TippingSaturday Sizzlers

After a 13-2 winner on Friday Paul Kealy has struck with 4-1 and 100-30 shots on Saturday - find out his final selection here

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Cyclop
1.37 Chepstow
1pt each-way

The Big Breakaway
2.05 Aintree
1pt each-way

Spirit D'Aunou
2.25 Sandown
1pt win

Sonigino
3.15 Aintree
1pt win

Fontaine Collonges
3.35 Sandown
1pt win

With plenty of rain forecast before racing it will be very testing on the hurdles course at Sandown, so punters hoping to get a glimpse of Constitution Hill in the Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle (1.15) will be hoping Nicky Henderson keeps his nerve.

Henderson doesn't want his champion hurdler having too hard a race before the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, and in reality he shouldn't, given he's miles better than all his rivals, but we shall have to wait and see.


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Whatever the case, there are better betting heats on the card, and I'm hoping the bet of the day at Sandown is Spirit D'Aunou in the Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund Handicap Hurdle (2.25).

He does have to put behind him a mildly disappointing display at Cheltenham last month, but it was surprising he'd been backed into favouritism in that four-year-olds' conditions race as he was way worse off with winner Blueking D'Oroux (who has since won a Grade 2 and is now rated 148) than he would have been in a handicap.

Spirit D'Aunou spoiled his chance by being too free early and, having been outpaced when the field quickened, he stayed on in eyecatching fashion after the last.

It smacked of a race that was needed no matter what the betting said, and this four-time winner, who took a heavy-ground handicap under 11st 12lb at this track in March, strikes me as being well handicapped off 129.

He'll need to be as Impose Toi is a worthy favourite after his commanding win at Cheltenham last month. Henderson's five-year-old is up 10lb for that, though, and facing considerably softer ground this time.

The closing Betfair Exchange London National (3.35) will be reduced to just eight runners as both Cyclop and Fortescue have Chepstow's Coral Welsh Grand National Trial (1.37) as their first preference.

This doesn't look the most competitive of handicap chases ever run at Sandown and, having backed Fontaine Collonges ante-post, I was heartened by the news on declaration day that she's had a wind operation since finishing last season in disappointing fashion.

Unexposed at marathon trips and looking certain to stay them, Fontaine Collonges won first time out last season, beating subsequent Welsh National runner-up The Big Breakaway at Haydock, and she ran well enough when fourth at Kempton on her next start, although found that 3m trip on the short side.

Her final two runs were poor, though, with the result being she's now only 1lb higher than for that Haydock success. With Ned Fox taking off a handy 5lb, she makes by far the most appeal despite being at the head of the market.

I was half-tempted to back Iceo in the Betfair Henry VIII Novices' Chase (1.50) as he's massively better off at the weights with JPR One on their Newton Abbot running, and he won the the Imperial Cup here last season, but I came to the conclusion there were too many dangers.

Paul Nicholls' stable jockey Harry Cobden rides at Aintree instead as he bids to cut back the deficit on Sean Bowen in the jockeys' title race. It's fair to say he has a terrific book of rides and will be disappointed if he doesn't come away with at least a couple of winners.

I wasn't disappointed to see him jocked up on The Big Breakaway in the Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase (2.05) and was doubly delighted when Coko Beach stood his ground as he has kept five of the 14 runners out of the handicap, including second favourite Percussion.

On these terms, The Big Breakaway strikes me as being easily the best-handicapped horse in the race, and it just depends on whether he can handle the fences, as he was a very early casualty in the Grand National in April.

He did look to be getting crowded on the inner when coming down, though, so I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt as conditions are going to be well in his favour, given all the rain that has been around.

He was unlucky to run into such a well-handicapped horse as The Two Amigos in last season's Welsh National (the winner had been second and fifth off a 15lb higher mark in two previous runnings), a race that's no doubt on the hit list again this term.

The Big Breakaway ran a better race than I expected in the Badger Beer at Wincanton on his return, so hopefully he's spot on now, and if he's within hailing distance of the leader at the last, there won't be many who finish better.

Cobden may also close the card with a winner as Sonigino must have a right chance in the Boylesports Extra Place Races Handicap Hurdle (3.15).

He shaped really well on his return at Chepstow in October, when the lack of an outing just told late on, and clearly found dropping back to the minimum trip for the Greatwood too sharp a test, but powered home for fourth.

Third in a 20-runner course-and-distance handicap at the Grand National meeting, despite being badly hampered early on (runner-up is 17lb higher now), he could well develop into a Graded hurdler this season and should not have any excuses here.

Away from the ITV4 cameras, I'm going to have to back Cyclop for the Welsh National Trial as I nearly backed him for the London National on Monday, his double entry being all that stopped me.

He is a 12-year-old, so doesn't have the potential of a few others in the field, but David Dennis seems to have him running almost as well as he ever has, given his close thirds to Good Boy Bobby in veterans' chases over course and distance and at Sandown.

Good Boy Bobby started this season on a mark more than a stone lower than he had been a year ago, so I reckon those were good efforts, and there are enough reasons to take on some of those at the head of the betting.

Major Dundee is the right favourite, but is definitely better at marathon trips, Dalamoi has never gone beyond 2m4f, and Nassalam tends to have his own way of getting over fences, so having five of them in the straight with a short run-in may not be suitable.

There are a few firms offering four places, although that may not be the case when we get a couple of non-runners, Rapper having his first preference at Sandown and Not Sure having run there on Friday.


Read these next:

Paul Kealy's play of the day at Sandown 

The Punt Acca: Charlie Huggins' three horse racing tips at Aintree and Sandown on Saturday 

Saturday's free racing tips: six horses to consider putting in your multiples 


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