Jane Mangan’s William Hill Blog: Nick could be a Rockett

Sandown, Saturday

The Bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase is arguably the trickiest puzzle to solve on the Sandown card tomorrow; 20 runners, £100,000 in prize money – it’s an important race. Nick Rockett was my fancy for the Irish National where I didn’t think he stayed. That was 3m5f, this is 3m4f, and you’re thinking why should he stay this time? The ground is completely different and I’ve a funny feeling he could be better off on it. Paul Townend obviously feels the same way. The handicapper has left him on 147, one pound higher than the Irish National, so I think Nick Rockett could be the horse to be with for this race. I’m hoping he stays, but I’m not confident in a race that seems very, very competitive.

It’s probably worth noting that his standout piece of form is from Fairyhouse in January, where he beat Tactical Move by seven lengths, a horse who was a good second in the WillowWarm Gold Cup, a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse, subsequently, so I think Nick Rockett has the class to crown Willie the King of Sandown.

The Oaksey Chase (2.25pm) has only attracted seven runners, so it’s one of those races where you’re on the nose – more specifically the nose of The Real Whacker. This represents a drop down in class for him, having won last year’s Brown Advisory and contesting some top tier Grade 1 races this season. I think 2m6f is probably his optimum trip; he may have pulled up in the Gold Cup, but before that he ran a lovely race in the Cotswold Chase behind Capodanno and he also ran a solid enough race in the King George VI behind Hewick. I think the small field may help him in his tactics to make the running and he should be hard to catch here.

The British Trainers’ Championship is all over, bar the shouting, Willie Mullins might not be done taking home the pots of gold. Sa Majeste disappointed many including myself in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham but I’m hoping he can mend bridges in the handicap hurdle at 5.20pm. If he can bounce back to the form that saw him beat Noble Yeats, the subsequent Cleeve Hurdle winner. I think this horse is potentially well handicapped off 138 and he can prove that Cheltenham was a blip here and return to winning ways.

Navan, Saturday

On the level tomorrow at Navan, the Committed Stakes (2.17pm) is an interesting race; 14 runners here for three-year-old sprinters. While it will be difficult for Givemethebeatboys to concede weight all around, his form last year is, by away and afar, the standout. He ran a very good race behind Vandeek in the Middle Park, he also ran well behind Bucanero Fuerte in the Phoenix, a pair of Group 1 races. He is a Group 3 winner himself at the Curragh and he was a late omission from the Breeders’ Cup last year, which was unfortunate for connections because he had run so well in the Coventry behind River Tiber. Hopefully connections can get compensation and get his season off to a flying start.

The concluding handicap at Navan tomorrow (5.10pm) is 1m5f with 17 runners, so is another highly competitive race. There’s a lot of exposed handicappers in here, but there’s one filly that I think could be flying under the radar, and that is Astar for Dermot Weld and Chris Hayes. This is her second run in a handicap. She was tried at Listed level last year and she came up short at Naas, but I think the fact that they tried her in that class shows the esteem in which she is held. She won her maiden at Clonmel, but she’s got solid form at Leopardstown and Galway as well. I think she could run a big race, despite having a wide draw, but I think the trip should alleviate that problem.