15:35 Sandown

Saturday 27 April 2019

All13:5014:2515:0015:3516:1016:4017:15

bet365 Gold Cup Handicap Chase (Grade 3)

Off time: 15:35 | Winning time: 7m 15.80s

Beware The Bear^b⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 11-12| J: J McGrath| T: N J Henderson| OR: 160

9/1

Strong staying chaser who side-stepped a tilt at the Scottish Grand National (ground); on a hat-trick following back-to-back Cheltenham wins, including in the Ultima Handicap Chase (3m1f, soft); competes off a 9lb higher mark.

Form: P4P-411

Rock The Kasbah^p²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 11-4| J: R Johnson| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 152

12/1

Finished tired when beaten 13L by Step Back in this race 12-months ago (good to soft); also on the premises when sixth to Henllan Harri in 2017; 5lb above his last winning mark; brought down at the 18th in the Grand National.

Form: P2-616F

Present Man^t⁹⁸

Age: 9| Weight: 11-2| J: Bryony Le Clerc| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 150WS

14/1

Front-runner; took the Badger Ales Chase at Wincanton (3m1f, good) for the second year in succession in November; 6lb higher in the weights, albeit only 3lb higher than when finishing 27L third to Step Back in this race last year; stamina?

Form: 043-184

Joe Farrell²¹

Age: 10| Weight: 10-11| J: Aidan Coleman| T: Miss R Curtis| OR: 145

16/1

Built upon a Newbury win (2m7½f) when gamely springing a 33/1 shock in the 2018 Scottish Grand National (4m, good); has followed a broadly similar path this season - took in the Aintree version (pulled up); stern test off an elevated mark.

Form: 311-62P

Step Back^p,t1²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-11| J: N de Boinville| T: M Bradstock| OR: 145| CD

10/1

Rated 10lb higher than when winning this race in a canter by 13L in 2018 (Rock The Kasbah second, Present Man third); raced prominently in the Grand National until weakening from Becher's (pulled up); on the way back to form?

Form: 311-76P

Talkischeap⁶³

Age: 7| Weight: 10-11| J: Wayne Hutchinson| T: A King| OR: 145| BF

7/1

First season chaser; odds-on winner of a 3m match race at Doncaster (good) in January; ran a reasonably solid race on handicap debut at Kempton (3m, Gr 3) when finishing a weakening 9+L fifth of ten to Walt; first start beyond 3m.

Form: P-32125

Rolling Dylan^p⁴⁷

Age: 8| Weight: 10-9| J: James Best| T: P Hobbs & J White| OR: 143

16/1

Stablemate of Rock The Kasbah; hasn't won over fences since his novice days; consistent this season with particularly solid efforts at Cheltenham (3m2f Gr3) and at Taunton (3m4f) - beaten a head by Samuel Jackson; some rain would suit.

Form: 2-43452

Vyta Du Roc^v1⁴⁵

Age: 10| Weight: 10-9| J: D A Jacob| T: N J Henderson| OR: 143| C

25/1

Stablemate of Beware The Bear; just failed when beaten a head by Henllan Harri off a 6lb lower mark in this race in 2017; jumped well and ploughed through the mud to score by 22L at Cheltenham (3m2f) on New Year's Day 2018; below-par this season.

Form: 501-PP7

Give Me A Copper^t⁴⁶

Age: 9| Weight: 10-9| J: Harry Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 143

7/1

Stablemate of Present Man and Adrien Du Pont; lightly-raced, returning to action from 15-months off when finishing 12L fourth to Classic Ben over 3m here (soft) in February; beaten when falling at the last in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Form: 61/U1-4F

The Young Master^p⁴⁴

Age: 10| Weight: 10-8| J: Mr Sam Waley-Cohen⁽³⁾| T: N P Mulholland| OR: 142| CD

8/1

Narrowly missed the cut for the Grand National; short-head winner of this race in 2016 (good) - finished in the ruck in both subsequent years; keeping on 7¼L third to Any Second Now in the Kim Muir (3m2f) at Cheltenham; hardy.

Form: U8-11P3

West Approach²¹

Age: 9| Weight: 10-7| J: Jonjo O'Neill Jr.⁽³⁾| T: C L Tizzard| OR: 141

5/1

Has raced over hurdles for much of this campaign, seeing the back of Stayers Hurdle hero Paisley Park on three occasions (best effort in the JLT Hurdle at Ascot; 3m in December); chasing mark more lenient; handles good ground.

Form: P52296

Prime Venture⁴²

Age: 8| Weight: 10-3| J: Adam Wedge| T: Evan Williams| OR: 137

20/1

Steadily getting his act together over fences with experience; solid efforts in the Welsh Grand National Trial (2½L runner-up to Ramses De Teillee), and also when 18L fourth to Potters Corner in the Midlands Grand National (4m2f); needs rain.

Form: 67R234

Just A Sting⁴⁴

Age: 7| Weight: 10-2| J: S Bowen| T: H Fry| OR: 136

7/1

Kicked off over fences with back-to-back wins at Uttoxeter (2m6½f) and Exeter (3m); ran well when finishing 3½L second to today's rival Adrien Du Pont at Kempton in December; arrives relatively fresh after a midfield finish in the Kim Muir (3m2f).

Form: 38-1120

Rathlin Rose^b¹⁴

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: T Scudamore| T: D Pipe| OR: 133| C

40/1

3m winner on each of his first three starts at Sandown Park (form figures here since read 2,P,4,10,U,7); back to form with a win in a veterans' race at Ascot (3m, good) late last month; ninth of 23 in the 4m Scottish Grand National since.

Form: 40U719

Le Reve^b³⁵

Age: 11| Weight: 10-0| J: Maxime Tissier⁽⁵⁾| T: L Wadham| OR: 132| C| D

16/1

Veteran course specialist; close third to Just A Par in this race in 2015 (pulled-up in 2016 and 2017); soft ground winner of the 3m Grand Military Gold Cup here six-weeks ago; impossible to dismiss definitively, albeit others are more appealing.

Form: 38P114

Non-Runners

Yala Enki⁴³

Weight: 11-7| Age: 9

T: Miss V Williams J: Charlie Deutsch

Adrien Du Pont²²

Weight: 11-2| Age: 7

T: P F Nicholls J: Nick Scholfield

Flying Angel²²

Weight: 10-7| Age: 8

T: N & W Twiston-Davies J: Sam Twiston-Davies

Ballydine⁴²

Weight: 10-5| Age: 9

T: C E Longsdon J: James Bowen

Captain Chaos⁴⁴

Weight: 10-1| Age: 8

T: D Skelton J: Harry Skelton

Forecasts

West Approach (5/1), Talkischeap (7/1), Give Me A Copper (7/1), Just A Sting (7/1), The Young Master (8/1), Beware The Bear (9/1), Step Back (10/1), Rock The Kasbah (12/1), Present Man (14/1), Rolling Dylan (16/1), Le Reve (16/1), Joe Farrell (16/1), Adrien Du Pont (16/1), Captain Chaos (16/1), Prime Venture (20/1), Ballydine (20/1), Flying Angel (20/1), Yala Enki (20/1), Vyta Du Roc (25/1), Rathlin Rose (40/1)

A maximum turnout with the first three finishers from 2018 again locking horns, namely Step Back (rated 10lb higher), Rock The Kasbah (5lb above his last winning mark) and Present Man (good ground will suit). Others with history in the race are Vyta Du Roc (second in 2017), Le Reve (third in 2015) and The Young Master (winner in 2016), with the latter of some interest on a sound surface. Unexposed youngsters include Talkischeap, Adrien Du Pont and Just A Sting. However, with just enough rain in the forecast, ROLLING DYLAN ticks plenty of the required boxes and won't be found wanting for stamina reserves.