Weekend Preview: National Hunt finale at Sandown

The highlight of Sandown's Saturday card is the 20-runner Gold Cup Handicap Chase, staged over three miles and five furlongs. Among the contenders are Deep Purple and West End Rocker, who both lined up in the Grand National, with Major Malarkey, Dover's Hill and Le Beau Baialso likely to take their chance. For more on this competitive contest, read Timeform's Adam Brookes' preview "Sandown Gold Cup Betting: Ro-w in with de Farges".

Preceding that race is the Grade 2 Celebration Chase over the minimum distance of two miles. Wishfull Thinking, second only to champion chaser Finian's Rainbow at Aintree last time, looks sure to play his part, whilst Ascot Grade 1 winner Somersby is also likely to be in contention. Woolcombe Folly and French Opera are also in the field, but arguably of more interest is the Paul Nicholls-trained Sanctuaire, who has won both of his starts over fences in great style, as yet displaying none of the quirks which blighted his hurdling career. His latest assignment will clearly require improvement, and will be a greater test of his mettle than he has previously faced over the larger obstacles, but it will be exciting to see how he fares.

Moving on to the Flat action on Sandown's card, which kicks-off with the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes. The high-class Twice Over made a satisfactory reappearance at Newmarket and holds obvious claims, whilst the Clive Cox-trained Poet seems at his best in the likely conditions and is another to consider. Al Kazeem, consistent and generally progressive last year, and Godolphin's Hunter's Light also merit a second look, whilst Twice Over's stablemate World Domination looks to get his career back on track after a most disappointing effort at Ascot in June when last seen.

Sandown's Classic Trial looks a race full of potential, despite there being just four runners, as two of the quartet have the Timeform large 'P' attached to their rating and one has the smaller 'p'. Rougemont is the only symbol-less runner but comes into the race on the back of massive career-best when winning a valuable sales race at Newmarket. Stipulate looked ready for a step up in grade when impressively landing the Feilden Stakes at HQ last time, whilst Imperial Monarch has had just the one start but looked a Group performer in the making when winning at the Curragh last year. Thought Worthy, a brother to St Leger winner Lucarno, looks the type to at least make up into a smart performer after winning at Newcastle last year, and is highly likely to have progressed over the winter.

Ripon plays host to a pair of noteworthy races on Saturday, the first a two-mile handicap at 15:30. Shubaat, hailing from the in-form Roger Varian yard, may well be capable of defying a rise in the weights gained when readily winning at Musselburgh on his latest start. Gulf of Naples and Hawk Mountain are likely to be his closest pursuers.

The minor event at 16:40 has something of an international flavour, with Ibiceno making his debut for Luca Cumani having previously been trained in Germany. Coincuidentally, Dawn Twister (to Lucy Wadham) and Steuben (to Barney Curley)are others entries to have left the same trainer since their last starts. If further intrigue were needed, Midsummer Sun, a winner at Lingfield on his latest start, and Troopingthecolour also line-up.

Punchestown, having been blighted by bad weather throughout their Festival, stages an excellent card on Saturday with the highlight been the Punchestown Gold Cup, with the likes of Quel Esprit, Quantitativeeasing, Rubi Light and Follow the Plan in participation.

A final mention on Saturday goes to Black Caviar, who seemingly has a simple task ahead of her in the Robert Sangster Stakes (off 07:23 BST) at Morphettville in her quest to extend her unbeaten sequence to twenty, eclipsing the top-class Zenyatta in the process, before heading over to Britain for the Royal Ascot meeting.

Wetherby and Ludlow both stage cards on Sunday, but it is Navan that host the most interesting contest, a listed event for fillies over a mile and two furlongs which will see the Aidan O'Brien-trained Kissed (available to back for the Oaks at 18.017/1) make her seasonal debut. In what will be just her second start, Kissed will face five rivals on likely testing ground, but she has plenty of potential having won her maiden impressively by a length and a half, with seven and a half lengths back to the third-placed horse. She is bred to improve for the additional distance, but Cleofila, Aaraas and Pale Mimosa are likely to ensure that she does not have things all her own way.