Sandown tips for Saturday: All eyes on Altior, Doing Fine the National value
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Coral horse racing experts give their Sandown tips for December 3, Tingle Creek Chase day, featuring Altior bets in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and Doing Fine each-way in the London National.
Altior bets say he can pass Henry VIII Novices’ Chase test
Altior looks a worthy odds-on favourite to further enhance his Arkle credentials with success in the 2m Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown this Saturday (13:55).
The Nicky Henderson trained six-year-old, who won all five of his races over hurdles last season, including a very strong renewal of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park, looked a natural on chasing debut at Kempton.
Although Altior faced a simple task on paper and was sent off a long odds-on favourite, there was nothing not to like about the way he went about his business in the hands of Noel Fehily, bolting up by 63 lengths over sole opponent Black Corton.
Natural over fences and potential to go right to the top
After taking up the running at the third, the gelding pulled further and further clear of his toiling rival to win as he liked.
Altior jumped superbly apart from a slight mistake at the ninth, but never looked like falling and was very athletic while creating a good shape over the fences.
He looked an absolute natural, while Altior’s high cruising speed and slick jumping are the perfect attributes for him to go right to the top of the chasing tree.
Limitless potential for Henderson horse
The son of High Chaparral is already being talked off in some quarters as a readymade replacement for recently retired superstar stablemate Sprinter Sacre and is currently 2/1 favoruite with Coral for the 2017 Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Whilst Altior has a long, long way to go achieve anything like that of Sprinter Sacre, there is little doubt that he has the potential to be something very special.
Punters should fully expect him to come through this test with flying colours, so back Altior bets to deliver Grade 1 success over fences for the first time here.
Ar Mad the answer in Tingle Creek
Gary Moore trained pair Ar Mad and Sire De Grugy look to hold leading claims in the feature race of the day, the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase (15:00), with the stable companions more attractive than favourite Un De Sceaux.
To find out more about Moore’s dyanmic duo and why Willie Mullins’ entrant might not be all that, check out our separate Tingle Creek tipping piece.
Doing Fine each-way value in London National at Sandown
In the 3m 4f London National (15:30), Doing Fine looks nicely weighted and decent each-way value in a wide open renewal.
The gelding had some useful form to his name when trained by Rebecca Curtis, beating this year’s Hennessy Gold Cup runner-up Carole’s Destrier by a neck at Ffos Las off a mark of 126, before going down by just a neck by Cogry at Warwick off 4lb higher.
Doing Fine was also far from disgraced when eighth of 17 to Cause Of Causes in the 4m Nnational Hunt Chase at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival, or when third first time out last season at Chepstow off a rating of 132.
Now in the care of in-form trainer Neil Mulholland, the eight-year-old is able to race off the same mark as when last successful.
Doing Fine ran really well on his first start for his new handler when collared close home and beaten a length in a handicap hurdle at Sedgefield back in October.
That should have put him spot on, and Doing Fine looks the ideal type for this staying contest and weighted to run a huge race on the pick of his form.
Sandown tips for Saturday, December 3
12.20: Cruiseaweigh
12.50: Oskar´s Eva
13.20: Some Kinda Lama
13.55: Altior
14.25: Consul De Thaix
15.00: Ar Mad
15.30: Doing Fine (E/W)
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