Use Your Filbert
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Sandown preview: coral.co.uk handicap (13.25)

| 04.07.2015
SPORTSBOOK ODDS

Use Your Filbert was a desperately unlucky loser when runner-up last time out and can go one better to gain compensation in the 7f coral.co.uk handicap that opens proceedings on a cracking card at Sandown (13.25).

The Robert Cowell trained colt gamely landed a maiden at Haydock on his sole start as a juvenile, and shaped with plenty of promise on seasonal reappearance at the same venue when a staying on third to Scalzo over 6f.

Use Your Filbert ran as if crying out for for a step up to 7f, and would have got off the mark over it at Newmarket two weeks ago but for blowing the start.

The three-year-old lost stacks of ground when rearing and being slowly away as the gates opened, but showed plenty of pace to make up the lost ground and made good headway a furlong from home to take up the running inside the last.

Those early exertions then took their toll, and Use Your Filbert got headed close home and beaten a neck by Them And Us.

To his credit the son of Acclamation battled on well once headed, and in the circumstances it was a an excellent effort given how the race panned out.

Although Use Your Filbert has been put up 4lb for that run, he is in effect a winner without a penalty and there is no doubt in my mind that he should be capable of winning a race of this nature off his current mark of 80.

Easy Tiger has a terrific strike rate and looks the main danger in what is a competitive class 3 affair.

The William Muir trained gelding has won three of his four starts, and showed a good attitude in the last of those when scoring by a short-head at Goodwood.

Easy Tiger looked ill at ease on the track, getting unbalanced on the undulations, but found plenty under pressure to get the job done.

The return to a more conventional and galloping track will suit, and the son of Refuse To Bend is a progressive sort who may well have more to offer despite being hit with a further 5lb rise in the weights.

Coral betting tip: The smart money should be on Use Your Filbert here.

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Author

David Metcalf

A lifelong Manchester United supporter, David has over 25 years’ experience in the media industry having worked for regional and national newspapers. He is a huge horse racing, football and greyhound fan and has done interviews on various radio and TV stations, including talkSPORT and Sky Sports, whilst working as a PR front man for a betting firm. David has also written for most of the top Premier League football fan websites, and produced a Cheltenham Festival guide with former eight-times champion national hunt jockey Peter Scudamore, MBE, after helping him to set up a syndicate for his trainer son Michael.