Alan Dudman's Antepost Tips: Two Sandown Saturday selections at 10/1 and 7/2

• Sandown's four races on ITV this Saturday priced up on the Sportsbook

• Marble Sands appeals at 10s for three places each-way

• Alan Dudman also previews the Veterans' Handicap with a 7/24.50 selection

Sandown - 13:50: Back Marble Sands EW @ 10/111.00

The first Saturday of the year sees Sandown as the focus for the latest antepost view and there's a strong possibility good ground is what we'll face. Two days of forecast rain is the hope for trainers and horses who prefer cut, but one of the spells is due on Saturday so it's time to consult my Norwegian hipster forecast app.

Four are priced up on the Sportsbook and while this wouldn't be one of Sandown's premier meetings and has an slight ersatz feel to it, three handicaps give more punting oomph rather than any Grade 1.

Top weight Unexpected Party has form on good ground with a second at Carlisle on a decent surface earlier this season and is a key horse here as not only a front runner but a class dropper for a yard doing so well in these Saturday handicaps.

He does look a little overpriced at 12s as a Grand Annual winner off 138 last term - but off his current mark, life is tough and will need a little help ahead of another festival go.

Roccovango has two wins on good and won't mind soft either, and while prominent in the betting, he was rated 116 embarking on chasing this year and would need to cut it towards personal best territory. Indeed, the two mentioned come into the race from different angles.

Corrigeen Rock is a Scottish Champion Chase winner and is another attractively priced at 10s on the Sportsbook and took to the Sandown fences well back in 2022 with an excellent jumping display with a seven length win, but he was well beaten on his sole run this term and I am really struggling with the Lucinda Russell form at the moment. Montgomery was the latest fancied horse to completely bomb out from that yard.

Hunter Legend obviously comes into the equation for Venetia, and V for victories on Saturdays, but he'd want it soft and we cannot be certain of that.

She also has 6/1 chance In d'Or for David Maxwell, who can often make Luke Morris look like Cash Asmussen in the saddle, and "the Max" cannot claim anymore.

In short a ton of chances, even without mentioning Etalon for the Skeltons who was bloodless winning at Sandown last term, but at a slightly bigger price each-way with the three places Marble Sands looks sure to play a part.

He ran in the Rehearsal at Newcastle last time, a race I got badly wrong with Hunters Crag who drifted as badly as he ran with an anti-energy performance. Marble Sands ran well in third, though, under conditional Nick Slatter, but that's always a brutal test of stamina whatever the going.

A drop down to 2m4f looks ideal with a strong pace to run at here, as Etalon is another that wants a piece of the action. Marble Sands won the Colin Parker last time in splendid fashion and he's still classed as lightly-raced over fences with a 3-7 record.

He can still win races from his current mark.

Sandown 15:00: Back Copperhead @ 7/24.50

Veterans ready! Yes another for the older brigade and these races often provide the best punting option for many, but on the flipside a horse like Sam Brown who is rated 153 at 13 years of age surely needs some realistic help from the assessors.

He was rated 152 back in 2020 so his consistency is admired, but handicappers - some salvation please. It's finals time, with the old charges set for another last hurrah in the final round of the series.

Celebre d'Allen is the current Sportsbook favourite for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, who also have Smarty Wild as an entry, and if you like Hobbs, you'll be a pleased bunny to coin a phrase from cricketing safecracker Raffles, as the yard seem to be having a much better time of things of late.

It's now 26 winners this term and 22% over fences, but I never conceal my aversion to a chaser from the yard, as they often lack any sort of fluency.

Expect Eldorado Allen to front run again, although on the map, several like to sit very handy.

With pace again and the potential of ground on the dry side, Copperhead could well be the answer for Joe Tizzard, and his form reads 1122 on good and good to soft, and he's been in several of these veterans' series races this term.

The standout is obviously Aintree winning by 14 wickets over 3m1f, and that wide margin win off 122 still keeps him in the game against the fellow old-stagers. Crucially it was good ground in Liverpool and with form over slightly further, I can see Sandown suiting his strong-travelling style, and he certainly whizzed around Aintree in smooth fashion.

With form at the track too (a winner here over hurdles) we need not worry too much even it rains as he has won soft too, but he ticks a few boxes as a 7/24.50 chance for another day in the sun with Freddie Gingell booked up.

Sandown - 15:35: No bet

Be aware that Dan Skelton's Honky Tonk Highway is double entered in the 14:25 at Sandown and while it would make sense to keep going in Listed company after her win last time, she'd be very well treated off 119 for a handicap run.

Balhambar is a prominent runner in the betting for Harry Dereham, who certainly needs a break after his troubles and travails with the weather and storms halting his stable progress, but there's a big lurker here in the Hobbs and White runner Oh My Johnny.

Priced at 8/19.00 on the Sportsbook, he could do with some of the rain forecast and more as he won in soft conditions last time, although officially some good was in the description, but times indicated genuine soft.

Anyway, the yard must have known what they had on their hands as he was sent off a warm 8/11 favourite and won in a canter at Uttoxeter tracking the pace, and while the form hasn't really been tested, a handicap debut mark of 116 could be very lenient.

I am stopping short of putting this lightly-raced 4yo up as a bet as the rain needs factoring in - and if the heavens do open, then I doubt the 8s will last long, plus we have the problem of the Skelton mare in or out.

Oh My Johnny should have won at Bangor previously as hit 1.12 in-running but fell at the last. No ill effects from that stopped him at Uttoxeter with that easy win and he's one to monitor this week.

And happy new year!

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