Today's Horse Racing Tips: Strike A win at Sandown

Yesterday’s selection, Going Places (advised at 7/2), made all under Hollie Doyle to confirm the promise he had shown in his previous starts. There will be more races to be won with him.

There are four bets for today’s racing at Sandown and Wolverhampton.

Sandown Tips

13:50 – 2m4f European Breeders’ Fund Paddy Power ‘National Hunt’ Novices’ Handicap Hurdle Final (Grade 3)

A 25-length winner of a Point to Point race a year ago, STRIKING A POSE (NAP – 1 point win bet at 10/1) has since made a good start to life over hurdles and has won his last two races in fine style by a combined distance of almost 20-lengths. This obviously represents a step up in class, but that can be said for many of the field and this horse is clearly well fancied by the Tizzard team. Having held an entry for the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at next week’s Cheltenham Festival, his handicap mark of just 130 looks very attractive and he will have no problem with today’s conditions. The Mick Preston, a consistent and improving five-year-old, and Dorking Lad, on the way to winning recently before having his race void, should also go well.

14:25 – 2m Paddy Power Imperial Cup Handicap Hurdle (Grade 3)

Paul Nicholls can enjoy more Saturday success with his improving mare MIRANDA (1 point win bet at 8/1). Angus Cheleda’s 7lb claim will lessen the burden of top weight and she comes here in fine form after a Grade 2 victory at Doncaster last time out. She easily pulled clear of her five rivals that day, and although this will undoubtedly be tougher, her overall record of five wins from nine starts means she is fully entitled to take her place in this prestigious race. At the other end of the weights, Hasanabad should run well, and Natural History is an obvious danger.

Wolverhampton Tips

14:05 – 7f Bombardier Lady Wulfruna Stakes (Listed)

RAAEB (1 point win bet at 7/1) will be Saeed Bin Suroor’s first domestic runner of the year and can further enhance the trainer’s already impressive 31% strike rate at Wolverhampton. With Highland Dress, Ostilio and Lord Of The Lodge likely to take each other on in front, this race may be set up for one that can track that strong pace. Raaeb can get in a perfect position from stall four and with stamina for further in his pedigree, he could relish a strongly run seven furlongs. This lightly-raced Godolphin runner has won two of his five starts to date but has also lost nothing in defeat behind a couple of very good horses. He finished second to Kinross on his second start with that horse going on to be sixth in the 2000 Guineas before winning a Listed race. He then chased home an easy winner at Lingfield when last seen, and that horse has since been placed in Group 3 and Group 1 company.  Fitness will have to be taken on trust on this first start for 378 days, but he looks well capable of winning a decent race himself.

14:40 – 1m½f Bombardier British-Hopped Amber Beer Lincoln Trial Handicap (Class 2)

With several of these likely to be using this as a stepping stone to the Lincoln and others unproven on the All-Weather, I am siding with the in-form BORN TO BE ALIVE (1 point win bet at 7/1). Karl Burke’s seven-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2017-18 with a couple of placed efforts in Listed company to his name. He then had to endure a mammoth absence but returned from 896 days off the track to finish a close second at this course on Boxing Day. He followed that up with a third-place finish in a decent conditions race before scoring in impressive style at Kempton last time out. With plenty in his favour today, he can follow up his recent victory off a handicap mark that is still below what he was rated at his peak. The Gill Brothers can outrun his odds and Mission Boy completes the shortlist.