Wincanton Saturday

1.30 Leonna Mayor New House Celebration Handicap Hurdle 1m 7f 50yds

Inferno Sacree represents an opportunity to indulge a favourite system – backing juveniles first time in handicap hurdles over two miles, and few trainers exploit the WFA concession better than Nigel Hawke, who has done well with the likes of Repetitio and Theocrat.

Inferno Sacree was never at the races in hock-deep ground at Fontwell, but he shaped with loads of promise on his previous run at Ludlow, finishing fourth of seven to Tease And Seize in a competitive juvenile hurdle at Ludlow in November.

Allowance

His dam is a half-sister to Sprinter Sacre, and he is sure to do better than he’s shown to date now qualified for handicaps. An opening mark of 93 is very fair, and he gets a whopping 13lb allowance as a four-year-old against older horses, which is the clincher.

2.05 Advancedbiotech.com UK Award Winning CBD Handicap Chase 1m 7f 149yds

I didn’t think the race Belle De Manech won on St Stephen’s Day was that strong, being confined to mares, and while she did it nicely, this will surely be a tougher task given her lack of experience.

Rikoboy has been ignored in the betting, but he took well to British fences on soft ground last season, winning easily at Market Rasen before going agonisingly close at Market Rasen. He was let down by his jumping subsequently, but would have been an excellent second to Funambule Sivola at Ascot on his final start but for a late fall, and he’s well treated on a line through the impressive winner of that event, who is verging on Champion Chase class now.

Forecast rain

The six-year-old was in the frame in a trio of three-year-old chases in France when the ground was testing, and forecast rain here will suit him more than most. He certainly shouldn’t be the rank outsider here, and may well do better over fences given his relative youth.

2.40 Rapidcharge.com Leading EV Charging Solution Handicap Hurdle 2m 5f 82yds

One notable feature of hurdle races at Leicester in the winter is that it is suicide to stick to the inside rail, where the going is always worse than on the outside. That is just what Luca Morgan did on Apple Rock last time, and he did well to finish mid-field as a result.

The eight-year-old gelding is especially well suited by intermediate trips on soft ground, with form figures of 111 over two and a half miles in the mud when going right-handed. The last of those wins, in February at Carlisle, came off a mark of 117, and he has slipped back to that mark after his Leicester defeat.

Easy winner

Golden Emblem is the other one to consider at the current odds. Neil Mulholland’s mare is best with some ease, and has been running respectably on quicker ground than ideal this autumn. She is 7lb lower than when placed at Perth on her final start last term, and she was an easy winner on her sole previous outing here in March.

Sandown Saturday

1.50 Unibet Horserace Betting Operator Of The Year Handicap Chase 1m 7f 119yds

A case can be made for most here, but there are also a couple of red flags. Gunsight Ridge chased home L’Homme Presse at Exeter last time, and that form reads very well, but he has been beaten favourite five times in his short career, and has traded long odds-on in running on three of his last five runs without winning.

That rings alarm bells, and he’s not one to back at 7/4 or shorter at this track.

Moonlighter has the ability to win this, but he was disappointing at Cheltenham last time despite avoiding mistakes for once.

Numitor is much easier to trust, but there is a fair chance he’ll get involved in a battle for the lead, and he failed to last home after travelling best here last February.

Mud

One who can’t be crabbed on the basis of his attitude is Up The Straight, and while he has no secrets from the handicapper, he promises to be suited by a well-run two miles in the mud here.

He’s had some stiff tasks since sent chasing, finishing second to Chantry House, Farinet and Umbrigado, and overfaced in the Scilly Isles here.

He won well at Plumpton in October, and was again pitched into graded company last time, losing little caste in defeat behind Pic D’Orhy at Ascot last month, and this is his most realistic task since getting off the mark.

2.25 Unibet Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 1m 7f 216yds

Hard to oppose the exciting Constitution Hill here, but equally hard to recommend a bet. I’d have this gelding above Jonbon in my pecking order for the Supreme, and hope he can underline that notion against talented but seemingly inferior rivals.

3.00 Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase 3m 37yds

The ground could scupper a few of these, particularly with this extended three miles likely to ride as if a fair bit further. That is the concern for Aso, who is the best of these, but does not truly stay for all he ran with credit behind Blaklion at Haydock last time.

It’s a little surprising that only one of these has won more than once at this trip or further over fences when the ground has been soft or worse, and it seems eminently sensible to stick with that horse.

Conditions

Step forward Final Nudge, who has won three from nine in such conditions outside of graded company. He has not been with Fergal O’Brien for long, and ran his best race for his current yard when winning a qualifier for this at Warwick, where he had Sir Ivan back in fourth.

He looks as good as ever at the age of 13, and will be hard to kick out of the frame.

3.35 Unibet Casino Deposit £10 Get £40 Handicap Hurdle 1m 7f 216yds

Zambezi Fix rewarded each-way support at the last meeting, and failed to stay two and a half miles back over fences at Chepstow since. He is better handicapped over hurdles, as he showed here, and he again ought to repay each-way support on ground which is sure to be badly churned up by this stage.

Hermes Boy caught the eye under tender handling at Worcester on his return, and has clearly been laid out for handicaps. He improved when winning a big field novice at Exeter last time, and is sure to progress again, so it’s easy to see why he heads the market for Jane and Chester Williams.

Connections won this with Monsieur Lecoq in 2019, so it’s clearly a race which has been under consideration for a while.

Recommended

Inferno Sacree 1.30 Wincanton – 1pt e/w (18/1 general)

Rikoboy 2.05 Wincanton – 1pt win (16/1 SkyBet, BetVictor)

Up The Straight 1.50 Sandown – 2pts win (7/1 general)