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James Mackie likes two at Betfair's sponsored meeting at Sandown on Friday
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Macktoad an each-way player in the opener
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Northern Air the best bet on the card
12:35 Sandown - Back Macktoad E/W (3 Places) @ 6/17.00
The opening race of the Betfair Tingle Creek meeting does look a tricky one on paper with not a lot of form to go off. However, Macktoad for the Gary & Josh Moore team looks worth chancing at an each-way price.
Bought for €125,000 in July at an Arqana sale off the back of winning a bumper over 1m4f at Vichy, he is certainly one of the horses in the field who will handle testing conditions.
Looking through his pedigree all his relatives did their best work in the mud and although two of the top three in the market should also handle the conditions we are getting a much bigger price about this lad.
The signals from the yard are strong about this three-year-old who aren't shy of having a star juvenile and Friday could be more the day for him than those looking further down the line.
Back Macktoad E/W 3 places in the 12:35 Sandown
13:10 Sandown - Back Northern Air @ 15/82.88
My best bet of the afternoon comes in the Class 3 Handicap Chase over 2m and Northern Air for the Skelton's and owner Harry Redknapp should be a class above what looks a poor field.
A 3m PTP winner on soft ground, she was then bought for £105,000 in December 2023 and given to Fergal O'Brien.
Having needed her first run over hurdles, she then finished a good second at Wincanton on soft ground behind a now 132 rated hurdler in Navajo Indy.
It took her until January to get off the mark over hurdles at Taunton when landing a Mares Maiden Hurdle in good fashion.
Moved to the flying Dan Skelton yard this term and sent over fences, she looks the type to improve massively for a step up to the bigger obstacles.
She made her debut at Carlisle over 2m4f when like many of Skelton's horses first time out she needed the run in a Mares' Handicap Chase off a mark of 109.
Giving weight all round it was very much an educational first spin under rules over fences and she has been dropped 1lb for that finishing back in fourth.
She should improve massively for that first experience and in what looks a weak field getting weight off the field she should be tough to beat.
Northern Air should prove to be better than a mark of 108.
Back Northern Air in the 13:10 Sandown