ITV Racing Tips: Three Picks For Saturday's Action

The Jumps season comes to a crashing crescendo at Sandown and we can expect to see Willie Mullins crowned British Champion Trainer for the first time ever, along with Harry Cobden probably grabbing the Jockey gong. There is stacks of good racing on ITV and while Leicester has a race broadcast, it's all about Sandown and Haydock for Billy Grimshaw with his three selections coming across those two tracks...
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13:50 Sandown - bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle
Kicking things off on Sandown is arguably the most competitive race of the day. When opening the form book to study this one it is no exaggeration to say a good case can be made for more than half the field, which could indicate it would be smart to leave it as a no bet race. However, price is everything in sports betting and as such I have to have one of Paul Nicholls' runners onside considering they have won this race twice since 2019 and obviously target this meeting every season.
Panjari is the shorter priced Ditcheat raider but even with Freddie Gingell taking off five, top weight in here will be tough looking at how many are blatantly progressive. FIRE FLYER has champion jockey elect Harry Cobden on board and looks absolutely rock solid from an each-way perspective at 12/1. I am willing to totally discount his flop last time out here over an intermediate trip as he has never looked the type to want anything other than two miles, and while motivation is never in question when it comes to jockeys we know Cobden will be itching to kick off his potential coronation day with a win.
Fire Flyer's wins in novice hurdles earlier this season at Wincanton and Taunton have worked out well and although Nicholls is never not bullish, he does seem sweeter on this runner's chances than his top weight. He'll do for me each-way.
14:25 Sandown - Oaksey Chase
This is a race that has cut up dramatically since final decs were made, and the market leaders all have big questions to answer following abject performances last time out. The Real Whacker beating Gerri Colombe in the 2023 Brown Advisory looks more and more baffling as the two continue their careers, while Hitman the co-favourite is another who is dangerously close to dodgepot territory. The aforementioned Nicholls targeting of this meeting would mean I'd side with him a match between those two, but neither inspire betting confidence at around 9/4.
GA Law also pulled up last time out in the Ryanair when seemingly having no excuses, so although Jamie Snowden has had a record setting season his charge here also needs to bounce back. He makes more appeal on price grounds at 5s, but still no dice. Easy Game also pulled up last time out at Aintree in the Melling behind Jonbon, and with his rider that day looking unhappy throughout and reporting the horse stopped quickly he would be one I'd avoid even with the Mullins factor.
That leaves Straw Fan Jack, the rank outsider who will surely find a couple too good, Fantastic Lady for Henderson and De Boinville and AL DANCER. The former hasn't looked up to her 2022/23 form in 2023/24, but the latter is worth supporting in a race filled with horses with questions hanging over them. He may be 11 now but is lightly raced still and on his second in the Coral Trophy last time out, Sam Thomas's charge looks like the fire still burns bright. He runs well off a break and in a race where few can be trusted, he rates the solid play.
14:45 Haydock - Trustatrader.com Handicap
The forecast is actually decent enough in the North West of England this weekend, but as is often the case the damage has been done at Haydock and we can expect the sole race up there to be coming to us on ITV Racing on heavy ground. That would worry plenty in the field, but one who relishes the mud and is worth backing to win again at this course is SPARKS FLY. He has an incredibly impressive record of eight wins from ten runs when the conditions are as he is due to face at Haydock, and I can see him going off much shorter.
He was a winning machine last year and although he finished his season with a poor run over in France, that can be discounted and now after a break and over a C&D he relishes, he can defy the big weight and get back to winning ways. We can discount his poor start to last season as it came on the AW, a surface on which he clearly does not act because as soon as he switched to turf he racked up a six timer!
The horse I'd fear most is not the favourite Rainbow Fire, who looks a good ground horse to me, but Tacarib Bay who has only been beaten at Haydock by subsequent Queen Anne winner Triple Time. He should like the mud flying, but Sparks Fly is the bet at the prices.
Bet365 Gold Cup Tips
Billy has also penned a preview of the bet365 Gold Cup at 15:35 at Sandown on Saturday, which you can read below...