Saturday tips: Ross Millar provides his selections for Sandown's undercard

The 2021/22 jumps season officially comes to a close at Sandown this Saturday and jockey Brian Hughes and rider Paul Nicholls will claim their much deserved titles after red-letter seasons. 

The 3m5f Sandown Gold Cup is the feature race on the card, but there’s plenty of other contests to get your teeth stuck into and horse racing writer Ross Millar has provided his selections on the undercard.

1.50 Sandown, 2m Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle

I can see the appeal of Knappers Hill, not least because he represents trainer Paul Nicholls who has an excellent record at this meeting.

He gets to race off the same mark here as when he ran out an easy winner at Newton Abbot last time and he handles good ground. I’m sure he is better than his rating but I think that he will need further to be at his best now that he is back up in grade.

The Dan Skelton-trained Boombawn interests me the most due to his third-placed finishes to Silent Revolution (an impressive winner at Chepstow last weekend) and Jonbon in a couple of novice hurdles at Newbury. 

A literal reading of that form suggests that he’s well handicapped off a mark of 121 and Jack Andrews, who has plenty of experience in the saddle, is good value for his 5lb claim. As a son of Dylan Thomas, Boombawn should relish the drying ground and is fancied to get the Skelton yard off to a good start.

Selection: Boombawn @ 11

2.25 Sandown, 2m6½f Oaksey Chase

There is a disappointing field of just four runners for this year’s Oaksey Chase, all of whom will arrive here on the back of a poor recent run.

Mister Fisher’s form seems to plummet as soon as he runs at Grade 1 level and my suspicion is that his suspect jumping is unable to cope with the increase in tempo.

However, he has a fine record at this level (three wins from four starts) and his sole Grade 2 defeat came when second to Frodon in this race last year. He seems best suited by a sound surface and a repeat of that effort should be good enough to win this moderate heat.

Selection: Mister Fisher @ 3

3.00 Sandown, 1m7½f Celebration Chase

Punters are treated to yet another disappointingly small field in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase, but this race at least contain a couple of high-class performers.

Sceau Royal is a likeable horse and rarely runs below form, but he was well beaten in this last year and the relatively quick return from his gallant run at Aintree tempers my enthusiasm.

Consequently, I see this boiling down to a match between last year's winner Greaneteen and Nube Negra, who arrives here fresh having been withdrawn from the Champion Chase due to soft ground.

Greaneteen is without regular pilot Bryony Frost and, in a race where I can’t see much between the pair, that can’t be viewed as a positive. I foresee Sky Pirate and Rouge Vif setting a solid gallop and my expectation is that Nube Negra will have the fastest finish on the quick ground.

Selection: Nube Negra @ 2.76

4.07 Sandown, 2m5½f Select Hurdle

As demonstrated by the tight betting market, this is a very competitive field. I would reason that a rating of 150 slightly overestimates the ability of Scaramanga, who was a winner on this card last year but weakened towards the finish over 2m4f on his next start. Encountering an extra furlong in a stronger race, he’s easy to oppose.

McFabulous has clearly not been easy to train and hasn’t looked as good as he was this time last year and Harry Cobden has overlooked him. Indefatigable is interesting but she has looked moody on occasions this year. A heavy fall at Cheltenham last time will hardly have boosted her enthusiasm, so she can only be watched.

It has been two years since we last saw Fusil Raffles over hurdles, but he’s run credibly over fences this season. After a lucky victory in the Charlie Hall, he finished a fine fourth off a mark of 152 in the Racing Post Gold Cup Chase. His stamina is assured, as is his liking for good ground, and this is a smart piece of race planning by connections.

Selection: Fusil Raffles @ 3.95

4.40 Sandown, 2m4f Novices’ Handicap Chase

The form of Beakstown’s win at Ayr earlier this month has received a significant boost from runner-up Coach Carter, who posted two good efforts at Perth this week. However, I’m not convinced that Beakstown is the most resolute in a finish and he has looked less than enthusiastic when faced with a hill.

Donald McCain has enjoyed his best season for ten years and he is represented by Preseentandcounting, who fell behind Beakstown at Ayr. He appeared to be sticking on gallantly at the time and loves good ground so, unlike Beakstown, I could see him relishing the hill.

He has a handy 8lb pull in the weights this time around and it would be fitting if Brian Hughes could finish his season with a winner.

Selection: Presentandcounting @ 8.4

5.15 Sandown, 2m3½f handicap hurdle

The Sandown card ends with a fiercely competitive handicap hurdle race, in which Press Your Luck and Fifty Ball both arrive on the back of solid victories and hold obvious claims.

But I like Champagne Court at a bigger price. He finished six lengths behind Press Your Luck at Wincanton but now gets a massive 14lb pull at the weights. While much of his best form comes on ground softer than good, he has shown an ability to cope with quicker conditions.

He has run consistently well all season, mixing both fences and hurdles, and his last run at Ascot suggested a mark of 126 is fair. He can gain a deserved and overdue victory.

Selection: Champagne Court @ 9

Recommended bets

Boombawn (1.50 Sandown) @ 11
Mister Fisher (2.25 Sandown) @ 3
Nube Negra (3.00 Sandown) @ 2.76
Fusil Raffles (4.07 Sandown) @ 3.95
Presentandcounting (4.40 Sandown) @ 8.4
Champagne Court (5.15 Sandown) @ 9