Sandown Saturday Preview - 08/01/22

The first selection of the day on Saturday at Sandown comes in the Juvenile Hurdle over two miles and the horse that takes our eye is the Ian Williams trained Malakahna.

The four year old filly moved over to Britain in the summer, racing twice on the flat in France, winning on his final start at Toulouse.

Bought for €40,000 and given to Williams, she made her seasonal/hurdle/British debut at Fakenham in a Juvenile Hurdle and she showed plenty of ability to go and win by eight lengths.

Upped in class in December into a Listed Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree she was fifth of nine runners, with the horses ahead of her being very smart.

Dropping back into this grade and having that better experience could make her tough to beat, with the soft ground set to suit.

One of our better bets of the day comes in the Listed Mares' Hurdle over 2m4f and Gauloise for the master trainer Willie Mullins looks the one to beat.

The Irish raider is the trainers only runner at Sandown on the day which is a big statement in itself, but from her past exploits she holds some leading form.

Bought over from France in 2019 after winning her sole flat start, she was sent over hurdles in November 2020 for the first time and looked a natural, winning a good Maiden by six lengths.

Over the same course and distance in a Listed event at Thurles she made it 2/2 and then when looking to land the hat-trick inn Grade Three company she had to settle for third behind two smart mares.

Sent to the Cheltenham festival off the back of that she ran no race in the Mares Novices' Hurdle, but bounced back in a big way in April on at Fairyhouse when second to Skyace in a Grade One over 2m4f.

She rounded off the season back at two miles winning a Listed Novice Hurdle by 10 lengths and having gone well fresh in the past, she looks the one to beat.

A very tricky event for punters on the card at Sandown is the Class 3 Handicap Chase over 2m4f and we are going with the top weighted Farinet for Venetia Williams.

The ground is set to be fairly soft on the weekend and this trainers horses are known to revel in this sort of ground, especially this horse.

Having moved over to Williams' yard last year being a decent chaser over in France, he made his British debut over fences at Haydock when a good third behind two smart Novices'.

Given one more run last term, the gelding got off the mark for the yard, winning over course and distance at Sandown on soft ground beating Up The Straight by close to seven lengths.

Racing off a mark of 133 for his seasonal debut in the competitive Grade Three Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham he was unfortunately pulled up.

However, he will be much fitter for that experience and down to a mark of 131, with 3lb claimer Jack Tudor taking further weight off he is effectively running off 128, which is only 3lb higher than his last winning mark over C&D.

He is top weight but when delving deeper is actually on a very nice mark for this event and should go well if getting back to form.

Another Handicap Chase follows and it sees a competitive event over two miles and Numitor for the Heather Main stable makes big appeal.

The eight year old last season started over hurdles performing well but was switched to fences and took to chasing like a dream.

He made his chase debut at Ffos Las in a Novices' Handicap Chase over two miles and won by an eased down 14 lengths and then backed that up next time out at Wincanton when winning again by six lengths.

Looking to land the hat-trick he went to Sandown over course and distance and in a good event off a mark of 128 he finished third.

The gelding rounded off his season in May when finishing third again behind two nice types, in a better Handicap event.

Back down to a mark of 125 to start this term he got off the mark at Wetherby in fine style and then last time out run another valiant race in second to finish behind the extremely taking Il Ridoto for Paul Nicholls.

Up another 2lb for this race he now runs off 132 but with the soft ground in his favour and progressive nature he looks the bet.

The feature race of the day at Sandown is the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle over two miles and we can't look past Constitution Hill for Nicky Henderson.

The gelding looks to be a serious animal for Nicky Henderson and owner Michael Buckley, with the £120,000 purchase making an extremely taking rules debut at Sandown in December.

The four year old gelding had been seen once in a point to point before his rules debut, when finishing a head second in what might turn out to be a smart P2P.

Heading to Sandown in a Novices' Hurdle, he cruised next to the favourite Might I for Harry Fry, who is a good horse in his own right, and having jumped the last impeccably he went on to take the event by 14 lengths.

This saw Constitution Hill go from a 40/1 outsider for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle to now the general 4/1 second favourite and he could get shorter if going well in this.

He will need to improve again now in Grade One company but from his first run, he looks a much better animal than these runners.

On a side note, we want to give a mention to Datsalrightgino for Jamie Snowden who looks to be the each way value in the race for us.

The penultimate event on the card is the Veterans' Handicap Chase over three miles and at the grand old age of 13, Final Nudge still has something to give.

The Fergal O'Brien trained gelding has been a superb staying chaser over the years, being largely consistent when getting softening ground, which he will get on Saturday.

Back in February 2020 he won a Handicap Chase by 18 lengths off 127 and was then next seen again 12 months later off 134 when finishing a fair fifth of 14 in the Dick Hunt Trophy at Wincanton.

He rounded off last season at Uttoxeter in the Midlands Grand National when running a superb race to grab third of 20 behind Time To Get up and Scottish National winner Mighty Thunder.

Back again this term he has been seen once to date when winning a very competitive Handicap Chase at Warwick over three miles.

He races off only 3lb higher for this event and if in the same form looks to be one to enter the frame at an each way price.

The final event of the afternoon at Sandown Park is the two mile handicap hurdle and the horse that takes the eye is Mack The Man for Evan Williams.

The eight year old is a very smart horse, that although has been up and down at some stages of his career, overall has been very good.

Two terms ago he was seen winning back to back races at Warwick and Sandown (over C&D) before heading into Betfair Hurdle in 2020 where he had a huge chance to land the spoils but was unfortunately bought down.

Last season he started his term over fences and in both his runs at Ffos Las and Ascot he showed a lack of enthusiasm for the bigger fences.

Williams then sent him back over the smaller obstacles where he got back to winning ways and on his second try in the Betfair Hurdle it did not go to plan again.

He rounded off the season in March in the Grade Three Imperial Cup at Sandown and was a good third behind Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle second Langer Dan.

Staying over hurdles this term he was seen for the first time at Exeter in a Class 3 Handicap Hurdle off 127 and won by a neck.

He will improve for that run and off only 3lb higher he looks a nice bet at the odds.