ITV Racing Lucky 15: Best Bets for the Televised Action

Fans of National Hunt Racing have a spectacular weekend in store thanks to the two-day extravaganza of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. Events over in Ireland dominate the headlines, but the domestic fare does its best to keep pace with a cracking afternoon of televised action on Saturday. The Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase from Sandown tops the bill from a class perspective, whilst the Scottish track of Musselburgh stages one of the biggest meetings of the year north of the border.

Here, using analysis presented by NewBettingSites.uk, we pick out our best four best bets from Sandown and Musselburgh to combine in a Saturday afternoon Lucky 15.

2:00 Sandown– Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase

Our first selection comes in the first of the chase contests from Sandown as a field of six tackles the famous Railway Fences. When looking down the betting list, the top four in the market all have some sort of question to answer.

Dan Skelton’s Etalon tops the market and looked like a horse on the rise in 2023/24, but is running out of chances to deliver on that potential – four starts in 2024/25 yielding three defeats, by a combined 109 lengths, and an unseat. The second favourite Martator is in much better form, but the top weight is a small sort and has struggled when shouldered with a similar burden in the past. Solo has the potential to outclass the field on his very best form but is without a win in almost two years and he hasn’t run over so short a trip since 2021.

All of which leads us to our selection here – the Jennie Candish-trained seven-year-old, Classic Maestro. This one didn’t get home over 2m3f last time out but boasts a rock-solid record of six wins from seven starts at around this trip and has hit the frame in four of five outings this season, including three wins. Having hit a peak rating of 134 over hurdles, he gets into this chase of 130.

• Best Bet - Classic Maestro to win @ 15/2 with BetGoodwin

2:35 Sandown – Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase

Nicky Henderson leads the way in the all-time trainer's table for this event and aims for a seventh success with current market leader Jango Baie. Never out of the first two in six starts under rules, his best effort over hurdles saw him claim the Grade 1 Formby Novices Hurdle at Aintree. Setting out over fences this term, he returned with an easy 6½l verdict over Springwell Bay over 2m4½f at Cheltenham. We loved what we saw from him that day, but whether he should be as short as Evens for this, we aren’t so sure.

Kalif Du Berlais is held in extremely high regard by Paul Nicholls and is a danger, but the one to be on is the Ben Pauling-trained Handstands. Barring a flop at the Cheltenham Festival, this Getaway gelding was immaculate over hurdles in 2023/24. The effort that stands out in regard to this contest came in the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon. Travelling well throughout that day, he stayed on nicely to score by 1½l, with none other than Jango Baie back in second. Two from three over fences, including a nine-length rout in a Grade 2 at Ffos Las, he’s proven at up to 3m and can see off the favourite for a second time.

• Best Bet - Handstands to win @ 11/4 with BetGoodwin

2:50 Musselburgh – bet365 Scottish Champion Chase

Unlike most other events with the “Champion Chase” label, this 2m4½f contest is a handicap affair and appears wide open in 2025. Course and distance winners Marble Sands, Minella Drama, and Corrigeen Rock all make the shortlist, with the latter, in particular, making plenty of each-way appeal at a double-figure price. However, we agree with the market here.

The Kalooki Kid heads the betting for Nicky Richards, having scored nicely at Doncaster last time out. Good value for more than the 5½l winning margin that day, a 7lb rise may not be enough to stop him. Whilst he has yet to score over quite this far, he didn’t look to be stopping when scoring over 2m4f at this track in a 2023 Novice Hurdle. A price of 9/4 looks perfectly fair for a horse proven at the course and on a sharp upward trajectory.

• Best Bet - The Kalooki Kid to win @ 9/4 with BetGoodwint

Saturday 3:07 Sandown – Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle

The Paul Nicholls-trained Henri The Second is an intriguing contender in this contest over just short of 3m. Held in extremely high regard during his 2022/23 Novice Hurdle campaign, his peak effort saw him claim the Grade 2 Ballymore Winter Novices’ Hurdle at this track. However, it has been far from plain sailing since, with injury problems seeing the horse race only once in 2023/24. Given those problems, it was great to see him back in the winner's enclosure over this course and distance last time. It's hard to rule out a follow-up win, but an 8lb rise takes him to a joint career high of 133, which asks a big question of a horse who has experienced so many issues. At a general price of 9/2, we will look elsewhere.

In a tricky contest, the one to carry our cash is the Anthony Honeyball representative, Dartmoor Pirate. This horse regularly earns a positive mention from his handler and posted several solid efforts last season to reach a mark of 123. A chase campaign appears to have been abandoned following a disappointing outing at Exeter. However, he caught the eye on his first crack at a staying trip, when second over 3m½f at Wincanton last time out. Possibly with slight stamina concerns in mind, he was ridden conservatively that day but stayed on nicely in the straight. Granted a more positive ride, he can go very close off 124.

• Best Bet - Dartmoor Pirate to win @ 7/1 with BetGoodwin

A £1 Lucky 15 at the recommended prices returns £1,725.03 with BetGoodwin

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