPSTOW
Race 4 No7 LAMANVAR PIPPIN
Trainer: Colin Tizzard – Jockey: Sean Bowen
This Welsh Grand National Trial can fall to the lightly-raced and unexposed LAMANVAR PIPPIN who has good form at the track and looks a promising stayer in the making. He won here around this time last year, and in subsequent placed efforts in amateur rider handicap chases at Cheltenham has run into the money after travelling and jumping with aplomb.
Race 6 No4 DOCPICKEDME (Nap)
Trainer: Harry Whittington – Jockey: Richard Patrick
DOCPICKEDME faced a baptism of fire on debut for his trainer at Aintree, but the former Irish-based pointer ran respectably to chase home Wilde About Oscar. He has learned a good deal from that first outing under Rules, and is a horse to follow through the winter.
