Horse Racing Betting Tips: Enola Gay can pay for the day at Sandown
CHRISTMAS was a bit of a slog for punters. Unexpected results in the King George and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, as well as a fistful of unfancied winners throughout the festive period, meant the bookies rolled into 2019 on top.
Tomorrow’s card at Sandown, where the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle is the feature, marks a good opportunity to fight back, though you might struggle to fill the coffers by finding the winner of that race before the final field is declared.
Nicky Henderson, who has won four of the last eight renewals, has a quartet of possible runners at the latest stage of entries and it’s not entirely clear who will line up.
Rathhill has been all the rage over the last 48 hours and is as short as 11/8 with some firms, but the money for stablemate Birchdale, now 11/4 in places, has started to trickle in and I’m happy to invest elsewhere.
In the 2m4f handicap chase (1.20pm), ENOLA GAY jumps off the page as an improving six-year-old for the in-form Venetia Williams yard.
Lurking at the bottom of the weights off 118 – just 1lb higher than when second at the track over two miles during the Tingle Creek meeting – Williams’ runner is stepping up in trip for his third start of the campaign and could be very well handicapped.
After that, Williams fields the front-running Gino Trail in the two mile handicap chase (1.50pm).
He’ll wear his heart on his sleeve and give you a run for your money if he can get into a good rhythm, but even he may find shouldering top weight on his seasonal reappearance too big of an ask.
Paul Nicholls is firing in the winners at the moment and looks set to field both Capeland and Copain De Classe.
The former has already rattled off a hat-trick of wins this season but is now up to a career high mark of 140 and is just 3/1 with the bookies, while the same can be said for Copain De Classe, who is 7lbs higher than when winning at Kempton back in October.
MOVIE LEGEND is the one that appears to have been given a chance by the handicapper and can be backed each-way at 7/1 with Paddy Power.
He’s been raised just 1lb since finishing second behind Bun Doran at Cheltenham in November, while the winner was hit with a 10lb rise and went on to finish a close second, again at Cheltenham, last month.
The closing two mile handicap hurdle (3.35pm) looks very competitive and cases could be made for a number of runners, but the one who really catches the eye is OUR MERLIN at 7/1.
Flip the calendar back 12 months and he was second in this very race behind Call Me Lord, who is now a Grade Two winner and 16/1 in the ante-post betting for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Our Merlin is returning to this race off just 5lbs higher and appears to be in good form having won at Wincanton last time out.
Thistimenextyear, Richard Spencer’s son of Dawn Approach, is an interesting runner who looks like getting his head in front at some stage.
Rated a respectable 86 on the Flat and placed in five of his six starts over hurdles, he looks a big danger.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Enola Gay 1.20pm Sandown
Movie Legend e/w 1.50pm Sandown
Our Merlin e/w 3.35pm Sandown