Sandown Placepot: Saturday December 8

It could be a big day for Nicky Henderson at Sandown

It's Tingle Creek day at Sandown, and Keith Melrose is hoping for a successful (and big-paying) Placepot perm...

12:20 - This first leg, a trappy six-runner novice, is no time to get cute, so we're going to play it straight down the middle with Golden Hoof. He's probably not going to be a leading novice hurdler, but he's looked a potentially useful performer in finishing runner-up in a bumper and winning a Kempton novice hurdle so far and it's likely he'll see us through. Just in case, though, we'll add Lord Protector, whose second to Puffin Billy on debut looks pretty solid, as backup. 

12:55 - There's a temptation to bank in this mares' handicap hurdle, too, with Kentford Grey Lady having the potential to become one of Britain's top mares this winter, but on her return to action on such testing ground we probably need another to bolster our perm. The progressive Florafern looks as solid a choice as any, having a couple of recent runs under her belt already and showing an aptitude on heavy ground when second at Ascot the other week.

13:25 - The lurking dangers of Sam Winner (formerly very smart juvenile) and Amigo (Pipe recruit from France) make this a potentially tricky leg, but taking the pair that represent the bang-in-form Oliver Sherwood yard would give us a big chance of getting through. Arkose would be our number one hope such is the form he's been in, the only doubt over him giving his running once more being the fact he had a fairly hard race at Kempton towards the end of last month. Second selection Kasbadali was a most progressive handicap hurdler last season, winning three times over timber and placing in a couple of warm events. He seemed not to take to chasing in a couple of tries earlier in the season, but at least the latter of those should have him fit for this return to the smaller obstacles.

13:55 - The hardest part of this fourth leg, the Henry VIII Novices' Chase, could well be waiting to see if all five stand their ground. If they do, it's hard to imagine Captain Conan getting round and not finishing in the first two, so he rates as a banker to us. 

14:30 - This is a competitive handicap hurdle, but it doesn't look to command as many lines as you might think. That's chiefly down to Ifandwhybutnot, who did very well to win what's arguably one of the hottest races of the season so far at Cheltenham (form franked several times since, including here yesterday) and should be capable of at least placing here despite a hefty rise. We're backing him up with Petit Robin, who is a surprisingly large price given his comfortable success at Ascot a couple of weeks ago, for which he's been raised just 6 lb.

15:05 - Sprinter Sacre: simply watch and marvel.

Selections:
12:20 - 1, 5
12:55 - 1, 3
13:25 - 5, 7
13:55 - 2
14:30 - 1, 5
15:05 - 6
= 16 lines

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