amateurs in the spotlight today

amateur jockeys have their moment in the sun today, as there are 3 races restricted to amateurs at both Sandown and Leicester. The Grand Military Gold Cup over 3 miles at the fomer track at 16.25 is the main event of the day, although not a patch on earller runnings of this famous race. Jody Sole has ridden several winners here amd partners the likely favourite, Paul Nicholls´ Merrion Square, but we are a bit sceptical as he has not run since October and his best form is over 2 miles. We prefer Martys Mission (David Prichard/ Lucy Gardner) and O Crotaigh (AD Brown/ Felix Wheeler), both last-time-winners who will definitely get the trip. However Jody can certainly win the hunters chase at 17.35 on Nicholls´ Gwanako and also has a good each-way chance on Peter Middleton´s Trip the Light, top-weight in the handicap hurdle at 15.20. Best race for professionals here is the handicap hurdle at 17.00; Cockney Trucker (Philip Hobbs) ran a great race in defeat last Saturday, and if he has recovered from that hard race, must have a good chance here.
Nico de Boinville is in our opinion the best amateur around and he can take the handicap chase at 17.10 at Leicester on Richard Guest´s Be My Deputy, who won over this CD 10 days ago and can follow up under a penalty. Two more recent winners who can score again here are Le Grand Chene (Mrs Leech/ Richie McLernon) at 16.00 and Bellflower Boy (Dr-. Richard Newland/ Christopher Ward) at 17.45. We hope also to see German-bred El Dancer (Lucy Wadham/ Aidan Coleman), a smart hurdler, finally win over fences at 15.30, when he would appear to have only Private Equity (Nicky Henderson/ Andrew Tinkler) to beat.
At Ayr, local trainers Lucinda Russell and Jim Goldie should be followed. Goldie has 3 runners in the handicap hurdle at 17.20, and we are especially interested in German-bred A Southside Boy (Henry Brooke); he is 6 lbs out of the handicap, but we think he is a bit better than his rating and can pull off as surprise here.
A word of warning: it is raining all over and the ground is getting softer, especially at Sandown.
The most interesting runner at this evening´s two all-weather meetings is Gordon Lord Byron (Tom Hogan/ Wayne Lordan), who has only 3 opponents to beat at 21.50 at Dundalk. He won the Group One Prix de la Foret last October before finishing 4th in the Hong King Mile and this is his prep race for the Dubai World Cup meeting. It will be a huge shock is he is defeated today, but the odds will unfortunately reflect this.

Betting forecast Sandown:
1. Race: Prickles - Kastani Beach - Petit Ecuyer
2. Race: Olympian Boy - Greywell Boy - Coolbeg
3. Race: Merrion Square - O Crotaigh - Knighton Combe
4. Race: Cockney Trucker - Winds And Waves - Top Of The Range
5. Race: Gwanako - Whizzaar - Dead Or Alive
6. Race: Valco De Touzaine - Viva Steve - Expanding Universe