ITV Racing Tips: Two To Back at Aintree & Sandown on Saturday

Yet another star studded Saturday with top class jumps racing in the north and the south of the country is upon us, with Sandown hosting its Tingle Creek day card and Aintree wheeling out the National Fences on Becher Chase Day!

Billy Grimshaw hit the crossbar with 25/1 selection Three Card Brag in last weekend's article in the Coral Gold Cup and has a couple more selections to sink your teeth into this Saturday...

13:50 Sandown - Henry VIII Novices' Chase

Lulamba is a warm order for this race, and deserves favouritism given his lofty reputation and fine performances as a juvenile hurdler last campaign. However, this is the sort of race I could see him being tapped for toe in and at the prices I am going to suggest a small wager on BE AWARE for the champion trainer elect Dan Skelton. There is no doubt in my mind that at their peaks, Lulamba will be a better horse than Be Aware barring accident or injury, however, I  do not think we will see the best of Nicky Henderson's charge until he is stretched at least to the intermediate trip.

He always looked more of a stayer than a speedball and we often see these juvenile hurdlers develop from running solely over two miles at four to needing further at five, six and beyond. He is bred to want further too, and on chase debut although he didn't do much wrong I was not as impressed as some were with his technique. Granted, he gets six pounds here which will be a big advantage, but Sandown is a track that you will get found out at if your jumping is not ideally suited to the test you're facing.

If I believe Lulamba is being shoehorned into the two mile division when he should be trying further, I have to take him on in a trappy four runner race with a front runner like Be Aware ready to take advantage of any chinks in the armour. With proven stamina, Be Aware is only just being allowed back to his optimal trip and I really liked what I saw from him off the front end at Cheltenham last time out when just denied by the smart July Flower. A repeat of that display will see him involved here and with the railway fences coming thick and fast, I want an assured jumper like this Mortaline gelding.

Lump Sum warrants respect as well for Sam Thomas after his easy 15 length win on chase debut last time out, however thar race looked no great shakes to me and although he cruised round Uttoxeter, his jumping will be put under much more pressure here if he wants to wrestle the lead from Be Aware.

14:40 Aintree - Becher Chase

GABORIOT looks a standout each-way bet to me despite being 1lbs out of the handicap in the 2025 Becher for a team that expected to win the race with this horse in 2024 before the meeting was sadly abandoned. He will have bottom weight of 10st2 here and judging by his Grand Sefton run last time out, over a trip we know is far too short for him to show his best, there is no way he will be out of the frame with everything in the field giving him weight on rain softened ground.

At the other end of the weights Mr Vango of course has a chance, as you'd expect for the favourite in the Becher, but he is going to have to be borderline Gold Cup standard to win this with 12 stone on his back on seasonal debut.  Sara Bradstock, of course knows all about left field Gold Cup preps paying off so it would not be something I'd rule out seeing this lad romp to glory from the front end, but he's surely too short.

Bill Baxter is another I'd respect, but giving nearly a stone to my fancy is going to be a tall order barring incident. The more I look at the field and more times I rewatch that Grand Sefton knowing the purpose of that run was to be cherry ripe for today, the more I warm to Gaboriot and while I am recommending an each-way play because I cannot see him out of the first four, I could put no adrenaline junkie off a win only play.