A wide-open handicap features as the penultimate race on the Sandown card, with a nice mixture of improving novices and experienced stayers.
Loose Chips finished third in a veterans handicap here last time out, a course specialist, who remains in good form and is likely to set a high tempo from the front with his bold-jumping style.
At the ripe old age of 11, his exertions are likely to set the race up for others, but he will no doubt put on a bold show again over the Railway Fences.
Beg To Differ is a C&D winner, and has dropped 3lbs from his fourth in the Welsh National. He looks to be weighted quite nicely for this, and should have no issue with the conditions, but he’s not proved the most reliable of sorts and despite him bouncing back last time, it’s hard to be overly confident given the quality of his jumping even if he does make the most appeal for a bet at the top of the market.
Rock The Kasbah has some excellent novice form in the bank behind Politologue, but I’m not sure he is screaming out for this trip having failed to see out the three miles as a hurdler. He does remain unexposed as a chaser so its possible, but the ground and the hill at Sandown means he will need to have the requisite staying qualities in abundance.
Otago Trail could be coming in to this a bit fresher, after a grueling contest just two weeks ago at Haydock. He’s probably the class horse in the race and I expect him to be thereabouts at the business end, but 11-12 may just catch him out on this ground if he carriers a hangover from that second to Bristol De Mai and he is not easily passed over.
A full 16lbs better-off on the official weights, it might be worth taking a chance on SANDY BEACH, who caught the eye behind the impressive Our Kaempfer and Kruhzlinin over 3m at Kempton last time out.
The Colin Tizzard trained inmate had an extremely busy novice campaign last year, with a couple of moderate handicap successes to show for it. He has been much less active this campaign which leaves him fresh, and on a very workable mark of 135.
Sandy Beach left his novice form well-behind when jumping superbly and bolting up by 6l on his seasonal reappearance at Newbury. He probably stepped-up on that form – doing his best work late on – when a one-paced third behind rivals at Kempton. That was also off a 72 day break, and he is entitled to come again having just had the 9 chase starts (3 wins, 3 places).
The bookies appear to have overlooked him for this race based on the complexion of the market with it very congested at the top of the betting.
But Sandy Beach ticks a lot of boxes for this – he jumps well, looks sure to stay, remains unexposed at the trip, and carries a lovely racing weight with 10-10.
His trainer has been working magic all season and the testing ground will be no problem to this seven year-old who likes to be held up.
He is a very tempting each-way proposition at 12/1.
0.5pt each-way Sandy Beach @12/1, 15:35 Sandown, Saturday (various bookmakers paying 1/4 odds, first 3 places)
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