Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Willmount to Down his rivals on return

William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty looks over the best of Saturday’s action from Sandown and Aintree as well as Grade 2 contests on Sunday from Huntingdon and Cork.

Sandown, Saturday

In the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase (1:50pm), L’Eau Du Sud heads the market after his impressive win last time out at Cheltenham. He beat Western Zephyr there, who is only one from eight over fences, so while he’s hard to fault, I’m just not entirely convinced he’s a Grade 1 performer. DOWN MEMORY LANE is highly thought of and has only had four starts under rules. He has won three of those, and while he disappointed badly in the Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas, he was really impressive on his reappearance when making a winning chase debut and beating a tidy field in the process at Navan. He jumped really well there and he could be a horse with a lot of potential. For me, he represents the value.

I really like WILLMOUNT in the following two-mile handicap hurdle (2:25pm). He disappointed behind Captain Teague in the Challow Hurdle last season, but he has hacked up on his three other starts. He beat the now 140-rated Shannon Royale in his point-to-point too. I think off an opening mark of 130, he could be comfortably ahead of the handicapper. While most of his best form is on better ground, he won his point on soft and his pedigree would suggest that he won’t have any problems.

JONBON will be hard to beat in his bid for back-to-back wins in the Tingle Creek (3:00pm). He’s a winning machine, with 14 wins from 17 starts. His only defeats have come at the hands of Constitution Hill, El Fabiolo and in last season’s Clarence House, where he made several desperate mistakes and Elixir De Nutz managed to beat him. With a clear round he should take all the beating here. Perhaps the one to chase him home could be JPR ONE. While the forecast rain is a bit of worry, on the proviso that it doesn’t get really heavy, I think this horse could run into the money. He won well under a big weight in the Haldon Gold Cup and I think he could still be on the up.

CERTAINLY RED (3:35pm) has put up two good performances already this season, when second to Copperhead at Chepstow before then beating that rival at Sandown last time. He’s only gone up five pounds for that last win too. His fourth in the bet365 Gold Cup over this course and distance last season looks to me the strongest form on offer. He was also third in this race last season, so he has both good recent form and is proven over course and distance, and he’ll do for me.

Aintree, Saturday

In Aintree’s Becher Chase (2:07pm) the one I like is KING TURGEON. He jumped brilliantly when winning the Sefton over this course last time, where he had Gaboriot behind him in third. He looked to be a horse that was only doing as much as he had to there, and I think there could still be plenty to come from this six-year-old. He should enjoy this step up in trip and can confirm form from last time out with Gaboriot.

Huntingdon, Sunday

Sunday brings Huntingdon’s main race of the year, the Grade 2 Peterborough Chase, which looks an intriguing five-runner contest. PROTEKTORAT is certainly proven at this level and I thought he ran well under a big weight on his reappearance when finishing sixth in the big two-and-a-half-mile handicap at Cheltenham’s November Meeting. He only got tired at the finish there and he should come on for that run. On his form from last year, when winning the Ryanair and then finishing a close third behind Jonbon at Aintree, he looks the one to beat and has less to prove than Ginny’s Destiny.

Cork, Sunday

All eyes will be on ENERGUMENE as he makes his first start in nearly 600 days in the Hilly Way Chase (2:15pm) at Cork. Notably he’s getting weight from some of his main rivals – 10lbs from Banbridge, and 3lbs from Dinoblue – so that makes his task easier after his absence. He’s a two-time Champion Chase winner and is 10 from 12 over fences so he is entitled to the highest level of respect despite being off the track for so long. Paul Townend has chosen to ride him over the other Willie Mullins-trained runners he could have ridden, so that’s something of a tip in itself. He goes well fresh and has won this race before and I think he can make the perfect return.