Dave Nevison, Martin Dixon, Andy Stephens (RaceiQ), Johnny Ward and Ross Millar share selections for the aciton across Sandown Haydock on Saturday, live on Racing TV.
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1.45 Sandown: Minella Yoga
Tipster: RaceiQ nap of the day (Andy Stephens)
Best odds: 6-1.
Narciso Has (8.2) is the only four-year-old to have run this year with a higher Jump Index than Minella Yoga (8.0) among the juvenile hurdlers.
He’s gained ground at 33 of the 35 hurdles he has navigated, pinching more than 40 lengths. His mark of 132 also looks favourable for his switch to the handicap ranks, while good ground seems to suit him.
He was a close third to Maestro Conti (now rated 143) at Cheltenham in January, when he was a place ahead of Lord Byron (rated 141).
He's the RaceiQ nap of the day on Saturday.
2.30 Navan: Charles Darwin
Tipster: Johnny Ward.
Best odds: 4-6.
Surely the early price of 4-6 is wrong here, in my opinion. Aidan O'Brien's charge is far superior to his rivals here having won the Norfolk Stakes in good style at Royal Ascot last year.
He likes the track (he bolted up here 12 months ago) and there's nothing to suggest this son of No Nay Never should not thrive as a three-year-old.
3.30 Sandown: In D’Or
Tipster: Dave Nevison.
Best odds: 11-2.
The last time we saw this gelding was in a handicap at Ascot in February where In D’Or finished third to The Jukebox Kid, and I believe that race could be the key form indicator for this £175,000 prize.
Almost every contender that came out of that event seems to have scored next time out, and it represents strong form indeed.
Fergal O’Brien’s gelding is 7lb better off with Montregard, who finished 3½ lengths in front of him. In my view, that makes the selection well treated.
In D’Or showed he stayed this distance at last year's Cheltenham Festival where he finished a staying-on sixth, and he would definitely have been closer but for a significant error early on in the race.
He has run a couple of very creditable races at Sandown, so clearly handles this track well, and with him still being fresh, and lightly-raced over fences, he looks open to more upside than many of his rivals.
The O’Brien yard is ending this season in good form, and winning a race like this would be a fitting end.
4.40 Sandown: Calimystic
Tipster: Ross Millar.
Best odds: 13-8.
This seven-year-old is two from two over fences and looks to have been found a relatively weak contest to complete the hat-trick.
He jumps well, and has winning course form, plus the switch back to a sounder surface is also a positive.
Nicky Henderson has operated at 28 per cent strike-rate in the past fortnight, and that makes Calimystic the clear pick in this.
4.55 Haydock: Fiscal Policy
Tipster: Martin Dixon.
Best odds: 9-4.
I remember working at this meeting at Haydock last season, and the stands' rail was definitely the place to be on the sprint track. It's not certain to be the same again, admittedly, but I can't see stall ten as a hindrance to Fiscal Policy's chance, especially as the two front-runners are drawn right near him, and he's a very well handicapped performer on his form from last Spring.
Returning from an absence at Thirsk this month, it was notable that he was strong in the market, and duly took a big step back in the right direction.
He'll be happy back on drying ground, and if the set up of the race is as perfect as I think it could be, then I think he'll be hard to beat.