Jumps racing heads to Sandown Lakeside on Sunday for the running of the $250,000 Grand National Hurdle and $100,000 Crisp Steeplechase, both over 4200m. This is the second of only two city track hosted meets now with jumps racing on the program, and the third consecutive weekend of jumps racing.
The spacious Sandown course with its uphill run in the back straight and downhill run to the home turn creates a good feel for the jumpers. Whilst the track must be prepared to a Soft standard for the jumpers it won’t be the Heavy ground we’ve seen at recent jumps meetings. The track is rated a Soft 6 as I write this preview.
Unfortunately, Stern Idol seems to have again scared off some rivals from the Crisp Steeplechase, although the additional prizemoney of the Grand National Hurdle may be the key reason to The Mighty Spar running in that race and even Affluential switching back to the hurdles after winning a Maiden Steeplechase at Hamilton recently. Potentially Stern Idol’s main danger, Noonday Gun, also isn’t in the field on Sunday with trainer Shane Jackson making no secret of the fact that he wants to protect his star jumpers rating heading towards the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat on Sunday 17 August, so that he gets into that race with as light a weight as possible. That’s a $400,000 Steeplechase and so whilst we as jumps racing followers would like to see Noonday Gun tackling Stern Idol on Sunday, or even at Hamilton recently when he was scratched, we don’t pay the bills.
Three jockeys have won jumps races on Stern Idol here in Australia; Steven Pateman, Willie McCarthy and can you name the third? The jockey in question rode Stern Idol to his first two jumps wins in Australia.
Race 1 – Ecycle Solutions Crisp Steeplechase 4200m @12.20pm
In my opinion this is getting out to as far as 1 Stern Idol wants, but in saying that he seems to have been settling much better in his races recently than he has at times in previous preparations. He’s settled well at recent starts, had nothing take him on and won as he liked and I think it will be rinse and repeat here. He’s in very well at the set weights and penalties as for example if the weights were based purely on handicap rating points 2 Not Usual Dream would be receiving 16.5kgs off Stern Idol, not 5kgs.
1 Stern Idol is a champion jumper; he likes this course having won this race the last two years and there is no reason why he won’t win it again. Steven Pateman combines with him well and as I said earlier, he’s very well in at the weights. Hardest to beat for mine will be 5 Pressfal, a relatively fresh horse on the scene but coming off a fall last week at Casterton. Before that he had run The Mighty Spar to two lengths at Casterton over 3800m, finishing ahead of 2 Not Usual Dream in that race. 2 Not Usual Dream goes in for third. He finished 5.75 lengths behind Stern Idol around this track in the Australian Steeplechase over 3900m back in early June, and a repeat of that performance see’s him a certain placegetter here. Stern Idol gave him 8kgs that day and gives him 5kgs in this race.
He’s a champion jumper, 1 Stern Idol, and will be well worth watching on Sunday.
1 Stern Idol – 5 Pressfal – 2 Not Usual Dream
Race 3 – Sportsbet Feed Hurdle 3400m @ 1.40pm
3 Sing For Peace ran second here to unbeaten jumper, Noonday Gun, in a BM120 Hurdle over 3400m back in early June, beaten 2 lengths and followed that up with a third behind Bitcoin at Warrnambool over 3200m, beaten 3.5 lengths. For me that’s good enough to win this race. Back to the 3400m here also suits him better than some of his opposition, particularly 2 Normandy Bridge.
Hardest to beat will be 1 Cool King, 4 Bignight Rebel and 6 Farag. I can’t believe Farag is still a maiden over jumps having had 4 starts for four seconds (and I think I’ve tipped him to win in three of those!). 5 Pearlman would need to improve, and I just can’t have 2 Normandy Bridge over 3400m. He needs to settle in his races and that’s always a query with him, and he failed to finish at Hamilton recently. 3 Sing For Peace also gave Normandy Bridge 2kgs when they last raced at Sandown and beat him by over 3 lengths. They meet at level weights in this race.
1 Cool King comes through a very good race at Hamilton when third, beaten nearly 3 lengths by Highland Blaze and he’s the main danger to 3 Sing For Peace. Even though he’s still a maiden 6 Farag goes in for third ahead of 4 Bignight Rebel. His four jumps racing seconds have all been behind some very progressive jumpers.
3 Sing For Peace – 1 Cool King – 6 Farag
Race 4 – Ecycle Solutions Grand National Hurdle 4200m @ 2.20pm
A very good race, with some very good hurdlers involved and a couple of very good jumpers coming back from the bigger fences to this in The Mighty Spar, Affluential and Prismatic.
1 The Cunning Fox is unbeaten over jumps; 6 wins from 6 starts. He won the Australian Hurdle here over 3900m back in early June, beating 5 Highland Blaze and 2 Affluential into the placings that day. He meets most runners at a similar weight differential or slightly worse in the case of Affluential. The Cunning Fox looked to be struggling 600-800m out in that race and Highland Blaze was left footed and chasing from further back but really picked up late. I think Highland Blaze has improved again since that race and he’s strong as shown since when winning at Hamilton. The second to The Cunning Fox in the Australian Hurdle is his only defeat over jumps and I think he can turn the tables here over 4200m. The extra 300m here will really suit Highland Blaze.
4 Right Now won well last start at Warrnambool beating 7 Loft, who looked a star hurdler in the making, but has gone down, albeit narrowly, at his last two starts when well in the betting and 2 Affluential won this race last year. Affluential won a Maiden Steeplechase well at Hamilton last start but I’m just not sure he’s going as well this year as he was in 2024. 7 Loft, to be ridden here by Irish jockey, Sean Flanagan, goes in for third. Flanagan is expected to arrive in Melbourne around 5am on Sunday after riding in Ireland on Friday and then be ready to ride in this race later that day. He’s an old mate of trainer, Shane Jackson, so let’s hope the trip is worth his while.
5 Highland Blaze – 1 The Cunning Fox – 7 Loft
Safe jumping.
Gamble Responsibly. Chances are you’re about to lose.
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About Dandy Andy
Racing, pacing, chasing and sport, thoughts and views, tips and news. For the love of the game #WayOutWest Western Victoria.
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