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One trainer, one jockey, one horse and one race to watch on Saturday

Trainer

Cheltenham Festival-winning mare Love Envoi makes her seasonal reappearance at Sandown on a huge day for her trainer Harry Fry.

The Mares' Novice Hurdle winner tackles handicap company for the first time off a mark of 139 in the Betfair Daily Rewards Handicap Hurdle (2.20).

The six-year-old won a Grade 2 on her only previous trip to the Esher track and is one of two Noel Fehily Syndicate-owned horses in Fry's care leading the Sandown Saturday markets, the other being Revels Hill in the Winners Wear Cavani Menswear London National Handicap Chase (3.30).

Revels Hill relished the step up in trip to take a marathon contest at Taunton in March and his comeback second over an inadequate trip at Ascot last month was encouraging.

Fry also has Boothill attempting a second straight Saturday success in the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase (1.45) with Whitehotchillifili and Whisky Express completing a strong squad for the Dorset trainer in the Goffs Tingle Creek Sale Mares' Handicap Hurdle (12.35).

LANGER DAN Ridden by Harry Skelton wins the 20 YEARS TOGETHER, ALDER HEY & AINTREE HANDICAP HURDLE (GRADE 3) at AINTREE 8/4/22Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723
Langer Dan: one of several good rides for Harry Skelton at Aintree on SaturdayCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Jockey

Harry Skelton has ridden major winners in the Betfair Chase and the Coral Gold Cup on the last two weekends, and the former champion jockey has another big Saturday in store.

Skelton rides Boylesports Becher Handicap Chase (2.05) favourite Ashtown Lad for his brother Dan over the Grand National fences. The Scottish National fifth warmed up for this with a solid run over hurdles on the Mildmay course and is one of several decent chances at Aintree for Skelton.

Langer Dan won a Grade 3 handicap over course and distance in April and is dangerous despite carrying top weight in the Boylesports Extra Places Daily Handicap Hurdle (3.15). Etalon (11.45) and Knight In Dubai (2.40) could go one better than when second on their reappearance runs last month, while the Paul Nicholls-trained Dixon Cove (12.55) is a useful spare to pick up.

Horse

It will be intriguing to see if Ahoy Senor can bounce back from his flop in the Charlie Hall Chase when he takes on Grand National hero Noble Yeats in the Boylesports Many Clouds Chase (1.30), and it will also be interesting to see how Champion Bumper winner Facile Vega fares on his hurdling debut at Fairyhouse (1.52).

Jonbon is also a must watch on Saturday. Nicky Henderson's Grade 1-winning hurdler was cut to 2-1 to emulate his brother Douvan by winning the Arkle after a flawless chasing debut at Warwick last month and is odds-on to continue his perfect start over fences in the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices' Chase (1.45).

Jonbon has been beaten only by his superstar stablemate Constitution Hill in seven starts under rules and will attempt to replicate another Seven Barrows star in Altior, who won this Grade 1 in 2016 en route to Arkle glory in the spring.

Greaneteen and Bryony Frost race away from the second-last fence on the way to victory in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown
Greaneteen: last year's winner defends his crown in a thrilling looking Tingle Creek line-upCredit: Edward Whitaker

Race

The Betfair Tingle Creek Chase (2.55) is the first open company two-mile Grade 1 of the season in Britain and another of Henderson's former Arkle winners, Shishkin, makes his seasonal reappearance in the £175,000 Sandown race.

The Joe Donnelly-owned eight-year-old was odds-on to win at the Cheltenham Festival for the third year in a row in March, but was pulled up by Nico de Boinville after eight fences in the Champion Chase.

A rare bone condition was found to be the cause of that no-show for Shishkin, who had been unbeaten in seven starts over fences before that mishap.

Shishkin faces no easy task on his comeback though, with last year's winner Greaneteen, Arkle hero Edwardstone and his Aintree conqueror Gentleman De Mee, as well as Champion Chase runner-up Funambule Sivola, contributing to a cracking clash befitting the feature race of the weekend.


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'He should be spot on for this' - 20-1, 16-1 and 5-1 tips for Saturday's racing


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Published on 2 December 2022inNews

Last updated 13:08, 2 December 2022

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