Timeform Radio Tips: Away We Go to Sandown

Willie Mullins: Trainer of Away We Go.

David Cleary heads to Sandown for today's bets...

And so another jumps season draws to a close, with the traditional finale, the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown, due off at 15:50. Nineteen are set to line up, with Dover's Hill withdrawn this morning, and the Willie Mullins-trained Away We Go is a warm favourite. His chance is an obvious one - he gets into this early-closing race off a mark which doesn't take into account his excellent second placing in the Irish Grand National. That performance, on his first start over fences since joining Mullins, makes him the clear pick of the weights and, given it was also his first try at a marathon trip it could well be that he has more to offer. Away We Go was clearly campaigned with the Irish National in mind, kept over hurdles this season prior to that run, but today's race offers a nice consolation prize.

Away We Go clearly has to be included in calculations, in a race in which plenty are hard to fancy at the end of a long campaign. One who could be fresher than most is Balthazar King. It's true that he ran in the Grand National only three weeks ago, but he's had a light season, having been trained for the cross country at Cheltenham.

Balthazar King missed the chance to run that day, due to the anticipated soft ground, and acquitted himself well in plan B, faced with a much tougher assignment at Aintree, up with the leaders for a long way. He disappointed in this race two years ago, but that run came at the end of a very full campaign. With just three runs behind him, two of them in the autumn, he should give a much better account this time round. His excellent jumping ought to make this track ideal, and Balthazar King looks overpriced for those wanting a win and place or each way alternative to the favourite.

Also suggested each way or win and place, and at an even bigger price, is Stopped Out in the handicap hurdle at 14:05. He has had just two runs since joining Phil Kirby earlier in the season, along with the rest of Kate Walton's string. Stopped Out took advantage of a drop in the weights to win at Kelso on the first of those starts, then ran well in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham, when fifth off a mark 13 lb higher and in a much stronger race. Stopped Out's front-running style was hardly ideal on that occasion, but could be here, so he could well be seen to much better advantage for his in-form yard this afternoon. 

Recommended Bets:
All at Sandown
Back Away We Go @ 7.613/2 and Balthazar King @ 22.021/1 to win and 4.5n/a to place in the 15:50
Back Stopped Out @ 30.029/1 to win and 5.4n/a to place in the 14:05

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