ITV Racing Sandown And Aintree Preview

A smart event on the Aintree card to start the ITV show is the Listed Juvenile Fillies' Hurdle over 2m1f and Irish raider White Pepper for Gavin Cromwell looks a very exciting animal.

The three year old filly was a fair horse on the flat and this term has been sent over hurdles for the Champion Hurdle winning trainer.

The daughter of Fast Company made a lovely start to life over hurdles when a narrow fifth of 16 on good to soft ground at Gowran.

She learnt a lot for that experience when going to Galway next time out and she beat a nice type for Gordon Elliott by 13 lengths.That looks some of the stand out form on show and needs taking seriously.

The first big race of the afternoon is the Grade One Henry VII Novices' Chase over two miles and we can't look past the favourite Third Time Lucki, who is looking to land a hat-trick over fences.

Third Time Lucki kick started his chasing career in fine style at Cheltenham in October, putting in an impressive inch-perfect round of jumping to go an easy eight lengths clear of his closest rival.

He backed up that performance, over the same C&D, last time out, making the step up into graded company, impressing once more via the manner of his jumping, winning with plenty in hand, eased down on the run in.

The son of Arcadio will be looking to land his very first Grade One in The Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices Chase and will be hoping to extend his unbeaten run over fences in his hat-trick bid.

The forecast looks to have conditions in his favour once more and its hard to look past this current short priced favourite from delivering on the day.

The feature event of the day on Merseyside is the Grade Two Many Clouds Chase and Imperial Aura, although needing to reverse his form, he looks the value in the field off the best of his form.

Kim Bailey’s charge looked like a top-class chaser in the making in the early stages of last season, winning his first two starts at Carlisle and Ascot, before slightly disappointing when pulling up at Cheltenham in the Ryanair Chase after being fancied to win his first career Grade One.

His figures for his last three races do not read well with an unseat, being pulled up and falling but before his step up to three miles in the Betfair Chase last time out he was niggled at in the betting to suggest they expected a big run.

On his day he is a superb horse and if being lenient with his recent form he has a big chance, with plenty of horses in this race having plenty of negatives.

The Grade One Tingle Creek is one of the first monstrous races in the UK National Hunt calendar and we are siding with the Irish raider.

Willie Mullins bids to win the Tingle Creek for the first time since his sole win in the race in 2016 and has currently entered for strong representation in this years renewal via Chacun Pour Soi.

Having beaten re-opposing rival Nube Negra when last seen in the Champion Chase at the Punchestown Festival in April, albeit upon slower conditions, we think the same will happen on his seasonal debut.

He jumped markedly well that day, travelled strongly and kept on well to beat his fellow yardstick by five lengths, also beating Dan Skelton's counterpart by a further 19 lengths, reversing their previous form in the Queen Mother.

The son of Policy Maker remains relatively lightly raced for a 9yo and already boasts five Grade One's to his name; he's known to run well fresh from a break and we can be assured Mullins will have him in top condition ahead of his return to action.

One of the big races at Aintree every season is the Becher Chase over the national fences and with a huge field going to post as usual we have two selections.

Kimberlite Candy is our first pick and has been highly consistent over staying trips during his career and having been really lightly raced over the last years it seems as though a got at this race has been in the offing for some time.Back in December 2019 he headed to Aintree for the first time in his career in the Grade Three Becher Chase over the National horses and was a superb second of 18 behind Walk In The Mill.

From there, in January 2020 he headed to Warwick for his final run of that season when winning the Grade Three Classic Handicap Chase over 3m5f by 10 lengths.

Kept fresh last term he was a good second on seasonal debut in the Becher Chase in December, finishing in behind the veteran Vieux Lion Rouge.

He unfortunately pulled up in the Grand National, but barring that run he is a reliable horse that will stay the trip and off the same mark as last year's race, can go well.

At a bigger price in the race the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained Checkitout is weighted to go very close near the bottom of the weights and also having an extra 3lb taken off by handy claimer Jordan Nailor.

At an each way price the son of Salutino seems to have been targeted at this and overall is a consistent horse with two wins and a second in his last five runs.

Seen once this season he finished a superb second in the London Gold Cup behind the talented Larry for Gary Moore and looking to want this extended trip, he could hit the frame off only 1lb higher.

Always a tough event for punters at Sandown is the London National Handicap Chase over the marathon trip of 3m 4 1/2f and The Mighty Don looks massively overpriced at 11/1.

The staying chaser has been a hard horse to win with during his career, last getting his head in front at Chepstow in October 2020.

The nine year old had been hit and miss but was well backed before the 3m3f Handicap Chase at Cheltenham's November meeting and he stayed on well into second only going down by just over a length.

He loves a trip and back in grade for this event could see him to even better effect, running off the same mark last time out.Big each way player.

The final event of the afternoon at Aintree is the Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f and Tamar Bridge still looks well in with the handicapper after his latest win.

Olly Murphy is a trainer bang in form at the minute running at a 35% strike rate for the last two weeks and this gelding looks to have a big chance to keep that run going.

The son of Jeremy has been seen four times to date, winning his sole bumper run in December 2020 at Haydock and since being ran three times over hurdles and winning his last two.

Finishing a good third in February on hurdles debut, he then went to Ayr in March and got off the mark in taking style, beating the talented Bass Rock.Saved for this term, he picked up from where he left off, going to Wetherby for his seasonal debut and landing a Novices' race by 13 lengths.

The assessor has given him a mark of 128 for his handicap debut and that looks extremely fair.

The final selection of the afternoon from Sandown sees us side with the Grade One winning Metier, who makes his seasonal debut back in Listed company.

The five year old had been a horse running on the flat before coming over to England and he was given to Harry Fry who sent him straight over hurdles.

It was one of the best decisions for this horse being unbeaten on all three of his first starts over obstacles, winning a Novices' Hurdle at Newton Abbot on debut and then backing that up at Ascot next time out in an Introductory Handicap.

Fry thought it was time to step him up to Grade One company at Sandown in the Tolworth Hurdle and it saw the gelding thrive in the heavy conditions to kick away after the last and win by 12 lengths.

He was then saved for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle where he made a mistake early on and never really recovered, being outclassed on the day.

Not seen last term, he is back for this year and starting back in lesser grade, if anywhere near the same horse as he showed in 19/20, he should go close.