The Weekend Wager: Raceolly has five tips at Sandown and Wincanton on Saturday

There are six race meetings taking place on Saturday, and our resident columnist Raceolly has delved through the form guides for this week's edition of The Weekend Wager, and he's picked out his five best bets from Sandown Park and Wincanton...

13:30 Wincanton - Leonna Mayor New House Celebration Handicap Hurdle

Tom George has been extremely patient with Coupdebol who’s only managed two starts in three years since moving from France, but he is very interesting on his recent seasonal debut which was his first run for 747 days. The winner went on to finish 2nd in a listed race next start and the 3rd and 5th have since run with the 3rd going for a Graded race at Cheltenham and the 5th finishing runner-up behind a decent one at Plumpton. It was clearly a decent race and the fact he went so well for a long way and to only go down by 15 lengths after such a mammoth break is very encouraging especially as this will now be his second run after a wind op which usually helps (takes a run for them to realise they can now breath easier is the theory). An opening mark of 106 is very fair more so considering he beat horses rated 23lbs higher off level weights at Newbury on British debut.

14:05 Wincanton - AdvancedBiotech.co.uk UK Award Winning CBD Handicap Chase

Belle De Manech found her calling on chase debut last time out when comfortably winning by 14 lengths on ground that would have been fast enough for her. The prospect of soft ground over the larger obstacles here tomorrow makes her even more interesting with her only run out of the top two on ground soft or worse coming in graded events. Two wins from three runs at Wincanton and the trainer Anthony Honeyball in a real purple patch of late with a 38% win rate over the last two weeks after five winners from 13 runners also adds to the confidence. The drop back to two miles on this ground no inconvenience and new mark of 127 very fair.

14:40 Wincanton - rapidcharge.com Leading EV Charging Solution Handicap Hurdle

Crossing The Bar is very interesting here off a opening mark that looks very workable, but looks likely to go off a skinny enough price and one at much bigger odds that catches the eye is Getalead. He rattled off a quick hat-trick of wins recently and ran a decent race off this handicap mark last time out when 4th at Taunton when sent off a well fancied favourite for the 13 runner event. Dropped back a few furlongs for that race and got outpaced after they sprinted from two out after a slowly run race, which didn’t suit at all, but did stick on well at the end to grab 4th. The likely strong pace here will suit and can be so tough to pass once hitting the front as proven in all three wins this season 

15:00 Sandown - Unibet Veterans' Handicap Chase (Final Of The 2021 Veterans Chase Series)

Plenty of the veterans appeal at decent prices with Indy Five and Psychedelic Rock standing out at big odds. The latter is particularly interesting currently priced up the big outsider of the field despite three wins this year already, the last two off higher marks and the first one off just 1lb lower. He tends to need the first run and the yard left the headgear off last time out, but the cheekpieces return here now stripping fitter for that pipe opener at Haydock last time. Form on second run after a break of 60 days or more read 121291 and Ian Williams is having a very good season with his handicap chasers boasting a win rate of 21% after 10 winners from 48 runners.

15:35 Sandown - Unibet Casino Deposit 10 Get 40 Handicap Hurdle

Volkovka has a very healthy strike rate after three wins from nine runs over hurdles and now finds herself off a mark of 132 after a solid 2nd at this track last time out, a race that’s been franked by two winners coming out since (the 4th and the 7th). There were excuses on her only other previous run at the track when the vet reported her as sore behind when finishing 3rd back in March. She has plenty of form on soft/heavy ground and drop back to two miles on softer ground looks ideal. Fergal O’Brien is currently operating on a 28% win rate after 10 winners from 36 runners over the last two weeks and has a very healthy 24% win rate partnership with Paddy Brennan this season after 239 rides.