Andrew Asquith had the winner of the King George on Boxing Day and returns with two more bets at Kempton and Chepstow on Saturday.
Andrew Asquith Value Bet: Saturday December 27
1pt win Sonic Pioneer in the 13:40 Chepstow at 15/2 (William Hill, 13/2 bet365, 6/1 General)
1pt win Nardaran in the 15:37 Kempton at 20/1 (Betvictor, Ladbrokes, Coral)
It is another good day of racing at Kempton on Saturday and I’m looking forward to seeing Mambonumberfive in the Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase. He’s looked a natural since being sent over fences this season, the form of his debut win at Aintree working out well, and he beat a next-time-out winner with plenty in hand at Newbury last time. Both of those wins came in handicaps, but he screams graded performer in the making, and he receives a handy weight-for-age allowance – he looks an exciting prospect.
At bigger odds later on the card there is one horse who interests me and that is another four-year-old in the shape of the Paul Nicholls-trained NARDARAN in the Ladbrokes ‘Get Rewarded With Ladbucks’ Handicap Hurdle.
He has a smart Flat pedigree, bred by the Aga Khan Stud, by Arc winner Waldgeist and out of a smart, multiple pattern-winning mare Narniyn. He’s a long-striding sort who looks the type to make a chaser, though, and he has shown improved form over hurdles this season since returning from a breathing operation in October.
Nardaran won as he liked at Plumpton on his reappearance, showing much improved form and proving a mark of 115 all wrong on just his second start in a handicap. The third that day has progressed well over fences since, winning on his second start in that sphere and running a cracker when runner-up in a hot novices' handicap at this course on Boxing Day.
Nicholls found Nardaran a weak race to follow up in at Sandown next time, only four runners and two of his main market rivals didn’t run their race, but he still won with a bit up his sleeve that day, leaving the impression he’s still improving.
He’s available at such odds for this race as he was pulled up returned to Plumpton on his latest start last month, but he was in trouble from a long way out that day, shaping as if something was amiss, and his jockey reported that he was never travelling throughout.
Nicholls reportedly said nothing came to light afterwards, but the yard wasn’t in cracking form at the time, and the run may have come too soon also just eight days after his Sandown success.
It wouldn’t be wise to judge him solely on that performance given the uncertainties surrounding it, and he remains potentially well handicapped from a mark just 5lb higher than his last winning one. The ground will be no problem, neither will the drop back to two miles, and he comes out well at the weights when taking into account his four-year-old weight-for-age allowance – I’m not sure he should be as big as 20/1.
It looks a good renewal of the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow with plenty of potential on show, but SONIC PIONEER looks overpriced around the 8/1 mark.
He developed into a fairly useful performer on the Flat for Jack Morland this year, winning a couple of handicaps, the latest from a mark of 70 at Beverley in September, and he looked a natural switched to hurdles on his first start for Martin Keighley at Kempton last month.
The odds-on favourite failed to fire that day, but that is to take nothing away from the light in which Sonic Pioneer shone, almost foot-perfect at his hurdles, a tremendous round of jumping for a newcomer, and the style in which he drew clear from the last marked him out as potentially smart.
This is obviously deeper, a field full of untapped potential, but the market is underestimating his form – Timeform have him only 3lb shy of weight-adjusted top-rated Kaldoun des Rocs – and he’s open to any amount of improvement.
Ground conditions should be similar to those he faced at Kempton and there’s plenty to like about his chances at this galloping track.
Preview posted at 1550 GMT on 26/12/2025
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