N.H. racing at Sandown and Exeter

Some excellent N.H. racing today at both Sandown and Exeter, and although some of the fields are small, they are all very competitive.

The German-bred Evening Sunset (Mick Quinlan/ Tony McCoy) may be able to keep his unbeaten record in the 3yo hurdle at 13.50 CET at Sandown, but he is facing better opposition here and French raider Spunk (Francois Doumen/ Dougie Costello) in particular looks threatening.

There is a similar scenario in the next race, a novices handicap chase, with Paul Nicholls´ Rivalist (Ruby Walsh) also moving up in grade and top-weight Latanier (Venetia Williams/ Aidan Coleman) and Award Winner (Brendan Powell/ McCoy) both look dangerous in a tricky event. Nicholls probably has better chances in the listed Future Stars chase at 15.35, where he saddles 2 of the 4 runners, Tatenen (Walsh) and Kicks for Free (McCoy), but here David Pipe´s Seven is my Number (Timmy Murphy), getting quite a bit of weight, could be the fly in the ointment. Nicholls´ runner Like Minded (Walsh) in the main event, a Grade Two novice hurdle at 15.00, is undoubtedly a smart prospect, but so are Manyriverstocross (Alan King/ Wayne Hutchinson) and Frascati Park (Nigel Twiston-Davies/ Noel Fehily). These are all tricky races to bet on, and it is no easier at Exeter, whare Nicholls again has a live candidate Royal Charm (Christian Williams) in the 4yo limited handicap hurdle at 14.00. But this is another hot race, where ny of the 6 runners could win.

Safer bet is probbly Bnsalem (Aln King/ Robrt Thgornton) in the novice chase at 14.35, as the trainer considers ge now knows the rason some of his string have been running below form. Bensalem has won 5 of his 6 starts (his only defeat was by the very smart Diamond Harry) and should now beat Nicholls´ Take the Breeze (Harry Skelton) and the others. The 4 mile marathon handicap chase at 15.10 will demand stamina in abundance in the testing conditions, and few of the runners have experience at this distance. However Peut Etre Sivola (Pipe/ Tom Scudamore) was running on so strongly when scoring over 3 1/2 miles last time, that he should manage this extra half mile.