Edwardstone v Jonbon – round five at Sandown, and who knows this might be our turn!

With three winners and two places from just seven runners this month, Alan is well pleased with the form of the Barbury team, and long-term the sky could be the limit for Ski Lift, who jumped super and was impressive when opening his account over fences at the second time of asking at Haydock on Wednesday.

And over the next 48 hours we’ll be looking for more potential celebrations, with three runners tomorrow at Exeter, while Edwardstone, who has a fifth attempt to beat Jonbon in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown, is our ‘Saturday Specialist’, aided by a strong supporting act, courtesy of Major Dundee in the Becher Chase at Aintree and the promising Off The Jury in the novices hurdle at Chepstow.

However, we have to kick-start our week-end hopes with Edwardstone in the seven-horse feature on the Esher course, and some professionals have suggested that Alan should revert to the trailblazing Tingle Creek tactics which worked so well in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last April.

Sandown is a great course for adopting the catch-me-if-you can role, and Irish raider Quilixios produced a career-best performance when adopting front-running tactics at Naas last month, so one senses that the pace will be frenetic from flagfall.

Assessing our chance, Alan said:”Edwardstone will be 11 on New Year’s Day, but his enthusiasm and work at home has been as good as its ever been.

“I was delighted with his comeback run behind Jonbon in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham last month, and he took a bit of a blow going to the last fence, which suggests that he might come on for the run.

“No doubt, Jonbon will improve as well, but Edwardstone was less than three lengths behind him in this race last year, and there has never been much between the pair.

“Edwardstone won the Tingle Creek in 2022 and it’s one of my favourite steeplechases. Obviously, I’d love to win it again, but, while Jonbon is a worthy odds-on favourite, I have seen no reason at home not to run, and if I opted out where else would I go?”

Summing up his hopes for our two other Saturday runners, Alan added:”We thought we’d roll the dice and see what happens with Major Dundee over the big Aintree fences.

“Turn the clock back a few years and i would not have fancied him going around there, but the fences are different now and we were pleased with Major Dundee’s comeback run at Bangor. He was bang there three out but took a bit of a blow, However, he is lazy at home and difficult to get fit, so he always improves for a race. He’s been dropped a couple of pounds so it will be interesting to see how he takes to it.

“I am pleased I skipped Newbury with Off The Jury to wait for Chepstow. The experience he gained when runner-up on his hurdles debut at Aintree will have brought him on. That also looked a hot race, but he settled much better than he was doing in his bumpers last season, and it was a solid run.”

Our triple attack at Haldon tomorrow also looks interesting. Alan said:”The weather denied The Doyen Chief at Exeter last week, so we’ll be off back down the M5 again. He was not beaten that far first time over fences at Market Rasen and, hopefully, he can take another step forward in the handicap chase.

“Baby Sage runs in the handicap hurdle. and she also pleased me on her comeback at Warwick, There is more rain forecast for the West Country, and the slower ground and step up in trip will be a bonus.

“However, I would not want the ground too heavy for Mystical Moon. I was delighted with his winning jumping debut at Stratford, He is a decent horse and that looked a good race as the second is highly-rated and the third, Nowmelad, bolted up at Hereford last week. I just hope the ground does not deteriorate.”