Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Time right for Trade to strike at Sandown

William Hill ambassador Nick Luck casts his expert eye over Saturday’s racing from Sandown and Wincanton.

Sandown, Saturday

TRIPLE TRADE can spring back to life in the TV opener at Sandown on Saturday (1:50pm). He’s generally been running fine – certainly not like a horse that is woefully out of form – but his largely unthreatening efforts mean that he’s now eight pounds lower than his last win, which was only a year ago. The salient point is that was over today’s trip, while all his subsequent efforts have found him wanting for pace over shorter. This looks his time to strike.

GEORGI GIRL is the pick in the Listed Mares’ race (2:25pm). Our old friend Della Casa Lunga was excellent at Kempton, but I’m not sure a drop in trip nor the softer ground is ideal. As such, I’ll take a chance on Georgi Girl, who has improved significantly this season, found the pace too tepid in a really competitive race at Cheltenham, and has form here and in these conditions. The yard and the rider are going great guns.

FORTESCUE could be the answer to the Veterans’ Final (3:00pm). He has sometimes been a shade frustrating, but he’s a fair stayer on his day, and has a whopping 16-pound pull with Copperhead from their meeting at Aintree two starts back. He’ll handle conditions well, and will enjoy picking off rivals that are likely to get involved in a battle for the lead. Just as significantly, his record in races with fewer than 10 runners is 3121121132142222.

AURIGNY MILL might be a spot of value in the finale (3:35pm). He can look pretty good when the opposition isn’t too frightening, and I like him in a lesser race with a big weight. He looked like he had a good bit more to offer when winning on his stable debut, and can easily be excused next time when badly hampered. He’s well worth another chance for a yard in form.

Wincanton, Saturday

ST LUKES CHELSEA may already have given the Walford stable some cheer in the first televised race at Wincanton (2:05pm). There aren’t many trainers around better at getting their horses in the right grade to begin their handicapping careers, and this modest but genuine Flat performer has progressed steadily in three qualifying hurdles starts. He is in the basement grade here, with a handy age allowance for one so relatively experienced under both codes.

THE WIDDOW MAKER can defy a long absence at big odds in the Veterans’ Qualifier (2:40pm) at Wincanton. Plenty of these will have their eye on another day, but there might not be too many shots across the bow with this one, who has clearly had his problems. That said, he loves this place, can run really well first time, and has been given a real chance by the handicapper on his very smart novice form a few seasons back.

LATIN VERSE is a speculative pick in the third of the Wincanton TV trio (3:15pm). You could fashion a good case for a few of these, but Latin Verse has been warming to his task the last twice, seems to like a sharp, right-handed track, and looks well worth a step up to this trip now, which tallies with his pedigree and his exploits on the flat.