Inside Angle: Martin Dixon has three strong fancies for Saturday

The hurdles track at Sandown will be extremely hard work on Saturday, suiting the dour stayers at the respective trips, and Grand Geste is exactly that given he's already placed over 3m this season. 

He's been running consistently well, the stable have sent out stacks of winners through January and I’m optimistic he'll keep going better than most of these up the hill to reward each-way support at odds as big as 14-1 at the time of writing. 

When Marble Sands gets a strong pace to aim at over an intermediate trip, he’s always dangerous and that optimum set up looks on the cards here. He won a novice event at this meeting 12 months ago - his only previous run at Musselburgh - and is only 2 lb higher here despite having had a good season.

His small yard is in excellent form as well, with two winners from only three winners over the past week. 

John McConnell has regular success with his runners on these shores, including a healthy 21% strike rate at Musselburgh, and he looks to have found the perfect race for Intense Approach, who was a comfortable winner on his first try at this 3m trip at Cheltenham in October.

He's been freshened up, avoiding very testing winter ground that wouldn't suit, and I think he sets a good standard that I'd expect him to run to again.