Paul Nicholls on Keppols Hill:
"I would like to think he will go close to winning as everything appears in his favour, even though it is clearly a competitive little race."
Betfair Ambassador Paul Nicholls speaks frankly about the five horses he's sending out today...
13:30 Ffos Las - Sydney Melbourne
Showed fairly decent staying form on the Flat in 2010, and plenty of promise on his only hurdle start two seasons ago. Was off the course for the best part of two years with a leg injury before making his debut for us at Taunton in December, where I thought he would need the run and probably find the going too testing, all his form previously having been on good ground. So he delighted me with his second there, even if the form of the race is nothing to shout home about. Will hopefully show the benefit of that outing here today. But there are plenty of unexposed and exciting bumper and point winners in here against him.
13:50 Sandown - Toubab
I am sure that this horse has races in him off his current mark, but things haven't fallen his way in recent starts - though there was certainly nothing wrong with his second to Sprinter Sacre at Aintree in April. The problem we have for him at the moment is that he is essentially a good ground horse but we can't keep on holding him back for better going because it doesn't look like materialising for the foreseeable future, does it? So in the circumstances I thought he shaped promisingly on his reappearance in heavy ground over 2m1f in the heavy at Ascot, tiring from 2 out after travelling well. It could be a similar story today but, like I said, I think he is on a fair mark.
15:00 Sandown - Gwanako
Is another who probably wants better ground, but he goes well fresh and goes well here, so let's see how he gets on. He has recorded two wins over 2m5f in hunter chases here and James Cowley, on board for the first of those successes, takes the ride.
15:35 Sandown - Keppols Hill
Should really have been unbeaten this season but finally came good at Chepstow last time where he beat Arthurian Legend by 2 ¾ lengths. The form of that race may not amount to a great deal - the runner-up ran poorly at Wincanton on Thursday - but he jumped really well there and Ruby thought he won with a bit in hand. This is one horse of mine who will not be unsuited by the testing conditions and I think a mark of 136 gives us something to work with; in fact, I would like to think he will go close to winning as everything appears in his favour, even though it is clearly a competitive little race.
16:20 Ffos Las - Toby Lerone
Winning pointer who has basically been disappointing in his three hurdle to starts to date, though he did look the likely winner when falling 3 out at Chepstow in December and the step back to 2m3f was not ideal at Exeter last time. The return to 3m will be more in his favour.
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