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Handicap Hints: bet365 Gold Cup thoughts ahead of final day at Sandown

By Matt Brocklebank
Horse Racing
Wed April 15, 2026 · 2h ago

Matt Brocklebank feels a lightly-raced chaser could be coming into the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown a little under the radar.

Almost as soon as the dust has settled on I Am Maximus’ historic Randox Grand National triumph under top weight from a mark of 168, attention turns to the final two major domestic staying chases of the 2025/26 campaign.

Saturday’s Coral Scottish Grand National at Ayr is looking a bit threadbare in terms of quality which should come as no great surprise given its proximity to the high-class version at Aintree, but the bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase is hot on its heels just seven days later on the final day of the season at Sandown and it's a race that almost always appeals.

One would have thought Panic Attack has done enough for the year and won’t be asked to turn out again here, which could leave Haydock winner Major Fortune the big hope for Dan Skelton, who will be crowned champion trainer for the first time - the first of many, no doubt.

The novices are arguably the way to go in this race if recent editions are anything to go by and Gary and Josh Moore’s Salver could be a classy proposition back here having not really looked in love with Aintree last week.

The Moore-trained mare Havaila is in a rich vein of form and it’s her who tops the market currently, while you’d have to be a brave punter to ignore Willie Mullins’ Kim Muir runner-up Road To Home if he skips Ayr this weekend.

Mullins saddled the second, third, fourth and fifth in this event 12 months ago, although circumstances were obviously very different then.

In the picture for O'Brien

The horse I thought might have been a bit shorter in the betting is the ex-David Maxwell-owned In d’Or for Fergal O’Brien (formerly trained by Venetia Williams).

He featured in this column earlier in the season following an eyecatching comeback run behind Welcom To Cartries (also holds a Sandown entry), and he duly stepped up on that effort to finish third behind The Jukebox Kid and Montregard at Ascot in January.

The winner fluffed his lines a bit when sent for the Irish National at Fairyhouse but he’s evidently held in high enough regard and runner-up Montregard is among the fancied runners for the Scottish National having gone one better back at Ascot in February. The fourth home Kap Vert has also won since so In d’Or’s revised mark (137, raised 3lb) looks manageable as he’s only ever had half a dozen starts over fences.

The 20/1 with the sponsors about In d'Or looks a very reasonable price.

Stars back in the groove for Johnston

The crossover period between jumps and the Flat season is a busy time of year and I’ll be keen to return to the Ladbrokes Chester Cup in the coming weeks after 86 entries were published this week for the early-May highlight.

Entries have also been made for the three big handicaps at next month’s Guineas meeting, with the six-furlong Betfred Handicap and nine-furlong Betfred Suffolk Stakes (Heritage Handicap) both precursors to the opening Classic on Saturday’s card.

The sprint could feature mercurial six-year-old Wiltshire, who put it all together to win with any amount in handicap on his first run after wind surgery at Newcastle on All-Weather Championships Finals Day.

He’s gone up 6lb to a mark of 102, which is still 3lb below his 2024 peak rating, while his trainer William Haggas has no fewer than eight initially entered up for the Suffolk, including last year’s hugely progressive Balmoral Handicap winner Crown Of Oaks.

Jack Channon’s respective Lincoln and Spring Mile winners Urban Lion and Mezcala are both engaged, with Charlie Appleby holding just the one entry in gelded four-year-old Bedouin Prince who scooted home when landing his novice under a penalty on the Rowley Mile in the middle of May last year.

1000 Guineas day sees the stayers in action in the mile and three-quarter Betfred Handicap, in which a resurgent Align The Stars is likely to try and follow up his Queen’s Prize win from Kempton late last month.

A 4lb rise may prove workable for Charlie Johnston’s five-year-old, who was Listed-placed early on last season and could be the sort to fulfill his potential as an older horse.

Mondo Man, winner of the Imperial Cup for the Moores at Sandown two starts ago, has never run in a Flat handicap before but looks set to make a belated debut in this sphere off an admittedly quite punchy mark of 105.

Published at 14:35 BST on 15/04/26

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