Punting pointers for a fiendish opener to the ITV action

bet365 Novices' Championship Final Handicap Hurdle

Fred Winter form gives added Valour

Paul Nicholls fields both top-weighted Mont Des Avaloirs and four-year-old Act Of Valour, who ran well until approaching the last in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap at Cheltenham.

He showed no ill effects when beating Pacific De Baune in a qualifier at Fakenham this month and gets 5lb weight-for-age here.

Mont Des Avaloirs leads winner Global Citizen into the Kempton straight in the Sky Bet Dovecote HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

Mont Des Avaloirs is fully entitled to be carrying top weight on the evidence of his third here in the Tolworth Hurdle in January and guaranteed his place in the line-up when winning a qualifier by nine lengths at Market Rasen.

Pipe aims to make experience count

Friday Night Lights had no answer to Show On The Road when finishing 13 lengths adrift of the Philip Hobbs-trained runner in an Exeter qualifier for this series in January.

But he has since been gaining valuable experience in open handicap company and, although he failed to cut much ice when pulled up in the Imperial cup here in March, his narrow defeat to Le Patriote in a £28,000 race at Ascot before that means he won't lack for being battle-hardened in this 20-runner contest.

Dalgleish rare raid one to note

Another to have plenty of experience outside the novice hurdling sphere is Taxmeifyoucan, who showed all ground comes alike to him when winning three times on the Flat last summer.

Brian Hughes takes the ride on Taxmeifyoucan, having been on board for his qualifier success at Musselburgh and a narrow defeat at Kelso last time.

Taxmeifyoucan and Brian Harding go clear in the Kelso series qualifierCredit: Grossick Racing Photography 0771

While trainers are beginning to lure Hughes south a little more often on Saturdays, Keith Dalgleish hasn't had a runner over jumps at Sandown in the last five years, while his combined total for other Grade 1 tracks below the Trent, such as Newbury and Cheltenham, is three outings over the same period.

What they say

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Mont Des Avaloirs and Act Of Valour
Mont Des Avaloirs's Tolworth form is very good, with the winner and second doing so well. On that form he would have a right chance. He has been very backward and babyish and had a few issues with sore shins. I wouldn't want it getting too soft for Act Of Valour. I know he won on heavy but I think he's better on better ground.

Chris Gordon, trainer of Highway One O One
I know he won the qualifier at Kempton but this wasn't really the plan. But he seems to have come out of it very well and it's such a big prize that you can't help but have a go at it.

Sara Bradstock, assistant to Mark Bradstock, trainer of Jaisalmer
He had problems with ulcers, which is why I think he ran below form at Plumpton, but I think we’ve got on top of them. Possibly two miles on good ground might be too tight for him. At the same time it’s Sandown, which is a proper stamina test, while at this time of the year it’s often about who’s still fresh enough.

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Ballymoy
He's been running on much softer ground and in the future will need further as he learns to settle, which he's getting better at.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Burrows Edge and Grapevine
Burrows Edge would possibly prefer another half-mile but this is a really good prize and we got him qualified. He's in very good form. Grapevine is still a novice and, mad as it may sound, for a prize like this I wouldn't mind if he lost his novice status on the last day of the season.

Philip Hobbs, trainer of Show On The Road
I certainly wouldn’t have been thinking a couple of runs ago that he would be running in a race for this sort of money, but he’s qualified and he won very easily last time. He seems in good form and I hope he has an each-way chance.

Gary Moore, trainer of Ar Mest
He won an average race at Lingfield. He was probably an unfortunate faller at the last Sandown meeting, when I thought he might have won. The only saving grace is he might have a reasonable handicap mark. Rain won't worry him.

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