The ITV racing cameras are predominantly focused on Sandown this weekend, but with a race each from Haydock and Leicester to compliment them, here are GG tipster Joe Napier’s best bets for Saturday.
2.40 Haydock – Try Unibet’s New Same Race Multis Handicap
English Oak looks to be the class horse in this 7f handicap, but he failed to maintain his form throughout the last campaign and was also beaten on his reappearance last season off a substantially lower mark than the one he re-emerges with in 2025. 9lb below him, but still second in the handicap, RAMAZAN might be tough to concede the weight to.
Richard Fahey’s charge was top-weight for his return at Musselburgh, which helped race-fit stablemate Our Havana to carry less weight to victory that day. With that run under his belt, he should strip much fitter and has been given a real chance by the handicapper off 3lb lower.
He is racing off a mark below 100 here for the first time since August 2023 (won at Chepstow) and his rating of 99 is 6lb below the one he finished second off in the 2024 Victoria Cup and 4lb below his second in the Great St Wilfrid Handicap at Ripon. A fully fit version of the selection could easily make his current mark look light.
3.00 Sandown – bet365 Select Hurdle (Grade 2)
A first-time hood will have to have the desired effect for Kitzbuhel, who was miles too keen when only fifth at Aintree over 3m. This shorter trip might suit better at this stage of his career and he has the potential to develop far beyond these, but he is opposable until he learns to behave.
Instead, BLUEKING D’OROUX is a viable alternative for Paul Nicholls, who has a good record in this contest. His six-year-old was fourth in this a year ago in what looked an infinitely stronger renewal, and was beaten just a length by Lucky Place back in November when conceding him 6lb. That 2m3f trip may have been just shy of his ideal too.
It is easy to think that the Henderson horse may have improved past him since, but both are six years old, and the selection races under his ideal conditions for the first time this campaign. His soft ground runs at Windsor and Fontwell, in particular, can be forgiven, and he is expected to bounce back and launch a challenge here.
4.10 Sandown – bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
Willie Mullins has ten of the 20 here and it is his half of the field worth focusing on. Of the nine runners who are not out of the handicap here, Mullins is responsible for six, which narrows the possibles down significantly.
Top-weight Grangeclare West may just have slightly too much weight, while both High Class Hero and Dancing City are yet to possess form worthy of their handicap marks. Conversely, MINELLA COCOONER, who won this a year ago, hits a perfect sweet spot of being only 4lb above last year’s winning mark, yet only carries 11st 1lb because of Grangeclare West’s appearance in the line-up (8lb less than carried to victory 12 months ago).
The nine-year-old ran a fine race in the Grand National, finishing seventh after only fading from the final fence. Given Jonathan Burke’s saddle reportedly slipped early on, that is quite some effort from horse and rider, while the potential knock to his fitness is less of a concern given he won this after finishing third in the Irish National last season. All in all, he should be firmly in contention.
4.45 Sandown – bet365 Handicap Hurdle
Although jockey bookings for the Mullins team do not matter greatly throughout the day, Paul Townend’s faith in BUNTING may well prove significant. The five-year-old is evidently held in high regard given he was also Townend’s choice in the Coral Cup, a race won by a separate Mullins inmate.
Bunting pulled too hard at Cheltenham, but still ran well for a long way, then followed up by finishing sixth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr. That race developed into a sprint over a trip likely short of the selection’s ideal though, yet he still stayed on sweetly enough in behind runners to be beaten less than five lengths.
The handicapper appears to have missed his finishing application, as he is down 1lb in the handicap here. The step back up to 2m4f looks a positive, so if Townend can keep a lid on his temperament, he could well end Mullins’ sensational British jumps season with a bang.
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