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It’s quickly became a very popular race this, and Sandown have been rewarded with a very strong entry for this years renewal……..
Rock Gone, Beat That, and Mendip Express all deserve their place near the head of the market, but there were a few others which really jumped out at me…..
Rathlin Rose – He’s got a fair old record round here, and his run here last time was very encouraging. Shaved a couple of pounds for that effort, which won’t do any harm. The Bet365 Chase here, looked to be too big an ask last term, earlier in the season he had posted a solid effort in The Welsh National. Looks a player to me. 10’s
Le Reve – Been a great servant to connections, and after a prolonged layoff, I thought he shaped well on his comeback behind Beat That & Exitas. He weakened out of it eventually, but he was entitled to need that. He’s a course specialist, and having been as high as 149 a few runs back, he looks to have been given a serious chance here on 135, with Daryl Jacob booked. Big big player. 12’s
Cultram Abbey – He’s got more consistent as the years have passed, and he showed a really good attitude when winning at Kelso last time. The 5lb rise will demand more, but as one of the lower profile runners, I think he can put up a decent showing here. 12’s
Henllan Harri – 2017 Bet365 Gold Cup Winner. He returns to the scene of his finest hour, and he screams “laid out for this”. Since that big win, he’s posted many solid efforts, and when last seen in the summer, he was in good form. Slight suspicion that this might not be his time of year, but looks a strong candidate to me. 14’s
Pete The Feat – The “Veterans Veteran”, and one of those horses who immediately springs to mind when this series is mentioned. Very disappointing comeback from him, but he was a lot more like it last time behind Mendip, running on well. He has to improve again, and hard to find so much improvement in a 14yo, but he has to be respected. 14’s
Buywise – Very popular old boy, particularly on here, and he comes here as defending champ. He’s ran many good races, often frustrating supporters admittedly, but he’s done so with a big old chunk of metal in his back. He’s been very flat this season, and I’m just struggling to make a solid case for him here. I couldn’t really make a case for him last year either. 16’s
Exitas – He’s looked a rejuvenated character this term, running some of his best races. No match for Beat That last time, but I fancy him to reverse that here. He just looks the wrong price to me. 16’s
The last two I’ll mention together, as I’d just be repeating myself. Both Houblon Des Obeaux and Theatre Guide can boast course form, both relatively out of form this season, but both treated accordingly, and crucially, both priced on this seasons form. I’ve had good fun from this pair over the years, and I think it would be madness to write them off for this. Both 20’s
There’s just something about this series which seems to encourage you to go with the heart rather than the head.
Going with the head, I’d have the shortlist as……
Exitas
Le Reve
Pete The Feat
Rathlin Roseso going with the heart, I just have to have Pete as the early play. Yes, it’s partly through sentimentality, but on a serious note, his last run was highly encouraging, and I can easily see him making the 4 at 14’s.
I’ll no doubt have Theatre and Houblon in there as well on the day, as sentimentality takes over completely.
Pete The Feat 14’s Each Way
Easily the best initiative the BHA has come up with in some time and is perhaps my favourite race of the month. Yeah my selections are always sentimental based, but in the three runnings of this race I’ve found the winner twice and the runner up courtesy of Soll and Pete The Feat!
Houblon Des Obeaux is entering last chance saloon. If he can’t go close here on his current mark, then even I might have to suggest greener pastures for the old boy. Already played him at 20/1. Trainer and likely jockey are in flying form to boot.
Pete The Feat is nothing short of a hero and you just know this is his Grand National (an appropriate comparison considering how the race usually pans out). Can’t not have him.
Theater Guide owes me nothing too and while he isn’t looking anything like the force of old; I can’t bring myself to abandon him here, especially considering the form his trainer is in
I’m with you Pete, I love these old war horses that still have the enthusiasm for the game.
Good luck with Theatre Guide, a 17lb drop in the space of a year makes him interesting.
I can’t have this race go by without mentioning an old favourite of mine, Loose Chips. He’s
been good to me when I’ve backed him at decent odds e/w and when he took leg 8 in the Veterans
Series here at Sandown in November. He loves this course having run here 13 times, won 3 times,
been 2nd 3 times and also 3rd 3 times. If ever there’s a horses for courses arguement to be made,
it’s surely him. He’s crept up the weights a bit recently to a mark of 138, but that’s the mark
he won the Veterans Chase at Ascot back in April 2017 and he ran a cracker here when just over 2L
back in 3rd in a decent handicap behind Ballydine last February carry 1lb more than here. He’s
turned 13 now and only Pete The Feat has more mileage on the clock in this race. You’ll certainly
get a run for your money, he’s guaranteed to be out the in front from the off, and if he’s not
feeling the weight of father time on his back he won’t be easy to peg back over fences he takes
so well to. 14/1 is too tempting for me to leave alone
Good luck Bobby with Pete The Feat, he’s a good pal of Loose Chips both being out of Charlie
Longsdon’s stable. If he manages to take this at 15yrs he’s some horse. He didn’t look like
he had lost his appetite when running on for 3rd here last time out.Cheers Graham, Loose Chips looks sensible choice.
Peter, our trio all stand their ground.
Great line up, with only Beat That, Mendip Express, and Uhla Bute not declared.
FOur on my shortlist;
Cultram Abbey
Tenor Nivernais
On Tour
BuywiseBRilliant race potentially.
Race of the season for me and could easily back 10 in the race. Course specialists Le Reve, Pete The Feat and Rathlin Rose can’t be discounted and it would take a hard man not to be touched if PTF did come out on top.
HDO has always been a favourite of mine but form has been off recently and it looks like he needs 5 rather than 3 miles the way he finishes off races these days. I’ll probably discount him now as he probably needs it softer as well but not carrying my money will certainly help him.
Buywise won this last year and like a few others have backed him a few times though missed out last year. That victory is the only one since Feb 2015 though and again I will probably leave alone.
Tenor Nivernais looks interesting off that mark and with Venetia in cracking form cannot be ruled out. An uncontested lead would help but in a 17 runner field this may be difficult. Also another who would probably prefer the ground a good deal softer.
On Tour is another I’ve backed a few times and another creeping down the weights and with the 5 pound claimer Mitchell Bastyan on board he certainly has his chance. He may just be my pick
Sorry Graham but I am with you with Loose Chips but I have backed him five places !!
The other one I have backed is Halo Moon at 28/1 five places and on last years form at Donny has a better chance than a 28/1 shot!!
Good Luck Guys
Great race and really hard to pick one out. In the end I´ve gone for On Tour at 12/1 EW. Always like him and he has really dropped a lot in the weights, dispite running some decent races, Mitchell Bastyan taking 5 off as well.
Halo Moon for me too Raymo though I only got 25s to 5 places.
As a veteran he’s still just running-in his engine having had only 17 runs in his career. Mainly consistent last season and with wins in the past at stiff tracks like Towcester and Newcastle, I think this might suit him.
Like you guys, I do love this race. Perfectly slotted into the calendar. I don’t like the idea floated about a few months back of moving it to the Cheltenham Festival. Leave it be. Let the old boys have their moment in the sun. Sandown in January works well.
Hopefully they all come back safe and sound (as always obviously). God forbid how the press and the antis would spin it should one of these veterans take a fatal fall.
As a betting proposition, I’ve played Rock Gone and Rathlin Rose.
Rock Gone e/w 7/1 and Rathlin Rose e/w 9/1
Both 6 places
Rathlin Rose @ 9/1
Brilliant Sandown record. 3 wins in 6 starts. He has been dropped 2lbs for his seasonal opener. Tom Scu back on-board having won on him back in March off a lower mark. Really fancy his chances
Echo what Middle of March said about this race’s place in the calendar. Not that I trust the authorities to do the right thing and keep it where it is.
In competitive handicaps I often find a compelling reason not to rate of the main fancies in the market, and it invariably goes on to win and astound and and (frankly) knock my confidence when it comes to thinking I know what I am talking about. This race throws up Le Reve, who has only beaten home one horse in five races since the 2016 Grand National. How does that make it the selection of esteemed tipsters like Kealy?
I think I’ll tip up Rock Gone and Kings Lad, two of the less veteran veterans.
I was going to stick with Loose Chips, but at 20/1 I can’t resist
having a few quid e/w 5 places on Bishops Road. I don’t get how
he is trading at that price, he was a very decent 2nd last time but one at Haydock,
and wasn’t unfancied last time in the Rehersal Chase at Newcastle, but came down at
the 3rd. Kerry Lee says this has been the target and I think he’s well overpriced.
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