Saturday Racing Tips: Tony Calvin tips up a Sandown each-way double

The prices may not be as flash as I would like but, with the extra places on offer, I think there is a compelling case for putting 7/2 Balco Coastal and 5/1 Knappers Hill in an each-way double at Sandown on Saturday.

I will keep stakes small, for reasons I will come to, though.

They are most definitely not the odds that this column is tasked to side with - and I am not recommending them as single bets, as such - but the pair are by far the most likely winners in their respective handicaps and, with six and five places on offer respectively in their contests, they will surely have to be dragged kicking and screaming out of the each-way money.

Nicholls swerves the Festival

I will start with Knappers Hill in the 2m3f173yd at 13:50.

I would have considered putting him up in my ante-post column earlier in the week, but for a concern that Paul Nicholls may have sidestepped the race and gambled on getting in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham next week, but I have to have him onside in some capacity now he has been confirmed.

He was a very classy bumper performer, unbeaten in three starts and the successes in that sphere included a defeat of Grade 1-winning stablemate Stage Star, and he looks a well handicapped horse off 135 on his hurdling exploits, with the step up in trip the icing on the cake.

His opening two hurdle successes at Wincanton and Chepstow at heavy odds-on told us little but his third to Jonbon at Ascot did, even if it was a dawdle early doors, as all four of his rivals in that contest have franked the form since.

That mark of 135 looked very workable for the Betfair Hurdle then but he simply didn't have the required toe to go with the leaders once the pace taps were turned on. However, his finishing effort suggested this step up in trip was required, and his pedigree tends to back that up, too.

Don't get me wrong, this could be a very lively race - with the likes of Thunder Rock, Peejaybee and Dubrovnik Harry in opposition - and Mucho Mas is easily the most attractive of the bigger-priced horses (no surprise to see the general 40s come under the hammer on Thursday afternoon, and we can leave him alone at 20s now) as he is on a fair mark and I can see the first-time tongue-tie helping after a weak finish at Doncaster last time.

But if Knappers Hill, who likes decent ground - though that defeat of Stage Star came on soft - isn't in the first five here, I will be very surprised and a wounded man. Sandown are due around 6mm of rain on Friday, according to one site, but that should be of little consequence to him, as it is currently good to soft (good in places) on the hurdles course.

Attractive profile can complete double

On the face of it, finishing outside of the first six in the Imperial Cup at 14:25 would seen pretty easy. A full field of 22 runners means this is fiercely competitive, but Balco Coastal surely stands out here however you dice the punting onion.

This would be why the opening 5/1 about him in the marketplace was quickly hoovered up on Thursday, even though this handicap is seriously deep, with Hystery Bere and Current Mood my main dangers.

But I do like the angle of sticking him in that each-way double with Knappers Hill, with six places on offer. You will net a small profit if they are both placed under those terms, and the jackpot is no forlorn hope.

He has a very attractive profile, which scores highly on all levels.

He was a smart bumper horse, impressed when giving 7lb to a fair sort at Ludlow and probably found the extended 2m4f a shade too far in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham last time (traded 1.5 in running).

That was still a much-improved effort though, and one that suggests an opening mark of 134 is very exploitable, especially coming down in trip in a race on a stiff track sure to be run at a helter-skelter tempo if the pace map is any guide.

I know that Cheltenham race was rendered somewhat farcical by omitted hurdles but North Lodge was only done on the bob under a 5lb penalty in a Grade 2 at Kelso last week, so I'd be inclined to think everything is in place for a very big run here.

The only thing that concerns me is the form of the Nicky Henderson stable, as it has been pretty atrocious, and I did think long and hard about putting him up, especially given his price. But I am willing to take my chances to small stakes.

Back to double figure prices...

Hystery Bere's Cheltenham third to Cormier and Severance has obviously been franked by the top two since (and the sixth and seventh won next time, too), and he is weighted to play a part off just 2lb higher mark here - and he has course form, as well - and the forward-going Current Mood is another who has been given a very exploitable rating, too.

But the latter could be a tricky ride with so much rival pace in here and I think Hystery Bere is my idea of the win bet at 11.010/1 or bigger, win-only, on the exchange.

I like horses who have proved they can handle this track (for all his second here last season came off a lowly mark) and you can actually mark up his Cheltenham third last time as he did remarkably well to be beaten just 1 ¼ lengths at the line considering he was bang-last jumping 2 out (for some reason he lost his position going to that flight) and came round what could well have been the unfavoured inner all the way round.

Touching on stable form again, Tom Symonds hasn't had a winner since January, which is a concern, but I'll take the risk.

I don't tend to bet in bumpers but I certainly don't think Mullenbeg is a bad price at around 6/4+ on the exchange for the 15:00, after a stunning Cheltenham success at 8/1 last time.

However, it is worth noting that Hidden Beauty went off 7/2 there and she had a ready excuse for being pulled up, as she had an irregular heartbeat.

Obviously she comes with a warning here after that but she had previously impressed when coming from out of the clouds to win at Ffos Las.

I imagine the jockeys will be having a chat between themselves before the six-runner handicap chase at 15:35, as five of the horses have gone forward in recent starts.

That could possibly leave the patiently-ridden Dorking Boy with a tactical advantage and he certainly comes here in cracking form, even if he was shunted up 11lb for his wide-margin Huntingdon win last time.

On balance, I will leave the race alone.

I honestly have looked at the three Wolverhampton races on ITV, but nothing stood out.

For what it is worth, Above and Baldomero (the latter is very fair at 7/1, four places) were the ones that interested me most in the opening brace of handicaps, but not sufficiently so to get any punting juices flowing.

Good luck all; a long week ahead folks, so take it steady.

PACE MAPS FOR ITV RACES

13:50 Sandown - Lead/Prominent: Complete Unknown, Kingofthewest, Arizona Cardinal, Jet Plane, Mucho Mas; Midfield: Knappers Hill, Surrey Quest. Jerrash, Thunder Rock, Peejaybee, Dubrovnik Harry, Triple Trade, Our Jet, Hometown Hero, Marble Sands; Held Up: Mumbo Jumbo, Georges Saint

14:25 Sandown - Lead/Prominent: Current Mood, Onemorefortheroad, Hacker Des Places, Calico, Mr Grey Sky, Lebowski, Lively Citizen, Monviel; Midfield: Miranda, Samarrive, Suprise Package, Mick Maestro, Up For Parol, Hydroplane; Held Up: Balco Coastal, Transatlantic, Hystery Bere, Zambexi Fix, Howdyalikemenow, Lucky One, Kihavah, Grisbi De Berce

15:00 Sandown - Lead/Prominent: Flirtatious Girl, Malina Jamila; Midfield: Eabha Grace, Maridadi, Meetuatnine. Nifty Getaway, Eel Pie Island, Luccia; Held Up: Mullenbeg, Fairy Gem, Hidden Beauty, Mistral Nell

15:35 Sandown - Lead/Prominent: Scene Not Heard, Danny Kirwan, Frenchy Du Large, Killer Kane, Flic Ou Voyour; Held Up: Dorking Boy

13:31 Wolverhampton - Lead/Prominent: Above, Mighty Gurkha, Mudlahhim; Midfield: Exalted Angel, Whittle Le Woods, Full Authority; Held Up: Zarzyni, Asadjumeirah, Astro Jakk

14:05 Wolverhampton - Lead/Prominent: Baldomero, Fox Power ?; Midfield: United Front, Hafeet Alain; Mykonos St John; Held Up: La Tihaty, Dance Fever, Bless Him, Scottish Summit, Revolutionise, Notre Belle Bete, Starry Eyes

14:40pm Wolverhampton - Lead/Prominent: Ayr Harbour, Happy Power, Highfield Princess; Midfield: Amilcar. Misty Grey, Tinker Toy, Volatile Analyst, Internationalangel; Held Up: River Nymph, Fauvette

PROFIT AND LOSS (since April 14)

Staked: 302pts
Returns 496.06
P/L: + 194.06