Weekend winners: Sandown best bets on Saturday with Veterans Chase and competitive handicap hurdles | Racing news
The Weekend Winners team is back in 2025 and kicks off with their top picks for the action at Sandown this Saturday.
Presenter Kate Tracey is joined by attheraces.com’s Declan Rix and BetVictor’s Sam Boswell as they review the competitive card which includes a Veterans’ Chase qualifier.
Declan and Kate go head-to-head in the two-mile free bet with Unibet’s Betbuilder Return Hurdles Handicap (3.35), while Sam sides with the older favorite earlier in the card.
Declan Rix from attheraces.com…
Oh My Johnny (Sandown, 3.35)
“I’m really delighted with him. I think a score of 116 is very doable for the team of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White.
“When he ran at Bangor I ran up to a 120 rating. He finished the race all the way when he fell and I thought it was a big accident.
“Then he won really well at Uttoxeter. His jumping can still be quite tricky but what I really like about him is that he finds enough to press.
“I think he’s handicapped very well and the yard flies.”
Presenter Kate Tracey…
Navajo Indy (Sandown, 3.35)
“This is a tricky bet, but I really like the third horse on the list, Navajo Indy.
“Any one of them could win this because they’re super competitive, but he’s in the hunt for a quadruple, signing last season with the first of those wins.
“He was ridden with more restraint in the Gerry Feilden last time but I’m hoping he’ll go back to a more prominent tactic because it works for horses like that.
“He proved himself on the soft ground last time as well, showing his versatility. He got 8lbs up, which won’t be easy, but he plays and is very likeable.”
BetVictor’s Sam Boswell…
Copperhead (Sandown, 3.00)
“I like his consistency and I hope that continues.
“I went back through Joe Tizzard’s comments after Chepstow at the start of the season and they worked backwards from this veteran series finale. Since then, he’s just been ticking along nicely.
“The return of Freddie Gingell will take 3lbs off which will be a big help.
“I think the groom [Eldorado Allen] he could have posed little danger, but he was pushed up [in the handicap] so there isn’t as much between them as there used to be.”
