Barry Geraghty
Barry Geraghty’s William Hill blog: Back Solness in Sandown Quest
William Hill ambassador Barry Geraghty previews Saturday’s Jumps Season Finale card from Sandown.
Sandown, Saturday
In the opening Fillies’ Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (1:13pm) I like LA LUNA ARTISTA. She was a good winner last time at Kempton. While there are some question marks about the runner-up and third-placed horse on the day, she ran well behind Maestro Conti on Trials Day at Cheltenham in January, and that looks like strong form. She has won a bumper on good-to-firm ground and I think the better ground at Sandown might bring about a bit more improvement from her. She’s top-weight but has the best form and I’d like to think she could build on her win last time.
KADASTRAL might be the one in the Novices’ Championship Final Handicap Hurdle (1:45pm). He beat Talk The Talk in a valuable bumper in Newbury last March on good ground. He has twice finished second to Sober Glory this season at Chepstow and at Newbury, which were both performances that came on soft ground. A return to the better ground that saw him take the scalp of Talk The Talk could make him the one to beat here.
In the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase (2:20pm), I thought DOYEN QUEST might be able to improve on his run last time out behind Gold Dancer at Aintree, which was his first since January. If you go back through his form, he was a good winner at Exeter in November on good ground. He’s a horse that can over-race a little bit and that doesn’t help him see out his races on softer ground. Conditions at Sandown will suit and I expect him to come on a good deal for his run at Aintree last month.
The Grade 1 Celebration Chase (2:55pm) sees Jonbon attempt to become the outright second-most-winning Grade 1 horse after Kauto Star. He’s a high-class horse and has won this race twice in the past, but as much as I respect him and recognise all he’s achieved, I just think he’s vulnerable on good ground, at the minimum trip at this meeting. We put SOLNESS up in the Melling Chase at Aintree and he ran a brilliant race to be second to Grey Dawning over two-and-a-half miles. With the speed that he can jump at, I think this drop back to two miles and blitzing from the front could see him get a lot of his rivals in trouble. He has had a lighter campaign this season compared to last, and I think this track and conditions will be ideal for him. For me, he looks the value against the favourite.
ASK BREWSTER was a good winner of the Kim Muir at Cheltenham and I think he could back that up in the three-mile-four-and-a-half-furlong Gold Cup Handicap Chase (3:30pm). He was progressive last season and is two from three this campaign. He’s another horse that shows his best form on good ground, which could be key here. He meets Road To Home again, having beaten him by a neck at Cheltenham, and I think he can confirm that form. Shane Cotter is aboard him again, after giving him a fine ride to win at the Festival. He’s a good young rider with plenty of point-to-point experience. It’s a really competitive and open race, but I like the potential of Ask Brewster on the better ground.
KABRAL DU MATHAN looked all over the winner in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham but he didn’t quite get home over three miles. I think the drop back in trip in the Grade 2 Select Hurdle (4:02pm) is going to be ideal for him. On the book, he looks to hold all the answers here and is very hard to oppose.
I thought the Skeltons could strike again in the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap chase (4:40pm) with PALAMON. He ran better than his finishing position suggests when sixth at Aintree last time. It looked like he just lacked the pace over two miles of the Mildmay Course, and jumped slightly out to his right too. Prior to that he was a winner over two-and-a-half miles at Bangor, and I think he’s going to be better off going back right-handed and over this trip.
GNOMON enjoyed the step up in trip when winning at Ascot last time, beating a filly that has since franked the form. He seems progressive and stepping up slightly further in trip looks ideal for him, so he is the pick in an open-looking two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle (5:15pm).
