ITV Racing Saturday Sandown And Wolverhampton Preview

The first big race of the day at Sandown is the Grade Three Novices' Handicap Hurdle over 2m4f and at a double figure price, Patroclus for Nicky Henderson is a big player.

The five year old has been extremely consistent for the Seven Barrows yard during his career, finishing second in a point to point in March last year in Ireland and has been sent over hurdles this term.

He has ran three times to a high standard, making his debut at Warwick when a good second to the impressive Jay Bee Why for Alan King, who has since franked the form.

Patroclus also franked that form line when getting off the mark at the second time of asking at Exeter in a two mile event and the third that day has since gone out and won.

The son of Shirocco was last seen at Doncaster at the end of February over 2m3f and in gritty fashion he managed to stay on well to land the win from two smart horses in Riggs and Jeremy Pass.

His form heading into this event looks solid and only up 5lb for that win makes him a big player at 10/1.

The first race from the flat at Wolverhampton on Saturday sees the feature event at the West Midlands based track with the Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes.

The seven furlong event sees some top class horses seen on the turf during the summer and the horse we are siding with is Mums Tipple for Richard Hannon.

The four year old will be ridden by the inform Ryan Moore which is a big plus as he might be able to get the gelding to recapture his form of old.

The son of Footstepsinthesand, bounced onto the racing scene back in 2019 in emphatic fashion landing a superb maiden event and then taking the the Premier Yearling Stakes at York's Ebor meeting by a sensational 11 lengths.

After giving that performance of the season he was highly touted to turn into a special horse but his form has just gone downhill from there.

Since that win he has finished all but last in the Middle Park Stakes, Commonwealth Cup, Hackwood Stakes and Garrowby Stakes.

Having really lost his enthusiasm for the game he has been gelded and returned at Lingfield in February in a prep race for this event where he was sixth of nine in the Listed Kachy Stakes.

That run should have put him spot on for this event and now back up in trip he has every chance of running a big race.

The feature race at the Esher track is the Grade Three Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle and the horse that takes the eye is Natural History for Gary Moore.

The current 3/1 shot for the race looks to be an extremely nice price at this stage and will only get shorter before the off with non runners.

The six year old gelding is weighted to have a big say in the two mile event having been a smart horse on the flat and then this season been sent over hurdles and taken to them really well.

He made his hurdles debut in January at Plumpton over two miles and finished a good second on soft ground behind a nice type for David Pipe.

He then went to Wincanton and again had to settle for second behind Lucky One for Paul Nicholls who has since gone and mixed it in better company.

Natural History finally got off the mark last time out back at Plumpton over two miles, when getting his preferred good ground and going on to hose up by 15 lengths.

He is fairly well treated in the weights jumping into his first handicap event on Saturday and getting his quicker conditions can see him go close again.

Another nice event on Saturday at Wolverhampton is the Class 2 Lincoln Trial Handicap and Zwayyan for Andrew Balding takes the eye at a big price.

The eight year old is weighted to have a big say at 14/1 running off 8st 13lb whislt also getting another 7lb taken off by handy claimer Callum Hutchinson.

The gelding is highly experienced being a super performer throughout the years over a mile and although not winning since 2019, his last victory came in this race off 4lb higher and if running to the same form is a huge player.

The Listed Mares Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race over two miles looks a superb contest and the horse that takes the eye is the Jedd O'Keefe trained Miss Lamb.

The five year old has not done a lot wrong during her career, making her debut back in January 2020 at Newcastle in a bumper and easing to victory by close to four lengths.

She was not seen again that term, but was bought back at Wetherby in November and after some time off the track ran a cracker to win another Mares bumper.

Going for the hat-trick at Market Rasen in January she finished second behind the highly talented Eileendover and that looks the strongest form in the race, getting 4lb off the favourite.

The final event from Wolves at the weekend on ITV sees the six furlong Betway Handicap and in this field full of familiar faces we are going with the Clive Cox trained Streamline.

The four year old gets the mount of Ryan Moore and although needing to improve on his recent all weather exploits, is weighted to cause a problem to the favourite Summerghand.

The four year old has not been seen all that often, winning four starts ago over six furlongs at Kempton in the Group Three Sirenia Stakes back in 2019.

Since then the gelding has performed three times this year having been off the track for sometime and it seems has needed all of those runs to get him back on track.

If finding the Group Three winning form his handicap mark can be exploited, especially getting serious weight off the resr of the field.

The penultimate selection on the Sandown card from us comes in the Listed Novices' Handicap Chase over 2m4f and Admiral Barratry for Lucy Wadham could be a big player.

The eight year old has been seen three times this season, having not raced since April 2019 and she has put up three smart performances.

Having needed the run on chase debut in December at Doncaster, he then went to Fakenham over 2m5f and got off the mark in fine style, seeing off Corrany for Nicky Henderson who landed a Beginners Chase on Sunday to frank the form.

Admiral Barratry went up 5lb for that win and managed to finish a good second over the same course and distance last time out and although up another 4lb for that run he still gets weight off most of the field and that makes him one to watch if staying on this improving curve.