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Sandown faces more rain but O'Connell is 6/17.00 standout
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Two of Saturday DRF races at Leopardstown under the microscope
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Alan Dudman's three antepost tips for this Saturday
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Jango's the one in the Scilly Isles but will Mullins turn up?
We're in a state of limbo pro tempore regarding Sandown's Saturday card with the rain showing no sign of stopping. The track is set to call an inspection on Thursday at 8am to determine whether it will be an all-chase card or to stick with the advertised seven races which includes three over fences and four on the hurdles' course.
Heavy rain is likely to hit south of Sandown on Wednesday with Thursday and Saturday dry.
Looking at the chases is an obvious starting point, especially with the Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at 14:35 an antidote, or potential antidote, to lift the present chasing miasma.
Willie Mullins never seems to have a problem in finding a rookie chaser and Impaire Et Passe heads the Sportsbook market for the Scilly Isles at 6/42.50 but he is doubly-entered for the Ladbrokes Novices' Chase on Sunday.
So we have a meeting that might not be on with a favourite that might not run for a day that could be an all-chase day or not. Easy, huh? Both of Mullins' runners last weekend didn't make the trip and I had tipped Capadanno, so I am not in a hurry to do so again especially with the DRF on.
Jango Baie at 5/23.50 holds an official rating of 153, the best of the UK runners, and with the current lack of 150 chasers al ltold in the Britain, he could be pushing to be the best chaser ever! I jest.
At least we don't have to worry about double entries with Nicky Henderson, who rarely ventures out of the comfort zone, but Jango Baie looked more exciting than he did competent with a thrilling chasing win at Cheltenham on his fencing debut at the Christmas meeting.
Mister Fisher, Whisper and Oscar Whisky were all previous winners of that Cheltenham contest, and while he was in receipt of 8lb from Springwell Bay, he was the only one making his chase debut in the field.
Hendo called him "not the biggest but accurate in the jumping stakes" and was asked some proper questions. He's another in the novice ranks which has seen the trainer really strengthen his hand this term.
He earned a 146p from Timeform for the run, and considering Majborough held the same rating from Fairyhouse and Ballyburn has a 149P, he has to to be right up there. Visually he brushed aside Caldwell Potter with ease and has plenty of acceleration.
The only doubt about putting him up as a bet this weekend is whether the ground will be suitable. Henderson is never one to risk a horse in poor conditions, although on the flipside, Napoleon once said: "Ability is of little account without opportunity".
While Handstands looks a good horse, I wouldn't see him as a Cheltenham winner, but I do with Jango Baie - who has the option at the festival of either the Arkle or the 3m Brown Advisory - so the Scilly Isles over 2m4f looks the perfect fact-finding mission. Given suitable ground.
The Masters Handicap Chase at 15:42 held 15 entries as of Tuesday morning and my old friend Arizona Cardinal has another entry despite not turning up (again) last weekend. Time is running out for me and him.
In D'or at 7/24.50 is the favourite for Venetia Williams and has won his last two at Taunton and Ascot with ground described by Timeform as good and good to soft. Once again, Saturday could be a different ball game, and I presume David Maxwell, who owns and has ridden him on all starts rides.
While Maxwell is hardly the acme of style, you have to consider that in terms of a bet as he is never the most serene in the saddle, but with his wealth, I doubt he cares one jot.
The resurgent Sue Smith and Joel Parkinson team seem in lot better shape and O'Connell off 124 is an improver, and a potential rapid improver.
At 6/17.00 he isn't quite an each-way price for me (he might be for others), but he slammed the field in the Lincolnshire National by nearly 10L last time and won hard held in the fog from 115. He had everything in the race with the way he not only travelled but in the jumping stakes too, as he was excellent in the closing stages.
A 9lb rise for that was plenty but could have been more and he had the look of the old fashioned Sue Smith types that were her fortune for many a season.
In many ways, I actually preferred his performance at Carlisle on the 1 December, as the field looked a deeper one compared to Market Rasen and he really did scrap at the end of the race to beat Fortunate Man. There were plenty in the race with 125+ ratings.
He stayed ever so strongly with a will to win and he's still lightly-raced for his age. Again, I don't know if he is an intended runner and the column has had its fill of non-runners in the last two months, but he'd be off a nice weight for Saturday and showed his ability for a stamina-sapping race at Market Rasen.
The Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle at 13:50 at Leopardstown on Saturday was one of the races I previewed in my antepost column earlier this month. Since then East India Dock has asserted his authority as a leading juvenile with a fine performance at Cheltenham.
I tipped Sainte Lucie in the column at 5/23.50, and she hasn't budged an inch in terms of price so there's no reason to desert a filly who looked so impressive at Punchestown on New Year's Eve. Since then, you may have liked to see the second and third win a race as both have placed since but you cannot have everything.
She isn't favourite here, and that honour goes to Gavin Cromwell's Hello Neighbour after his Juvenile Grade 2 win on debut at the track on 26 December when he beat Lady Vega Allen of Mullins' by a small margin. But he'll have to concede weight to a filly with a big win behind her and I am happy to stick with Sainte Lucie.
One of the big fields at the DRF on Saturday looks well worth having a punt in each-way and Glen Kiln couldn't have done it any more impressively last time with his win at Navan.
Michael Bowe's six-year-old is available to back at 16/117.00 on the Sportsbook with the four places and he's a fascinating runner for one of the smaller stables up in trip.
His Navan win was highlighted by an excellent round of jumping, pinging plenty of hurdles and losing no time in the air whatsoever. At a brief point down the straight when there was the possibility of a challenge, he really did quicken up well.
A further half-a-mile for Saturday might unlock some more improvement and I expect him, for all you can guess in a big field, to be ridden prominently. At Navan, he was pretty keen to get on with things and was soon in front after an early faller in front of him. He did make the running too, winning his maiden over hurdles at Naas last winter - once again jumping well over 2m3f in heavy conditions - so he'll be at home with the soft for the weekend.
His latest win came from 115 and 9lbs could have been higher such was his dominance. He's such a good jumper I don't want to leave him out. Thirty-four were on the list at entries stage on Tuesday and he was 24, so he should get in.