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Saturday's Sandown tips
- 1.50 Sandown – Geezer Rockstar @ 11/1 with William Hill
- 2.25 Sandown – Easy Game @ 11/2 with bet365
- 3.00 Sandown – Jonbon @ 9/4 with BetVictor
- 4.10 Sandown – Langer Dan @ 3/1 with bet365
As the National Hunt season concludes this Saturday, all the attention is on Irish champion trainer Willie Mullins. He stands on the brink of a historic achievement, poised to become the first trainer in 70 years to secure the British and Irish Championships in a single season.
This feat was last accomplished by the legendary Vincent O’Brien in 1954, underscoring the magnitude of Mullins' almost certain success.
After a stellar campaign, including multiple Grade 1 wins in Ireland and England and triumphs in the Grand National and Scottish National, Mullins hopes to end the season with a bang. He's assembled a formidable team for Sandown, with many of his runners priced up by betting sites as strong contenders for the substantial prize money on offer.
Celebration Chase tip (3.00)
The most valuable race of the day is the Grade 1 bet365 Celebration Chase over just shy of two miles, which has attracted only seven runners. El Fabiolo represents Mullins, and it looks like a straight two-runner race between him and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon, who was hugely impressive when winning at Aintree a couple of weekends ago.
Both are out of the top drawer in chases over this distance, but they look more closely matched than the markets on horse racing betting sites would suggest. Both are prone to jumping errors, but Sandown has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Jonbon, and he makes the most appeal.
El Fabiolo was at his absolute best when winning at the Dublin Festival at the start of February, but he never looked quite at ease on his next appearance at Cheltenham in the Queen Mother Chase. He made a couple of early errors and then made an absolute blunder at the fifth and was quickly pulled up.
The chances are that he will be at his best coming into this race, but there are enough question marks to oppose him on this occasion.
Sandown Tip 1: 3.00 Sandown – Jonbon @ 9/4 with BetVictor
1.50 Sandown tip
Mullins is without a representative in the first race of the day at Sandown, a handicap over two miles restricted to horses who have qualified through the current season. It is a wide-open affair looking at horse racing betting apps and is to be approached with caution.
No more than a handful can be safely ruled out, but it may pay to side with Geezer Rockstar. A 11/1 shot with William Hill, Harry Fry’s five-year-old has had just three runs over hurdles and should have any amount of improvement to come.
He showed his best form to date on a sound surface when winning at Ascot in March, and this drop back to two miles on similar ground could prove perfect.
Sandown Tip 2: 1.50 Sandown – Geezer Rockstar @ 11/1 with William Hill
2.25 Sandown Tip
The second race of the day at Sandown sees the first of Willie Mullins runners in action, and he has a bright claim of making it a winning one with Easy Game.
The Real Whacker, very highly tried in the Gold Cup last time out, and Hitman head the markets on betting apps, but their form this season has been patchy, albeit in useful company, and they have yet to register a win between them.
Admittedly, Easy Game has hardly been the epitome of consistency this season and was pulled up in the Melling Chase at Aintree last time out. However, when he does get things right, he is up there with the best of them.
He has plenty of winning form on good ground, and the conditions at Sandown should suit.
Sandown Tip 3: 2.25 Sandown – Easy Game @ 11/2 with bet365
4.10 Sandown Tip
The bet365 Select Hurdle at 4.10 sees a rematch between Impaire Et Passe and Langer Dan, first and third in the Aintree Hurdle earlier in the month. There was little to choose between them at the line, with the Willie Mullins-trained runner snatching it in a three-way photo finish.
This slightly longer trip should favour Langer Dan, who won the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival for a second time in March, and he can finish the season off with a win after overcoming all sorts of problems with fitness/illness in his first four starts of the season.
He has been better than ever on his last two outings and can reverse the form with Impaire Et Passe in what could prove another epic battle in the closing stages. Bet365 make Dan Skelton’s runner a 3/1 shot, which looks more than a fair price for a horse in the form of his life.
Sandown Tip 4: 4.10 Sandown – Langer Dan @ 3/1 with bet365
Free bets for Sandown races
It's worth checking to see if you are eligible for free bets if you are planing to have a wager on the National Hunt season's big finale.
BetGoodwin have a welcome offer that gives new customers up to 50 per cent of their money back as a free bet, up to £25, on any first day losses on their sportsbook. All you have to do is open an account and make an initial deposit.
Then place a minimum of three bets of £10 or more. Qualifying bets must have odds of evens (2.0) or greater and if any of your wagers lose on the first day of having a BetGoodwin account, you'll receive 50 per cent of those losses back as a free bet, up to the value of £25.
BetGoodwin also offer free bet refunds if your runner is beaten by a nose, finishes second to a 50/1 shot or bigger, falls when leading at the last and if your selection is beaten by under half a length in a chase.
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Before signing up with BetGoodwin or new betting sites, check the terms and conditions of the welcome offer first. If you do have a bet on Saturday’s racing, or any other event, please gamble responsibly.
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Last Updated: 26th April 2024, 10:30 AM
