Here’s hoping we can finish the jumps season with a winner at Sandown

 In Latest News

April 26

Both I’m A Lumberjack and Blue Tempus  have solid chances today, and don’t rule out at Helnwein at Chepstow tomorrow – he ran far better than his finishing position suggests at last month’s Cheltenham Festival.

And on Saturday we’ll be very much involved at Sandown on the final day of what has been a memorable jumps season. The opening novice handicap hurdle has been the target for HMS President since the turn of the year. Stable jockey Tom Cannon has the mount.

Alan said:”HMS President has twice finished second since he made a winning seasonal debut, but he might have bumped into a good winner (Sage Green) at Chepstow last time. That run qualified HMS President for Sandown, so we have kept him back to go there fresh and well.”

We are doubly-represented in this race, with Mythical Moon also also running, with Brendan Powell aboard. Alan added:”The ground was probably a bit quick for Mythical Moon at Newbury last time and he came back a bit jarred up after finishing third.”

Edwardstone returns to Sandown, a course where he has run some of his best races, and, while at the age of 11 he might not be as good as he was when winning the Grade 1 Tingle Creek Chase a couple of years ago, he is more than capable of finishing in the money again in the Celebration Chase.

Remember, Edwardstone finished an excellent third to his arch-rival Jonbon in this race 12 months ago. It is now common knowledge that our popular stable veteran was not right after his below-par performance in the Game Spirit at Newbury in February. and Alan has put a line through that and given him plenty of time to recover.

Alan, well aware that Jonbon and company are guaranteed to provide stiff opposition, explained:”Edwardstone blew very hard after that race and coughed the following morning, and it was at a time when quite a few other horses in the yard were under the weather. It really knocked Edwardstone for six, and he was not ready to resume at Cheltenham. We just had to be patient.”