Tizzard’s Lad To Be Crowned King At Sandown

Despite looking to have the easiest assignment of her hurdling career to date, Laurina will be the centre of attention when she returns to action at Sandown this afternoon.

There are hopefully a few better betting prospects on the day than her though.

Promise To Be Fulfilled For Henderson
Rathhill is priced up on reputation rather than evidence as he looks a likely short priced favourite for the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown today but what the six-year-old lacks in experience he can make up for in class.

Rathhill did run in a point-to-point before only making his racecourse debut last month at Newbury where he posted a very impressive success.

It’s a profile that isn’t all dissimilar to Finian’s Oscar who won this race for Colin Tizzard but Rathill has a bit more age than Finian’s Oscar and can surely be expected to improve for that Newbury outing.

Henderson’s team could hardly be in better form so he certainly ticks plenty of boxes.

A couple of younger rivals, Elixir De Nutz and Grand Sancy are fare more experienced than the selection while Southfield Stone has racked up a nice sequence for Paul Nicholls but if any of these are going to go on and challenge at the Cheltenham Festival…

it certainly looks like Rathhill could be the one.

Tizzard’s Lad A Big Price
The Veterans Chase is a great initiative for connections with a field of 17 horses aged between 11 and 15 running for a massive pot of £100,000 but from a punting point of view it is a tricky race to unravel.

Rock Gone is the likely favourite as he’s the most unexposed with just 14 runs despite being 11 but at the prices a chance is taken on Kings Lad here for Colin Tizzard and Harry Cobden.

Likely to be around a 16/1 shot, Kings Lad pulled up last time out which wouldn’t encourage much faith but…

he should find a return to this sort of company much easier.

Kings Lad’s last two runs have been in a listed race and a Grade 3 handicap at Ascot and he can be excused for not troubling the judge in those races.

In his last run in a veterans race Kings Lad was able to get his head in front at Chepstow and while he might fall short again here today, he does look a massive price in a race that is wide open and it would be hard to have great confidence in any of the market principals.

Dromore Lad For Major Honours
Dermot McLoughlin does a fine job with his string and looks to have an interesting runner in Dromore Lad who pitches up in Cork’s feature race.

There’s a good prize up for grabs for the 2m4f handicap hurdle at Cork and Dromore Lad…

represents value having been placed third at Navan last month.

That run was his first of the season and came on similar ground over the same trip. The conditions at Cork today are due to be a bit slower than Navan and that shouldn’t be a negative for the seven-year-old who progressed through the ranks well last season and just might not be finished yet.

Barry Browne claims 5lbs off which leaves him with a lovely racing weight of 10st6lbs and if improving for that first run in 10 months last time out he’d have to be bang there.

Recommended Bets:
Rathhill (11/10) – 2.25 Sandown
Kings Lad (16/1) – 3.00 Sandown
Dromore Lad (8/1) – 1.55 Cork

*Prices correct at time of publication.