There are two excellent Handicap Hurdle races at Sandown which are historically eagerly awaited on the weekend before Christmas. The Imperial Cup winner could in the glory days of Martin Pipe and Reg Akehurst often be followed to Cheltenham 6 days later with a wet sail, and although those days have gone, still two prizes eagerly contested. The Good ground there and at Hereford, where we'll attack the opening Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle may be a precursor to 4 days on quickly drying ground at Cheltenham, and although that sort of Going often delivers a lot of top 3-4 market winners, it's something we can only handle on a day to day basis. A pair of decent Handicaps at Gowran Park and Ayr, on soft ground, give us scope to test out form on more traditional winter ground. 

 

I've pulled the TRACKERS for today for the week, there are obviously lots going in to Cheltenham that we have followed, what I don;t want to be doing though is listing multiple horses in many races who are tracked, I think its better to refer to them in the analysis "on their merits" and discount or tip according to actual form chances on the day.

 

Tomorrow, together with a few tip races, we'll consider the updated views on the 3 x Ante Posts so far named and we have one other who may well be getting ideal ground for the first time in a fair while.