A dry midweek means Sandown Park Racecourse has the green light for its Scilly Isles Saturday card on 1 February. Conditions at the Esher venue in Greater London look very testing, however.
On passing an official inspection two days before racing, the Sandown going was heavy, soft in places on the hurdle track. The steeplechase course is soft, heavy in places, meanwhile. That means the feature Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase will be a real war of attrition.
Stamina is essential despite some parts down the back straight walking good to soft, according to the Clerk of the Course. Sandown provides a real jumping test even for experienced horses with its famous Railway Fences and the Pond Fence before turning for home.
It is uphill all the way out of the back on both tracks and that will sap the horses turning up at Esher. This brings mudlarks and even those runners proven over further than the race distance in question into the equation.
That is something for both punters and traders the behind horse racing betting sites alike must consider. You will have to stay to enjoy Sandown success on Scilly Isles Saturday, that’s for sure.
The supporting card contains the Heroes Handicap Hurdle, a Premier Handicap over about three miles. Without further ado, our horse racing experts have their say and analysis of all the action taking place at the Esher track.
Sandown Park Racecourse Preview for Scilly Isles Saturday, 1 February
12:50 – 2m Class 3 Novice Hurdle
Olly Murphy now books Harry Cobden for the ride, while the third home has come out and won since. This simply doesn’t ask much more of Diamond For Luck in his bid to follow-up. Gary & Josh Moore’s Old Cowboy made a promising stable, Rules and hurdles debut when third around Newbury a couple of weeks ago.
He looks the biggest danger if handling the testing conditions here. On the forecast going, there is little to recommend good ground Irish Point winner Ballela Blaze even with Philip Armson taking 3lb off with his claim. Noble Park in the Constitution Hill silks needs a big step forward after not firing yet in four career starts, meanwhile.
1:25 – 2m 4f 0-125 Class 3 Novices’ Handicap Hurdle
The one that may best handle things at Sandown Park Racecourse on this day is SOLE SOLUTION. Venetia Williams’ charge is a heavy ground winner who bumped into subsequent Grade 2 scorer Sixmilebridge around Leicester on his penultimate start. As Sole Solution has also gone in since himself at Hereford, an opening mark of 114 looks fair.
Just Lucky Sivola found 3m around Ascot a stretch stamina wise last time, but is another heavy going bumper winner. Dropping back in trip off 1lb lower might be the answer for Cobden and trainer Paul Nicholls, who hope to put a difficult January for everyone at Ditcheat behind them.
Topweight De Kingpin shaped like this trip was within his compass when a close third here in November. Ben Pauling’s runner was duly awarded the race over this distance on his latest outing when the rider of Captain Bellamy broke whip rules at Newbury. De Kingpin earlier chased home dark horse Mister Meggit in a heavy ground Doncaster bumper.
Those three towards the top of the handicap bring the best form on offer into this contest. Nothing lurking lower down the weights appears to have the same scope for further progress on really tough going.
2:00 – 1m 7.5f Class 2 Handicap Chase
ETALON 🏆
An impressive winner of our second race at Royal Artillery Day 🙌pic.twitter.com/0WQO2jC3rb
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) February 15, 2024
Martator has also had plenty of racing, so preference is for course and distance winner ETALON, who the assessor has cut to just 4lb above his last successful mark. Dan Skelton’s charge quickly turns out after sprawling on landing and unseating his rider at Windsor 13 days ago.
Etalon is 3lb better off with Gunsight Ridge from their meeting over this track and trip last February. He should therefore confirm form and make amends under Harry Skelton for the last day. Solo is a funny horse to catch right, meanwhile, and Classic Maestro couldn’t follow-up on a facile beginners chase win at Haydock when quickly turned out there over the festive period.
2:35 – 2m 4f Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase
There simply appears to be more substance to the overall form of Jango Baie with him beating a subsequent Premier Handicap winner in Springwell Bay at Cheltenham in December. Off level weights with Pauling’s Handstands, he can now show his class and confirm he’s the better horse. Other progeny of Tiger Groom have relished heavy ground too.
Young pretender Kalif Du Berlais has done very little wrong over fences himself, meanwhile. Nicholls and Cobden combine with this five-year-old getting a handy 4lb weight for age all-round that helps his cause. Off such terms, it’d be no surprise if Kalif Du Berlais landed the hat-trick up in trip.
This is really going to test his unproven stamina, however, for all he’s bred to stay. Mark Of Gold completes the Scilly Isles quarter for the Moores, but finds himself in very deep waters after picking up the pieces of an Ascot Grade 2 just before Christmas last time. He also needs the most improvement on official figures.
3:07 – 2m 7.5f Heroes Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)
He’s made that look SO easy 👏
Henri The Second finishes first in the @PertempsJobs Handicap Hurdle 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Isxqmb5HK6
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) December 7, 2024
With Henri The Second, there is the risk of the bounce factor. He hasn’t backed up a race since his bumper days, but if still on song can clearly follow-up. Also of interest upped in trip is RED DIRT ROAD for Jonjo O’Neill and sons. Unexposed at this kind of trip, he beat Corbetts Cross in an Irish Point.
That horse is all stamina, so Red Dirt Road surely must be too. Racing off the same mark as Henri The Second following an Aintree success, this might be one of those races where wise punters hedge their bets on both. Others have claims, meanwhile, including topweight Shoot First dropping markedly in grade and Dartmoor Pirate.
Anthony Honeyball’s runner kept on into fourth in a 2m 4f Premier Handicap here last March. Dartmoor Pirate also shaped well when second in a Wincanton Pertemps Qualifier on Boxing Day, so looks well-weighted off 3lb higher. Those in the frame of a Cheltenham New Year’s Day handicap, Idefix De Ciergues, What A Jonny and Deep Cave, could all have a say again too.
3:42 – 3m Class 2 Masters Handicap Chase
On this much softer surface, he won’t get outpaced like he did when third in the Badger Beers around Wincanton in November. Gustavian’s 40/1 sixth in the Heroes Handicap Hurdle on this card 12 months reads better than the bare result as the form looks decent.
The in-form O’Connell travels further afield from Yorkshire seeking a hat-trick, meanwhile. He has a 9lb hike for his latest success in the Lincolnshire National at Market Rasen on Boxing Day over further, but there are no stamina doubts. Honeyball also runs Dreaming Blue, but the case for this Flat-bred horse in these conditions is difficult to make.
