Check out our horse-by-horse guide and selection for Saturday's bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown Park.
bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase
- When: 3.35, Saturday April 29
- Where: Sandown Park
- First prize: £90,032
- TV: ITV Racing & Racing TV
- Racecards & FREE video form
- Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook
FRODON - Bit of a little legend for the champion trainer over the years and showed he could still cut it in decent handicap company when winning at Wincanton earlier this season. Still 2lb higher but lines up on the back of another creditable run when third to Our Power at Kempton and he seems almost certain to run his race if conditions are decent.
THE GOFFER - Gordon Elliott representative who won at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown before posting a fair fourth to Corach Rambler in the Ultima at Cheltenham. Must have come out of the Irish Grand National (pulled-up) fit and well but hard to imagine he's got much up his sleeve off a BHA mark of 149.
ANNSAM - Not hard to really like him and he seems particularly effective on right-handed chase tracks. Back in the groove with wins at Kempton and Ludlow (earlier this month) this season and despite needing a new career-best run to defy revised rating of 149, he's unexposed over distances quite this far and certainly promises to stay well enough.
TEA CLIPPER - Strike-rate of 1-8 over fences probably doesn't do him justice as he was 4-9 over hurdles before switching to this sphere. Running respectably this season but his mark in the mid-140s might just be beyond him.
CERTAINLY RED - Struck gold in handicap chase over 2m4f here in January before following up over the extended 3m at Wincanton the following month, taking his overall chase record to 4-7 in the process. Didn't look the happiest when switched back to hurdles earlier this month but that first run for 59 days may have been needed and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him step up again now granted a severe test of stamina.
KITTY'S LIGHT - Took advantage of lowest chase mark for two years to win the Eider Chase at Newcastle in February and followed up off 8lb higher in last weekend's Scottish Grand National. Would be a big ask to complete the hat-trick turned out so quickly but there are no penalties so he'd be running off the same mark and clearly back in top form.
ANNUAL INVICTUS - Rather in-and-out performer but capable sort over hurdles and fences when on a going day and it seems likely he'll get his preferred better ground this weekend. Won a handicap hurdle off 139 at Newbury in February so current chase mark (140) shouldn't be beyond him and he wasn't disgraced in a warm edition of the Kim Muir when last seen.
REVELS HILL - Progressive, second-season chaser from a good yard and the fitting of cheekpieces may have helped eke out a little more improvement in past two runs. Clear of the rest when beaten just a length into second at Exeter late last month and hard to imagine another 3lb rise will prevent a very bold bid.
ENRILO - May seems a touch harsh but he almost made his name when first past the post here in 2021, only to be disqualified and placed third. Has never quite been able to recapture that sort of performance, struggling to finish on several occasions, but he's dropped a fair way in the ratings now and can't rule out a revival following slightly more encouraging run when sixth at Kempton last time out in February.
MORODER - Knuckled down very well to edge out Undersupervision over 3m2f at Doncaster last month, rediscovering the winning touch having looked high enough in the handicap on the back of four straight wins to end the 2021-22 campaign. Needs to step up again but he's been freshened up after skipping the Midlands National option and shouldn't be overlooked.
ORGANDI - 11-year-old mare who hasn't stood an awful lot of racing over the years and while successful at Warwick in September, she was pulled-up at Cheltenham the following month and can't be considered a leading player resuming in a race of this magnitude.
COOLVALLA - Clearly started out over fences with a ridiculously low handicap mark (90) as he's since five times from six starts over fences, the only defeat when pulling-up in Grade 2 National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. Raised another 5lb to 135 for beating reopposing Revels Hill over the extended 3m6f at Exeter last month (replay below) but hard to know quite where the ceiling of his ability lies. Would ideally want some heavy showers to hit the track before the weekend.
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BROKEN HALO - Started the season on what looked a very fair mark based on the pick of his novice form and while it's taken a few runs for him to find his feet, the last two days he's looked right on song. Those wins have both come on good ground around this track (in military amateur riders' races admittedly) but he's got another half-mile to travel this time and obviously faces much sterner opposition.
MUSICAL SLAVE - Not an easy horse to catching right but he landed a punt when 2/1 favourite at Exeter in February, arguably producing a career best to defy a mark of 132 in the process. Since pulled-up in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham but return to the scene of his fine second behind Hewick in this race last year can only be a positive and he'll enjoy a sound surface if the rain stays away. May be able to reward each-way backers again.
MUCHO MAS - Another one towards the bottom of the weights with a realistic chance of success and he's one of the least exposed in the line-up after just four chase starts in his life. Won the last two and has looked an out-and-out stayer in the making, but softer ground would probably see him in his best light. Proven at the track.
COURT MASTER - Very respectable 5-16 strike-rate over the larger obstacles but he'd lost his way a touch when last seen and now resumes after 307 days away having had wind surgery. Can only be watched in such a fiercely competitive contest.
MOVETHECHAINS - Seems to really like Lingfield and certainly loves it when the mud's flying, so conditions may have gone against him at this time of the year. Also looks high enough in the ratings on recent evidence and he's seemingly not up to landing this despite his yard being in such red-hot form over the past few months.
D'JANGO - Had another very busy time of things this season and while he won at Lingfield in February, he's not one to be putting any sort of faith in for a classy Saturday handicap.
RED HAPPY - Off the boil since winning a couple much earlier in the year and biting off more than he can chew here.
Conclusion
Kitty's Light is the obvious starting point as he ultimately won a shade cosily in last Saturday's Coral Scottish Grand National and the fact he avoids a penalty would make him potentially quite hard to beat if in the same sort of form.
There are fresher chasers coming into this, though, including MORODER who won the Grimthorpe from 1lb out of the handicap at Doncaster in early-March. That showed he was just as effective on good ground as he is on a more testing surface and this prolific, lightly-raced chaser looks to be over-priced around 20/1 running off a 5lb higher mark over a trip that promises to suit.
Musical Slave was second to Hewick last year and could be able to make his presence felt again if on a going day, Certainly Red looks the type to go well in this race, while Coolvalla can't be dismissed either after he won again from Revels Hill over a similar trip at Exeter last month.
Updated at 1100 BST on 27/04/23
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