Saturday 3rd February

Sandown 3.00 3 Prime Venture @ 14/1 / 16 Fourth Act @ 16/1 / 4 Topofthegame @ 5/1

(Paddy Power + Sky go odds to 5th place - others may follow - every Bookmaker odds to 4th at least)

Musselburgh 3.15 12 Full Jack @ 11/1 / 9 Gonalston Cloud @ 14/1 / 10 Azure Fly @ 16/1

(Ladbrokes go odds to 4th - check around a few more may offer same to existing Clients)

Sandown 3.35 5 Sametgal @ 8/1 / 4 Final Nudge @ 5/1 / 2 Bishops Road @ 11/1

(Skbet go odds to 4th - others specifically to existing clients may offer same - check around).

Sandown 3.00 The Going is officially "soft" there is some rain about; not torrential, but enough to ensure it is genuinely soft. The trip is

3 miles and the finish is uphill. There are a lot of unexposed types and we are entering a period where some Trainers who have had a

quiet spell are re-emerging and I would highlight Nicholls; Tizzard and Evan Williams particularly in the coming weeks. We also are in to

a phase we have mentioned before and will focus on all month; deciding which horses are "running for marks; either to get in to big races

or to hide a mark, or which horses are actually focussed on THIS race on a particular day, as their seasonal goal (e.g NOT Chelt/Aintree).

I think PRIME VENTURE is well handicapped here, will enjoy conditions, a nice jockey booking too and the yard fired in some nice winners

yesterday after a quiet run, I can see it out-running odds. FOURTH ACT arrives off a very nice handicap mark ; had a wind op but has had

time to get over it, they may be "hiding" a Chase mark, more likely, they have a fit bouncing horse on their hands and fancy a nice prize.

TOPOFTHEGAME is highly regarded by PFN and the only question mark is stamina to prove, he will sure find out today but looks the class

of the race and only lack of stamina will stop him up the hill. There are dangers everywhere and in order of danger if you want a Tricast Perm

with 3 permed from 4, I would say Flemcara with King Of Fashion (may need run and more rain) and Otokos as the most feared here.

Musselburgh 3.15 The Edinburgh National, 4 miles plus and the market leaders Delusions Of Grandeur and Missed Approach are

the Class of the race but untested at the trip. This is a trappy tight (horrible in my humble opinion) right handed track with no real

definition, so I will have a speculative pop with 3 horses who are proven at the trip, have Course form and who won't mind if the

scheduled rain arrives or not. They were second, third and fourth in this race last year, all well handicapped on that race and I just

have a hunch that "this is a target race" for all 3, so form this season up to today has to be taken in that context, so in order of preference

FULL JACK; GONALSTON CLOUD and AZURE FLY get the speculative vote.

Sandown 3.35 - The most intriguing race of the day a Chase over 3 miles where Loose Chips and Yala Enki will ensure an end to end

gallop. The configuration of the fences is unique, tests any horse so Course form is an asset and Loose Chips could set off and stay

there, I just have a doubt it will be suited by close attention of Yala Enki and they may duff each other up pace wise. SAMETGAL is

being targeted at The National, needs a place to get in and strange therefore we should be talking about "proving stamina" over 3

miles, but similar horses can and have won the National by just "hunting round" for 2 miles and then letting class tell. I think that

SAMETGAL wins this decisively and the price should be grabbed. Of the rest I think that FINAL NUDGE ticks every box and has to

be in deliberations and the only niggle is how much has that last run taken out of him, I am prepared to think he is ready to roll.

BISHOPS ROAD was also pulled up in the Welsh National; at a sensible juncture and just gets third pick off a nice mark with Course

form. The dangers abound I was close to picking SHANROE SANTOS, ticks every box other than jumping, if he passes the Finish

Post with a circuit to go, having travelled well and jumped fine, I will have a few quid "in running for fun", I would also fear QUITE

BY CHANCE and he would be in any Tricast Perm with the 3 tips, just a nagging doubt that 4 weeks since a wind op is a bit too

soon to be running in a race of this type and one I DEFINITELY THINK is running for fitness and a nice handicap mark later on and

Holly Bush Henry would complete the list of dangers...