Nick Luck’s William Hill blog: Jump Finale Tips

William Hill ambassador, Nick Luck, previews Saturday’s televised racing from Sandown, Haydock and Leicester.

Sandown, Saturday

KADASTRAL gets the vote in the TV opener on the Jumps Finale card at Sandown (1.45). He’s been just a little disappointing the last twice, but I’m convinced the ground is a major factor, and this is the first time he’s had proper good ground since he walloped Graded winners Talk the Talk and Klub de Reve in a Newbury bumper last spring. He could make a mark of 125 look very lenient as he comes back in distance and into a handicap for the first time.

MATTERHORN is the choice in the Oaksey Chase (2.20). He’s getting the hang of it judged on his solid effort in a decent race at Plumpton, and could easily improve quite a bit for the step up in distance. He jumps assuredly, and could put that to good use from the front here, particularly if Doyen Quest is held up as he was last time.

JPR ONE is strongly fancied to run a really big race at a huge price in the Celebration Chase (2.55). Thistle Ask and Solness will go like the wind here and, while Jonbon is likely to get on the back foot from the outset over this trip, the selection and Mirabad are likeliest to be traveling sweetly on this ground. JPR One is preferred, as he has the experience in senior company, is a bigger price, and returns to genuinely decent ground and a right handed track (5 from 9 and never out of the first three). He has looked like a big threat at one stage at the Festivals before fading, but a well-run two miles is what he craves.

HENRY’S FRIEND is a selection for the big race that clearly comes with risks, but the reward will be significant at the current price (3.30). He’s run a few stinkers this season, but there have been one or two bright spots, and two things we know are that he’s perfectly fairly handicapped and that he can cut it in this sort of race if he feels like it. There’s no knowing which side of bed he got out of, but the track should suit (he almost never runs a bad race at Ascot, which offers some hope and he ran really well here over hurdles), and he’s had a little break. Add the first time combination of usual cheek pieces plus return of the tongue tie, and there are a few indicators that he could be set for one of his better days.

Haydock, Saturday

KHAFIZ can win the televised feature at Haydock (2.35). He looks quite well bought at 85,000, and he starts life for new connections under what look to be optimum conditions on all known evidence. The hood is helpful to him, and the stable has come out firing this season.

Leicester, Saturday

RUSSET GOLD looks quite interesting in the big race at Leicester (2.05). He was pretty undistinguished last year, but he’s tumbled a stone down the handicap as a result, has had a breathing operation, and has moved to a trainer who excels with exactly this type of high class sprinter.