Sandown Racing Betting Tips
The National Hunt season comes to a conclusion with Saturday's card at Sandown and there's some excellent action to look forward to, including a Grade 1.
While the thoroughly competitive Gold Cup is considered to be the main race of the day, the Celebration Chase is equally as prestigious and there's more graded action over hurdles and fences, including the Oaksey Chase.
There's an extra race on the schedule this year, giving us eight contests in total and here are our best bets for each.
Among them is a confirmed stayer in the day's main event who ran a cracker to finish fourth in the Welsh National earlier on in the season.
13:13 - Juvenile Handicap Hurdle
Dan Skelton's MADE U BLUSH is going the right way and she was an impressive winner at Doncaster on her penultimate start. Following up in a Listed contest at Musselburgh after that, she should be very competitive off this generous-looking mark.
Selection: Made U Blush @ 9/2
13:45 - Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle
Chris Gordon has had a productive campaign and the promising KOCKTAIL BLEU could provide him with another winner here. He was second in a Grade 2 at Kempton on his penultimate start and returned to winning ways at Newbury last month. Handicaps could be a good route and it's hard to argue with a mark of 125.
Selection: Koktail Bleu @ 9/1
14:20 - Oaksey Chase
Paul Nicholls tends to do pretty well at this meeting and the talented MATTERHORN thrives on good ground. Last victorious in May 2025, he won a handicap by five lengths off a mark of 143 and this isn't the strongest of Grade 2s so he should be bang in the mix.
Selection: Matterhorn @ 3/1
14:55 - Celebration Chase
Irish raider SOLNESS ran an absolute cracker when second by a neck in the Melling Chase at Aintree last time out and that form makes Joseph O'Brien's gelding the one to beat. Getting the better of Marine Nationale at Leopardstown over Christmas, he has some quality form in the book.
Selection: Solness @ 7/2
15:30 - Gold Cup Handicap Chase
LIVIN ON LUCO is a confirmed stayer over this trip and having the stamina box ticked is a huge positive. He showed a good attitude to win over a marathon trip at Fontwell in November and ran a cracker to finish fourth in the Welsh National. Denied by a short head over further at Exeter last month, he should run his race once again.
Selection: Livin On Luco @ 11/1
16:02 - Select Hurdle
Connections decided to give KABRAL DU MATHAN a longer break after his Cheltenham run and skipped Aintree in favour of this much easier task. This powerful traveller has tonnes of ability and it'll be a surprise if he fails to come out on top here.
Selection: Kabral Du Mathan @ 1/2
16:40 - Novices' Handicap Chase
Nicky Henderson's CALIMYSTIC is unbeaten in two starts over fences so far and he won with more in hand than the official margin suggested at Sandown last month. A 6lb rise shouldn't be too crippling and it's likely that there's more improvement to come.
Selection: Calimystic @ 11/8
17:15 - Handicap Hurdle
Top weight FAVOUR AND FORTUNE looks capable of running a huge race here, despite the heavy burden of 12st. Lightly raced this season, he was an excellent third at Aintree last time out and a similar effort would give him every chance of getting the job done.
Selection: Favour And Fortune @ 11/2
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation
