SANDOWN

THEY should call today’s Bet365 Gold Cup the Sandown Grand National, or the Esher Grand National, or something.

If they did, we’d have the Grand National and the Irish Grand National and the Scottish Grand National and the Sandown Grand National all in a row. Four Grand National weekends in April, as long as Easter complied.

Talkischeap could win this afternoon’s race. His novice chasing form in the early part of the season is very good.

On his chasing debut, in a beginners’ chase run over two and three-quarter miles at Newbury in November, he finished third behind La Bague Au Roi and Lostintranslation, beaten a total of six and a half lengths.

On his second run, back at Newbury, over two and a half miles, Alan King’s horse split that pair, admittedly after Lostintranslation had made a bad mistake at the third last fence.

He had Spiritofthegames, the only other runner in the race, 14 lengths behind him in fourth that day.

That is really strong form. La Bague Au Roi, to whom Talkischeap was conceding the 7lb mares’ allowance, won her next two races too, both Grade 1 contests, the Kauto Star Chase and the Flogas Chase, and is now rated 151.

Lostintranslation beat Defi Du Seuil in the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham next time, and finished second to that rival in both the Scilly Isles Chase and the JLT Chase, before going to Aintree and winning the Grade 1 Mildmay Chase. Colin Tizzard’s horse is now rated 161.

Even Spiritofthegames went on to finish third in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase at Cheltenham’s January meeting, and in the Brown Advisory Plate at the Cheltenham Festival, and is now rated 150.

All of that means that Talkischeap is potentially well handicapped on the mark of 145 off which he will race today.

He has been beaten in his last two runs, both of them at Kempton, when it looked like he was done for pace, especially on the latter occasion in the 888Sport Handicap Chase, the old Racing Post Chase.

He has all the while shaped like a stayer, he was under consideration for the Scottish Grand National, and the extended three-and-a-half-mile trip today should suit him well.

He stays well, he goes well on good ground, and his trainer has his horses in tremendous form. Alan King’s record on the flat and over jumps since last Wednesday reads 3P1211P32215411.

Also, importantly, Talkischeap is only seven and he has raced just five times over fences. He has the potential to progress a fair way beyond his handicap rating of 145.

Step Back is back for more. The Bradstocks’ horse was seriously impressive in winning the race last year.

But he raced off a mark of 135 then, he is 10lbs higher now, and he was pulled up at the Canal Turn last time in the Grand National, when his tendency to jump to his right became more and more pronounced as the race progressed.

Of course, he is back on a right-handed track today, back at the scene of his career-best performance, and that is obviously a positive, but he doesn’t come into today’s race with the momentum that he had last year, he is much higher in the weights and he is short enough.

The 2016 winner, The Young Master, could be a bigger danger.

Neil Mulholland’s horse is 10 now, but he is back down to a mark of 142, which is 6lbs lower than the mark off which he won this race three years ago.

He comes into the race in good form too, he was impressive in winning a handicap chase at Cheltenham’s November meeting and, after pulling up in the Ladbrokes Trophy at Newbury in December, he ran a big race last time to finish third in the Kim Muir at the Cheltenham Festival.

Just A Sting could also run well, and Ballydine and West Approach could both out-run big odds, but the case for Talkischeap is more compelling, and 8/1 about him is more than fair.

LEICESTER

Larchmont Lad could be over-priced in the Listed King Richard III Stakes at Leicester, having his first run for Joseph Tuite.

The conditions of this race suit Larchmont Lad well. It is for horses who have not won a Group 1 or Group 2 race after August 31st last year. He won the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at the Curragh last July, just over a month before the cut-off date.

Even Group 3 winners since last August have to carry a 5lb penalty, but because his Group 2 win was before then, he gets to race penalty-free. The Footstepsinthesand horse was good in winning that day at the Curragh.

Sent to the front from flagfall by James Doyle, he kept on well to hold off So Beloved’s challenge, with Fas and Smash Williams behind.

His form before that last year was good too, he was only beaten a head by D’bai in the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock in June, when he had Tabarrak and Dutch Connection behind him.

Donjuan Triumphant is interesting, but he has to conceded a 3lb penalty and he would probably prefer easier ground.

Laugh A Minute is also interesting, but he is a free-going horse who will have to settle if he is going to get the trip, his first attempt at seven furlongs since his juvenile days.

Seven furlongs on fast ground is ideal for Larchmont Lad.

Jamie Spencer is a good booking and, if his new trainer has him primed and ready to go on his seasonal debut, he could go well at a decent price.

RECOMMENDED

TALKISCHEAP, 3.35 Sandow, 1 point each-way, 8/1 (generally)

LARCHMONT LAD, 2.45 Leicester, 1 point win, 13/2 (generally)