Saturday horse racing tips: Dave Nevison's best bets for Sandown

1.15 Sandown: Farinet

In a race full of types that are difficult to weigh up, I am happy to give Farinet another chance returning to the course he won over last season.

He dropped out pretty quickly when seemingly strongly-fancied for the Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham last time, but that was his seasonal reappearance and only his third start for Venetia Williams. This is also a much easier grade now.

Farinet made quite a bad error at the first when winning here on his final start of last season and battled back well after being headed on the run-in. If he is back in that sort of form we will definitely get a run for our money.

1.50 Sandown: Gunsight Ridge

This is only his third run over fences and he is still open to further improvement. A mark of 130 now looks on the lenient side.

Gunsight Ridge has been a beaten favourite at relatively short prices on his last four starts and followers have got severely burnt fingers by now. However, he has generally run very well and finishing runner-up to L’Homme Presse - who has won the Dipper Chase easily by 10 lengths subsequently - was no disappointment.

This doesn’t look the strongest of contests - only Numitor of Heather Main’s looks in good form and he has gone up in the weights for getting beaten easily at Newbury last time. I feel Gunsight Ridge can finally reward his brave supporters.

3.00 Sandown: Aso

He is still a high-class animal and has only stepped back into handicaps now he has reached the veteran stage.

Aso had a pretty much impossible task when trying to give more than a stone to Blaklion at Haydock last time, with that horse in off a very low mark and formerly fancied to win a Grand National in his day. Aso stayed on really well and certainly showed that the fire is still there.

Most here seem to be slipping down the ladder quicker than Aso, who has run well in the very highest company and is used to lugging around big weights over staying trips.

I have said enough about Charlie Deutsch in steeplechases to see him as a massive positive still.