By Tony Calvin - 19 April 2026
Sandown will be thankful of two things as regards Saturday’s racing.
Firstly, the fact that heavy ground saw Montregard, Our Power, Ask Brewster and Road To Home taken out of the Scottish National last weekend – all four are in here, and they were badly needed to bolster the numbers, with just 14 confirmations.
And the track are watering heavily to keep hold of what they have: “Jump Course has been receiving up to 50mm per week for 5 weeks. Aim will be Good ground, or as close thereto as we can achieve with continued watering. This will be in the region of 10mm per day.”
The ground is currently good, good to firm in places, with a fairly warm, sunny week in store (see below).
Secondly, they would have roundly welcomed Dan Skelton propping up some deeply disappointing Graded races, as he is responsible for seven of the 23 entries in those contests, which are worth a collective £375k.
With Willie Mullins only entering Road To Home in this race and nothing elsewhere, and Gordon Elliott not sending over any horses at the meeting – that Irish trainers’ title is understandably focusing their minds, though Elliott still can’t resist his Perth jaunts – the quality has suffered badly. Nothing from the other Irish National Hunt big guns, Gavin Cromwell or Henry De Bromhead, either.
Skelton doesn’t actually have an entry in this bet365 Gold Cup (though he has plenty in the other handicaps) , so at least it gives the others a chance….
We are 1/4 the odds 1,2,3 here, by the way.
It is going to be good ground then, unless Andrew Cooper really does go tonto with the watering can, and I can’t see that inconveniencing any of these, though Invincible Nao was pulled out of the Sussex National won by Havaila on official good (Timeform actually called it good to soft).
Hopefully, the majority run then, though Gabbys Cross must be a doubt after being pulled up in the Scottish National on Saturday.
Our Power was one of the four in here taken out of the Scottish National on Saturday due to the heavy ground.
Granted, the horse has had a season to forget, falling in the Grand Sefton in November and running poorly in the following months at Ascot and Wincanton.
He then missed a veterans’ chase at Newbury in February with a bruised foot, before last weekend’s no-show at Ayr.
And we are dealing with an 11yo here, from a stable going through a very quiet spell.
So the negatives are aplenty.
However, at least he has come down 5lb this season and he is now 6lb lower than an 11-length third in the 2025 Scottish National, and some 9lb lower than his peak mark.
And his best effort has come on officially good ground, and in cheekpieces.
He was due to run in first-time blinkers on Saturday (the trainer has a record of 2 from 7 with this angle) so that presumably remains the case here. And Sam Thomas is usually mustard when producing staying chasers off a break.
He looks a fair enough price at the general 20s, and 25s in two spots, although his profile is far from convincing it has to be said.
And he meets a number of up-and-comers four years his junior, such as the [4/1] favourite Havaila and Montregard, and the Kim Muir 1-2 Ask Brewster and Road To Home, separated by a neck at Cheltenham.
Let’s wait.
Indeed, I’ll be back on Tuesday when the other weekend races have been priced up, though I see one firm have made the 151-rated Blow Your Wad [6/4] for the eight-strong Grade 2 Oaksey Chase.
That is where we are at this weekend, though perhaps we (or I) shouldn’t be so snobby, as the 142-rated Fantastic Lady won this race two seasons ago, after all.
As I hinted at above, even though the 142-rated Fantastic Lady won this race two years ago, this is a truly awful renewal of this race, let’s be honest.
This is probably best evidenced by the fact that the ex-French Ventura Highway is only 20s across the board on his possible debut for the Moores in this Grade 2. I wouldn’t have an idea of how his best form in France stacks up but he was given a BHA rating of 129 on Tuesday morning.
An out-of-form 129-rated performer is 20s for a Grade 2, let that sink in.
Doyen Quest and Teddy Blue could go elsewhere this week, but Etalon has not been confirmed for Perth on Thursday, so I assume this is the plan for him, which makes the utmost sense given its winnable nature.
But of course the trainer also has Doyen Quest and Riskintheground in this.
Not a race that interests me at all – and bookmakers it seems too, with very few pricing it up.
Now, this has race attracted the class – as it should be for just £337 shy of 100 bags for the winner – and Jonbon is the star of the card, and he narrowly heads the betting at [13/8] ahead of [15/8] Thistle Ask.
Jonbon missed Aintree to come here, and of course he has the pedigree in this race, having won it in 2023 and 2024 and finishing second to Il Etait Temps last year.
Thistle Ask has been primed for this race, having been kept fresh since being beaten three lengths by Jonbon in the Clarence House in January. His improvement from 115 to 160 this season has been staggering, and he may well sign off for the campaign with a Grade 1 win.
That would be something else. And I’d have probably have him as the favourite myself, as it isn’t hard to see him going off in front and staying there.
Especially if Solness doesn’t rock up.
One firm are offering Solness at [11/2] and that would be huge if you knew he would come here. However, he has the option of a couple of races at Punchestown next week.
Another waiting game.
This 2m novices’ handicap hurdle has attracted the numbers, with 25 entries for a maximum field of 20.
There are only three double entries (one of whom looks set to run at Perth on Thursday, so don’t back him ante-post – see below), so the numbers will hopefully hold up.
Skelton’s Kadastral (the trainer also has Great Fleet and Dutch Corner in here) opened up 8s on Monday and now ranges between [11/2] and 3s.
3s ffs!
I don’t want to go down a familiar rabbit hole but that is some price to quote about a horse beaten 26 lengths in a virtual match (albeit the other horse was Sober Glory) and beaten 13 1/2 lengths in a Uttoxeter novice hurdle last month (2m4f on soft ground not ideal) on his last two starts.
Of course, the return to better ground, and 2m, could signal a return to form and potential of his previous decent hurdle and bumper form.
Perhaps he does have significant upside of a mark of 125 – and, indeed, the early season talk suggests he is thought far better than that – but that is surely fully factored into his price.
But maybe not just yet.
That 11/2 has just been taken at 8.43am on Tuesday morning. He is a general 4s chance now, with [9/2] in a place.
And indeed that [9/2] became [7/2] at 9.57am, so 4s is now the best price.
These ante-post markets are wafer-thin.
It would appear Mojito Des Mottes isn’t eligible.
I am going to return to this race later this morning, and maybe the Haydock and Leicester ITV races, too.
Imagine if you’d have said Ambiente Friendly would have been racing off a hurdles mark of 117, immediately after being placed in the 2024 English and Irish Derbies, people would have rolled their eyes.
Especially when you added in he was a 25s poke, too.
And it is quite sad to see.
He has also lost his nuts along the way, as well.
Cosmic Connection was pulled up and beaten 30 lengths in his first two points (in 2025), but he has not looked back since breaking his duck in that sphere in January and he put up an impressive performance, including on the clock, when winning at Chepstow earlier this month.
I think a 6lb rise for that could be bridgeable here, if he takes his chance off top weight.
I have no idea if he is an intended runner – Chris Gordon also has Kocktail Bleu in this – and Bryan Carver is jocked up on him and also Stanners Glen, if that means anything.
If you want a bet at this stage, he’d be by number one.
Sam Twiston-Davies is now jocked up but the horse is a mere 7s tops now.
Only three firms have bothered to price up these races, so it is probably best to wait on a bigger sample of prices at the overnight stage.
However, the above firms (perhaps not independently…) are all curiously betting 1/4 the odds 1,2,3,4 in the 7f handicap at Haydock, when there is a maximum of 12 runners on the day (I have doubled checked the Racing Post against the BHA site, and it is indeed 12).
I actually think this may have happened last year, too.
So if you fancy a horse at the available prices, that you think is an intended runner, I’d back it each way 1/4 the odds 1,2,3,4…..
——–
There are currently 38 in the bet365 Gold Cup, with the progressive Havaila the favourite at prices ranging from 5s to 7s (maximum field of 20 on the day).
We will know more by midday on Monday.
There are now a mere 14 entries, and Havaila is now a best-priced [4/1], including with AKBets.
As you can see below, the course have been hammering on the water. At least we pretty much know we won’t get some rain later in the week, which makes the clerk’s difficult job a touch easier.
Leicester report “watering in progress”, with no amounts given.
Clearly, not good enough.
Chase: Good, good to firm in places; (Going stick 6.7, Thursday 7am)
Thursday course update: 1mm rain in April to date. Prolonged dry spell to continue this week. Temperature in the mid to high teens until Friday 20 degrees and Saturday potentially 21 degrees. Has been very windy last 48 hours.
Watering: Jump Course has received up to 50mm per week for 5 weeks. Aim remains Good ground, or as close thereto as we can achieve with continued watering until Saturday morning.
Yr.no latest (6am Thursday): Dry and sunny, 20-21 degrees Thursday to Saturday
“Anticipate adding Good to Firm in places within next 24hrs”
GOING STICK: 5.1, Tuesday 2pm
Rails: Small drop-in from the East Bend to 4f pole. All races will be run on the Outer track.
Thursday course update: 3mm last 7 days. 23mm in April. Outlook remains dry with sunny spells, increasing temperatures. Strong drying breeze Wednesday. High pressure and sunny to Raceday. Maximum temperature of 17°C rising to 21°C Raceday.
Yr.no latest (6am Thursday): Dry and bright, 17-18 degrees Thursday to Saturday
GOING STICK: 7.1, Thursday 7.30am (was 7.5, Wednesday 8am)
Thursday course update: Dry overnight. Forecast- Dry for the week ahead temps 16c-20c.
Watering: “Watering in progress”
Yr.no latest (6am Thursday): Dry and sunny week, 18-20 degrees Thursday to Saturday
1.45pm Sandown (25 entries; 20 maximum runners) : A King Of Magic (has been confirmed for Perth on Thursday – so don’t back him ante-post), Gnomon, Wilstar
2.05pm Leicester (20 entries; 18 maximum) : Caburn, Dark Cloud Rising, Khafiz, Spangled Mac
NB: Berkshire Whisper , Bolo Neighs, Fast Track Harry, Khafiz, Kylian, Prince Of India, Purosangue, Ten Pounds, Zoulu Chief are in an early-closer on May 2
2.20pm Sandown (8 entries; 14 maximum): Doyen Quest, Teddy Blue
2.35pm Haydock (29 entries; 12 maximum) : Caburn, Khafiz, Spangled Mac
NB: Colombier and Khafiz are in an early-closer on May 2
2.55pm Sandown :(7 entries; 20 maximum) Solness (in at Punchestown on April 28 and 29)
3.30pm Sandown (14 entries; 20 maximum) : NONE (Sandown will be very thankful a few of these didn’t run in the Scottish National due to the heavy ground – Montregard, Our Power, Ask Brewster and Road To Home)
THIS WEEK’S PODCAST LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-GBvoAkGag&list=PLXnR25kIoEuT25sKZSdQahDC
1.25pm Newbury – 13/2 West Wind Blows too big here I’d say Newbury were relieved…
2.2opm York – A tough punting Mission to undertake Now, this is exactly the kind…
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