Daryl Carter's Tips: Skelton's Bally ready to bounce back at Sandown

• Skelton well-handicapped duo can strike at Sandown

• Well-treated runner at Ayr must be backed

• Look to JP on Saturday to provide two winners

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Paul Nicholls Superboost

Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls saddles Sans Bruit in today's Betfair Imperial Cup, and if you fancy the horse to finish in the top six you can back him at the super-boosted price of 6/42.50 (from 4/51.80.

13:15 Sandown - Back Kartoon And Co @ 10/34.33 2pt

Kartoon And Co - 10/34.33 on the Betfair Sportsbook - looks like a surefire improver. This stiffer track will play to his stamina strengths and be a welcome change of pace from the sharp-natured Huntingdon, Market Rasen, and Stratford he tackled in his three qualifying runs.

The Dan Skelton charge was given a lenient opening rating of just 109, having found only the useful Harry Derham Adonis runner-up Givemefive (129) to be too good on his penultimate start.

At Huntingdon last time, he lost his pitch before running on strongly at the finish behind the smart Kabral Du Mathan - who is exceptionally well treated off 123 - and the now 120-rated Latin Verse, and he was tough to pull up after the line.

There's undoubtedly more to come from Kartoon And Co, and today's conditions should be right up his street so he gets a confident vote in the day's opener at Sandown.

13:50 Sandown - Back Hasthing @ BSP 1pt

This has surely been a plan for Hasthing who was unfancied and not put in the race at Newbury on Betfair Hurdle Day.

In hindsight, that's unsurprising, considering he already had his opening handicap rating of 119, which looks very tempting for this improving, strapping seven-year-old. I backed Hasthing at Newbury when, on the course, I couldn't understand why, on earth, his jockey was giving his mount so much to do. The field gifted the race to leader Making Headway, and the Jonjo O'Neill runner had little interest in getting involved. On further reflection, his jumping was poor at stages, but he had been better than that at Catterick when readily holding Pic Roc winning very cosily.

He is now receiving weight from that rival and moving back up to a more suitable distance while deep Sandown ground will play to his strengths. On the evidence of his strong bumper form, there's good reason to think he can defy the handicapper on his handicap debut, and we are yet to see him unleashed off the bridle.

Providing he jumps well, it's hard to see many better-handicapped horses. He rates a confident bet to get the job done, but he is as big a 7/24.50 elsewhere, so use BSP.

15:43 Ayr - Back Whodini @ BSP 2pt (NAP)

Despite the headline, Whodini is the day's NAP, but I couldn't find anything that rhymes with that - any suggestions for the future are welcome. Still, the headline tip is also strongly fancied.

Ballycoose will prove all the rage here, but he was readily left behind 12 days ago, lacks a change of gear and is vulnerable to an improver. Hence, the firm preference is for Whodini for Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero.

The improving and thriving seven-year-old would have beaten the 134-rated Chasing Fire in his sole point-to-point had he not run out. He has been kept fresh and away from winter ground and is returning from 126 days off the track. The forecast is for dry, sunny spells at Ayr; they have had no rain in the past 24 hours. The official going description is good to soft.

That will suit Whodini, whose best form is on a sounder surface, and while he only won narrowly here over course and distance in November, he was value for much more, having come from off a slow gallop (Dubai Days in fifth).

He has a bright turn of foot and stays well, and it would be very surprising should he not be able to outspeed Ballycoose and prove well ahead of the handicapper off a rating of 120. The third boosted his Huntingdon form, and his Ayr run now sees the fourth 11 lb higher in the handicap.

Any 13/82.63 or bigger appeals.

16:10 Sandown - Back Ballygrifincottage @ 7/24.50 1.5pt (NB)

Ballygrifincottage - 7/24.50 on the Betfair Sportsbook - took a good leap back in the right direction at Ascot when sticking to the task gamely on ground that would have been too quick for him. However, considering that his seven-length fifth came in a far deeper race than today, he looks worth chancing to return to winning ways now under more favourable conditions.

The nine-year-old has been in and out for most of his short career, but trainer Dan Skelton hasn't hidden his faith in this horse. It may be another case of the yard striking while the Iron is hot with one who has been hard to keep right.

He finished fourth in the 2022 Albert Bartlett and hasn't stood that much racing with just nine outings in his career under rules, while the old phrase, "whatever he does over hurdles is a bonus", was one used by his trainer.

Therefore, after his best effort over fences to date, he looks worth siding with down in grade and returning to his favoured soft ground.

This is not a deep contest, with many having doubts over their chances, and it looks as though the Skelton's have targeted today's card.

If he can replicate his latest effort, which he made 21 days ago, he must have strong claims in this affair.

16:40 Sandown - Back Belargus @ 14/115.00 1pt

Es Perfecto may prove very hard to beat here off what looks like a very workable rating on the balance of his three chase runs this term, but he hasn't always been the most potent finisher, and today's ground will test his stamina.

Instead, it might pay to look away from the obvious in Belargus - 14/115.00 on the Betfair Sportsbook - who shaped as though he would be all the better for his latest run at Leicester and returns to Sandown where his record reads 31F1 over fences and he won't mind what the ground does.

The nine-year-old is a bit long in the tooth to suggest he could improve again, but these are his optimum conditions, and he is well handicapped off a career-low rating. At the same time, the tongue-tie cheek-piece combination for the first time could quickly help him, having looked around at a couple of fences at Leicester last time.

He arrives in good heart and is a good value bet at 5/16.00 or bigger. His owner mate, Imperial Bede, is feared, but he took a heavy fall seven days ago, which may have knocked his confidence.

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