A New Year means Sandown racing action early on in January, and the first Saturday of the month means the Esher track hosting action. This card contains the Veterans’ Chase Series Final and a Listed hurdle for mares.
While there perhaps isn’t the lustre to this meeting it once had when the Tolworth Hurdle took centre stage, it is still a key part of ITV Racing coverage. That means you can watch the best of the action from Sandown Park on terrestrial television.
Even though traders on horse racing betting sites have been kept busy over the festive period, there’s no letting up for them. Or, come to think of it, for our experts who found readers plenty of winners during Christmas and New Year. Check out their race by race analysis of everything at the Esher venue in Greater London below…
Sandown Racing Preview for Saturday, 4 January
12:05 – 2m Class 3 Maiden Hurdle
Those with previous hurdling experience set no real standard at all. This consequentially won’t take much winning and Nicky Henderson’s French bumper recruit Khrisma will be popular. Purchased by JP McManus, the mare receives weight from all but one rival. JUBY BALL is a credible alternative on his course second from last February, however.
Evan Williams’ charge chased home a subsequent hurdle winner rated 123 when runner-up in a bumper here. The third, fourth and fifth behind Juby Ball have all come out and scored over the obstacles too, so that Sandown form looks good. Quite how the assessor comes to a mark of 120 for Lud’or, meanwhile, after three placed efforts in hurdle races is a headscratcher.
Trained by Tom Symonds, he looks the best of those with experience of this discipline. Tom Lacey’s Walden could also still have further improvement in him following his third at Leicester last time. Mr Barrowclough won a bumper on racecourse debut, but has an almost 700-day absence to overcome here.
12:40 – 1m 7f 99y Class 3 Handicap Chase (0-140)
A trappy Sandown racing event where the forecast soft ground brings concerns for many with it. Beat Box bolted up in a race that fell apart at Kelso last weekend, but it’s not so much the 5lb penalty as different conditions that are a worry. Pam Sly veteran Xcitations is 9lb below his last winning mark over course and distance, but he would also prefer a sounder surface.
DR T J ECKLEBURG didn’t reward punters who backed him at Chepstow on the Welsh Grand National card but, off an unchanged mark, will handle conditions. Stable jockey Adam Wedge replaces Conor Ring in the saddle here. Venetia Williams saddles the hat-trick seeking mare Ostrava Du Berlais, but everything about her profile says she wants good ground.
She’s also effectively a whole stone higher in the weights now with Charlie Deutsch taking over from Ned Fox. With the stable conditional no longer riding Ostrava Du Berlais and taking 5lb off, coupled with a 9lb rise from the assessor, it’s hard to see her landing the hat-trick. Dulhallow Tommy could go well dropped back in trip for Toby Lawes, though.
1:15 – 2m 3f 173y Class 3 Seniors’ Handicap Hurdle (0-135)
It’s not just the Veterans’ Chase Series Final open exclusively to older horses on this Sandown racing card. The Seniors’ Handicap Hurdle could go to FINE CASTING, who has twice shaped like two-and-a-half miles around the Esher venue may suit. Ben Pauling had a terrific festive period with winners at Kempton, Newbury and Cheltenham.
In Fine Casting, he has a nine-year-old placed in both the Imperial Cup and over fences here. This son of Shantou took a big step forward for his reappearance at Haydock when only beaten a length by an in-form Henderson runner he conceded 4lb to. Topweight West To The Bridge is also the oldest in the line-up, but his recent course fourth isn’t too shabby.
Dan Skelton’s 12-year-old finished just a neck behind a subsequent winner the last day. West To The Bridge is also 2lb lower than when successful over course and distance. At the other end of the handicap, Cast’s Tasha finished second around this track and trip against fellow mares off 1lb lower in December and stays further. She’s only an eight-year-old, so Ben Clarke might eke out a bit more from her.
1:50 – 2m 4f Class 2 Handicap Chase (0-145)
WHAT A FINISH 🤯 the lead is held by HARPER’S BROOK everywhere except the finish as TRIPLE TRADE gets up right on the line for victory in the Howden Handicap Chase at #Ascot 🏆 well done to @TizzardRacing @brendanp1995 and owners SJS Racing pic.twitter.com/bCKGN2brYS
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) December 23, 2023
To all intents and purposes, it looks as though Skelton saddles Grand Annual hero Unexpected Party off the welter burden of 12st to make the weight for stable companion Etalon. He may prove popular with punters betting on the Sandown racing upped in trip with his handicap rating dropping to just 4lb above his last winning mark.
A chance is taken on another tackling increased distance, however, in TRIPLE TRADE. There is enough evidence from siblings out of the same dam that he not only gets this trip, but will handle a softer surface. Triple Trade is also 8lb below his last winning mark for Joe Tizzard and Brendan Powell when he needed every yard of 2m 3f to get up at Ascot.
Many eyes will also be drawn to recent Leicester winner Hunter Legend for Venetia and Fox. He’s only 1lb out of the handicap, creating an effective 8lb rise for last Saturday’s success. Roccovango has gone chasing pretty late in life, but is two from three over fences and could still improve for Olly Murphy and Sean Bowen. Don’t ignore Gary & Josh Moore’s Jupiter Du Gite either with Freddie Mitchell taking 5lb off his back.
2:25 – Listed 2m 3f 173y Mares’ Hurdle
Della Casa Lunga holds off late challenges to win the Mares’ Handicap Hurdle 🩵★#ITVRacing | @kemptonparkrace | @richpatrick17 pic.twitter.com/wkoObu3iS5
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 27, 2024
If translating her Ludlow and Kempton form to the different test Sandown racing provides, then ratings topper DELLA CASA LUNGA wins this from the front. Richard Patrick gave this mare a superb ride when making all over further on the day after Boxing Day. Della Casa Lunga has 9lbs and upwards in hand on the field, according to official figures.
Dameofthecotswolds is next best and the other in-form mare in the line-up for Nigel and Sam Twiston-Davies. She has three wins in her last four, and the fourth home at Doncaster the last day has come out and scored herself over the festive period. Softer ground is a concern for Georgi Girl and Aston Martini has stamina to prove.
All six mares will fancy their chances of getting black type, even the two with the most to find on ratings. Anthony Honeyball’s Good Luck Charm scored over course and distance last time, but this demands more. The Lord Maid handled testing ground when previously in trained in Ireland, so isn’t out of it either.
3:00 – 3m Class 2 Veterans’ Chase Series Final Handicap Chase
Team Tizzard have a really strong hand in the feature contest of Sandown racing that features so many old favourites. Veterans’ races seem to have revived both Copperhead and ELDARADO ALLEN with Powell on the latter. His Denman Chase defeat of subsequent dual Betfair Chase hero Royale Pagaille from almost three years ago still reads well.
Eldarado Allen has four lengths to find over half-a-mile or so further with his stable companion from last month’s Cheltenham run, but may well do so. Freddie Gingell takes 3lb off the back of Copperhead, meanwhile, and that gives him an attractive racing weight of just 10st 5lb. Of the others, Ask Me Early hasn’t won a race away from Exeter for almost four years, so must prove he acts elsewhere.
Remastered has been unlucky for the David Pipe stable on his last couple of starts and could gain compensation. If Sandy Thomson’s Scottish raider Empire Steel can translate his form in the Borders down in Greater London, then he also has claims. Sam Brown and Chambard are both 13-year-olds now, so surely in the twilight of their careers.
3:35 – 2m Class 3 Handicap Hurdle (0-140)
A second win at Sandown for Honky Tonk Highway who wins the opener on Tingle Creek day @DSkeltonRacing | @harryskelton89 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/lHK9lYIEHu
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 7, 2024
Given her two Listed wins over course and distance including a bumper, she’s very hard to oppose here. Joint bottom weights Oh My Johnny, who also makes his handicap debut and is only five, and Jour D’Evasion for the in-form Henry Daly yard both have plenty of upside to them, however.
Gerry Feilden winner Navajo Indy has an 8lb hike from the handicapper, meanwhile. Symonds’ charge seeks a hat-trick also significantly down in class. Hardy Du Seuil won the last edition of this race held two years ago, meanwhile, and is 6lb higher in the handicap now than then for Jamie Snowden and Gavin Sheehan.
