Sandown tips and best bets: Back Quilixios for Tingle Creek places

The final meeting of the year takes place at Sandown this weekend, with the two main highlights taking place on Saturday, which includes the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase and the Tingle Creek Chase.

There is also a busy day of action on Friday with the Esher Novices’ Chase and the Winter Novices’ Hurdle among the pick of the jumps action.

We’re concentrating on the two Grade 1 races, which take place on Saturday in our predictions, starting with the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, where there are only six horses still in the running.

Horse racing betting sites have L’Eau du Sud as favourite at 8/15 following his superb win at Cheltenham in November and he’s just ahead of Down Memory Lane, who is currently priced at 3/1 with Bet365.

Trained by Gordon Elliott Down Memory Lane doesn’t have a whole heap of form over fences and hurdles and could be the surprise package.

After winning on his hurdle debut in November 2023 he didn’t compete over fences for more than a year but made a winning return at Navan last month beating the likes of King Of Kingsfield, who was the favourite, and Nurburgring.

Sandown prediction: Down Memory Lane to win 3/1 - Bet365

The weather could play a key part in Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase with the course currently on “weather watch” with an unsettled forecast ahead of the race.

Betting sites have Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon the favourite at 1/2 as he looks to defend his crown and after winning on heavy ground last year the conditions could be even more favourable.

The eight-year-old won by two-and-three-quarter lengths from Edwardstone, who is 13/2, last year and looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the Grade 1 race since Kauto Star back in 2005 and 2006.

The course is currently described as “good to soft, good in places” by Sandown’s clerk of the course Andrew Cooper, but weather forecasts suggest that it could turn wet and windy on Friday night, into Saturday.

It’s hard to see past Jonbon but Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios is a good each-way option. The Irish horse made a winning return to action last month after a break of more than 200 days, winning at Naas by seven and a half lengths.

You can get 7/1 on him winning on Saturday with William Hill who are paying 1/4 for the first two places.

Tingle Creek Chase prediction: Quilixios E/W - 7/1 William Hill

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