Horse Racing Tips: Matt Chapman’s Saturday ITV Racing Picks at Sandown, Leicester & Haydock

Blow Your Wad gets the Chapman nod in the 14:20 at Sandown.

Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Tips

13:45 Sandown – Kocktail Bleu (each-way)
14.05 Leicester – Fivethousandtoone (each-way)
14:20 Sandown – Blow Your Wad
14:35 Haydock – Great Acclaim (each-way)
14:55 Sandown – Jonbon
15:30 Sandown – Ask Brewster (each-way)

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

The jumps season wraps up here on ITV Racing with a bit of Flat action from Leicester and Haydock. It all starts here with a novices’ handicap hurdle over 2m. A huge field and a wide-open contest. With the ground decent and plenty of sunshine around, you will need pace and be able to bounce off the surface, and the one who can do that is KOCKTAIL BLEU for Chris Gordon and Tom Cannon. The recent Newbury winner has a very fair mark of 125 and has been consistent all season. An each-way play.

A handicap over 6f. FIVETHOUSANDTOONE is better on the all-weather and has been in good form on the artificial surfaces. However, he’s capable on turf, and with Harry Vigors taking off 7lb, he can race here off 79. That’s ridiculous for a horse as talented as him, and if he runs anywhere near his best, the old boy will go close. A solid each-way chance.

The Grade 2 Oaksey Chase over an extended 2m6f. This is poor for the grade of race, BLOW YOUR WAD really should be a big price for a race like this, but as it is, it’s hard to look beyond the recent Chepstow winner who ran really well when fourth in the Ultima behind Johnnywho. This trip is on the short side, but he’s just better than the rest. Garry & Josh Moore train, and they do so well at this course, with Freddie Mitchell on top.

A handicap over 7f. GREAT ACCLAIM was terrific for me in the Racing League last season, and he’s a real 7f specialist. It won’t be easy here off a mark of 98, but I’m sure he will have come on for his run at Doncaster, after which he was dropped 2lb. He ran second off 97 at Ascot last season, so really should have an each-way chance. Eve Johnson Houghton trains with Charlie Bishop riding.

Now the Grade 1 Celebration Chase over nearly 2m. Thistle Ask will take some catching, but I’m happy to stick with old boy JONBON, who has been here before and for the T-shirt. Nicky Henderson’s stable star has only dropped 3lb in the ratings this season, and while he was a beaten favourite in this race last year and the trip is now shorter than his best, I believe his class will pull him through. He looks a fair price to me. Nico de Boinville on top as usual.

The race we all know as the Whitbread, in a handicap chase over an extended 3m4f. ASK BREWSTER bounces off decent ground and has some early pace to get in a good position, so I’m happy to weigh in with him. I tipped him up for the Scottish National the other day, but the heavy ground would have been massively against him on the off, and he was pulled out. He was really good in the Kim Muir at Cheltenham, and while he’s up 7lb, I think he can still run a big one for Cotter and Williams. When he got beat here two runs ago, there was juice in the surface. A few quid each-way.

So best of luck and pray for Yeeehaaas. You hear me, Paddy?

Matt Chapman’s ITV Racing Tips

13:45 Sandown – Kocktail Bleu (each-way)
14.05 Leicester – Fivethousandtoone (each-way)
14:20 Sandown – Blow Your Wad
14:35 Haydock – Great Acclaim
14:55 Sandown – Jonbon
15:30 Sandown – Ask Brewster (each-way)

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

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