The selection has form on good to soft ground and, at 20-1, makes a lot of appeal with the Venetia Williams yard also in form
Sandown’s increasingly popular final to the veterans chase series has once more produced a big field of familiar names but the oddity this year is a drying surface which is unlikely to be perfect for many of them. Houblon Des Obeaux (3.00) could not be mistaken for a fast horse but he has plenty of form on good to soft ground and, at 20-1, makes a lot of appeal with the Venetia Williams yard suddenly in tremendous form.
Now 12, he did not appear to relish heavy going for his first two starts this year but he showed plenty of ability last season, including when winning over this course and distance. If the light still burns within, he has dropped to a very attractive mark of 135; the last time he was rated so low was for a handicap hurdle on New Year’s Day seven years ago, which he won.
Related: Talking Horses: Rooneys’ Cheltenham boycott is based on meagre evidence
Newcastle 11.55 Suggestion 12.25 Ravenhill Road 12.55 Mountain Hawk 1.30 Outnumbered 2.00 Petite Ganache 2.35 Grand Morning 3.10 Zakharova
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