Daryl Carter's Tips: Double down with Saturday's Sandown NAP

• Go in again with best bet Etalon (advised 9/25.50 antepost)  

• Look to Balhambar at Musselburgh

• Red Dirt Road will relish testing conditions at 3m

• Our Cheltenham offer is live! Get a completely free bet every weekend until the Festival

Rachael Blackmore Superboost

Betfair Ambassador Rachael Blackmore has some decent chances on the first day of the Dublin Racing Festival today, including one on Monty's Star in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at 15:30.

The horse has never finished outside of the top four when completing in his whole career, and today you can back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00 - from 4/61.67 - to finish in the top four again. To take advantage, just click on the odds in the bet banner below to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

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As mentioned in the midweek columns, Saturday's DRF card is more of a watching brief for me, and Sunday offers lots more betting potential.

14:00 Sandown - Back Etalon @ BSP 2pt (NAP) (already advised at 9/2 ante-post 1pt)

Etalon was given as a midweek ante-post bet, and thankfully, connections have taken up the entry. He holds excellent claims against these rivals, so I want to go back in again now that I have declared.

He has endured a disappointing season and got no further than the seventh at Windsor 13 days ago before unseating his rider. However, he was travelling with plenty of zest, and that was the second time in two starts that he caught the eye.

The return to Sandown, where he was a dominant wide-margin chase winner at this time last year over Gunsight Ridge, is a big positive, and his latest run at Windsor was the first time he had been given his favoured soft ground since, so it was a shame to see him depart before the race took shape.

It's wise to put a line through his latest run and back him under optimal conditions on Saturday. His record on soft ground before his latest run reads 11141 over obstacles. In the hope that the Skeleton's revert to prominent tactics, he should take some stopping in this company.

Back the selection at BSP as 7/42.75 is about right and we are likely to get a little bigger on the day.

14:17 Musselburgh - Back Balhambar @ 9/25.50 1.5pt 

This can go to Balhambar - 9/25.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who is a winner in waiting and, although unable to peg back the all-the-way winner at Southwell last time, did well to run as close as he did doing best of those from off the gallop. The winner had previously been narrowly behind Aucunrisque at Ascot in a hot race and looked like an improving horse.

The Harry Derham six-year-old had previously shaped very well at Cheltenham when finding that stiff finish too much, and it may have been a case of Paul O'Brien not looking to make the same mistake again at Southwell by giving him a more exaggerated hold-up ride.

Still, today's sharp track will suit him as he is a very fast and fluent jumper, and returning to a sharp right-handed track will see him in the best light. This is not as deep as the advertised 0-145 suggests and is more like a dip in grade.

He gets the vote with the cheek-pieces worn for the first time at Cheltenham but left off at Southwell, returning to bring further improvement.

Back the selection at 9/25.50 or bigger.

14:50 Musselburgh - Back The Kalooki Kid @ 2/13.00 2pt

The Kalooki Kid - 2/13.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - looks like the best-handicapped horse in this race, and he arrives firmly on an upward curve following two excellent efforts over fences this season.

The seven-year-old was well fancied for the strong Bet 365 Handicap at Kelso last year but ran no race. Still, fences looked to have turned him inside out, and this improving novice has shown an excellent attitude for jumping fences. He arrives after race-by-race progression, and the form looks good enough to think he can defy a seven-pound rise by the handicapper.

Throw in that he has two excellent efforts at this Musselburgh venue over hurdles, including a dominant victory, and it's tough to find negatives against mainly exposed rivals that look held by the handicapper.

2/13.00 or bigger is fair but I expect you will get 5/23.50 minimum on the day.

15:07 Sandown - Back Red Dirt Road @ 7/18.00 1pt

This is a cracking race, and Henri The Second will be very much respected if he can back up his brilliant December victory at this venue. However, he has been well-found in the market and Red Dirt Road - 7/18.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - looks like a cracking bet.

Jonjo O'Neill's runner is entirely unexposed to stamina-sapping trips, and he has been crying out for a move up to three miles for some time. He effortlessly put his Carlisle seasonal return behind him when making all the running to bolt up at Aintree last time (form boosted), and he has an upwardly mobile profile similar to the yards winner last year, Saint Davy.

This valuable race would have been the target, and his form has worked out very well throughout his short career. His record on deep ground outside of his reappearance run reads 121, which includes his thumping point-to-point success over Corbetts Cross.

The pedigree shows lots of stamina, and he should be ridden handily, which is hugely beneficial at this venue when the mud is flying. He makes the most appeal, and he will be hard to kick out of the frame if you want to play each-way, with the win part of the bet very live.

Back the selection at 4/15.00 or bigger as I would have him closer to the top of the market for this.

PODCAST SELECTIONS:

13:25 Sandown - Sole Solution

13:42 Musselburgh - No Bet

14:00 Sandown - Etalon

14:17 Musselburgh - Balhambar

14:35 Sandown - Kalif Du Berlais

14:50 Musselburgh - The Kalooki Kid

15:07 Sandown - Red Dirt Road

15:30 Leopardstown - No Bet

15:42 Sandown - In D'or / Pats Fancy

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