{"id":49682,"date":"2025-04-25T15:15:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/49682\/"},"modified":"2025-04-25T15:15:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T15:15:30","slug":"mick-fitzgeralds-saturday-itv-racing-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/49682\/","title":{"rendered":"Mick Fitzgerald’s Saturday ITV Racing Picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tMick Fitzgerald\u2019s Saturday ITV Racing Picks at Sandown<\/p>\n

13:20 \u2013 HMS President<\/a>
13:50 \u2013 Mark Of Gold<\/a>
14:25 \u2013 Pic DOrhy<\/a>
15:00 \u2013 Lucky Place<\/a>
15:35 \u2013 Jonbon<\/a>
16:10 \u2013 Minella Cocooner \/ Olympic Man (each-way)<\/a>
16:45 \u2013 Bunting<\/a><\/p>\n

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

What a day to finish off the UK jumps season at Sandown. We start with a strong, robustly-priced each-way bet in the 2m Novice Handicap Hurdle. Alan King\u2019s HMS PRESIDENT<\/strong> might not be as good over hurdles as he is on the Flat, but he\u2019s rated 100 on the Flat, and he was a stayer who used to run over 1m6f. I just feel that Alan King\u2019s horses are in good form at the minute and I don\u2019t think he\u2019s badly handicapped. At a big price he is a really good each-way shout, in what is an open contest.<\/p>\n

Classic Anthem has been found wanting a couple of times at different tracks and I just feel that it could pay to take a punt on him. I\u2019m going to go with MARK OF GOLD<\/strong>. He actually ran very well (finishing sixth) in that Grade 1 at Aintree won by Impaire Et Passe.<\/p>\n

You just think of all the horses that were in front of him in the pack, so it\u2019s quite good form, and yes he\u2019s got to give a bit of weight away, but I think the smallish field will suit him and he\u2019s definitely a player. He\u2019s a big price \u2013 too big a price to not play each-way.<\/p>\n

This is a tough one. Do you go for the enigma that is Gaelic Warrior? I just can\u2019t. I know he\u2019s the best horse in the race, he\u2019s an Arkle winner, he won a Grade 1 at Aintree \u2013 what\u2019s not to like? But I\u2019m just struggling to make myself go with him. I\u2019d rather take a punt on PIC DORHY<\/strong> at this venue. You kind of know what you\u2019re going to get with him. He\u2019s been saved for this and he could be the one to take a punt on.<\/p>\n

Willie Mullins has reached for the hood on likely favourite Kitzbuhel. He obviously feels that they haven\u2019t seen the best of him and the hood may help to bring out a little more improvement. He won well at Gowran Park. That was over 2m and they stepped him right up then to 3m for the Aintree Hurdle. He was disappointing, but he was too keen throughout the race, so he\u2019ll be hoping they go a good gallop in this.<\/p>\n

The only problem is if they don\u2019t go quick enough, that may not suit. \u00a0<\/strong>You know what you\u2019re going to get with LUCKY PLACE<\/strong>, so I\u2019m going to take a punt on him. He\u2019s had a good season, he was a little bit disappointing when not quite getting home in the Stayers\u2019 Hurdle at the Festival, but he looked pretty good at Cheltenham and Ascot before that.<\/p>\n

JONBON<\/strong> has got such a strong record at Sandown that it\u2019s very hard to get away from him. The only concern is that Mark Walsh rides him for the first time although he\u2019s a much easier horse to ride now.<\/p>\n

It is a little bit of a guessing game, but Mark Walsh is well used to getting on different horses. Jonbon loves the ground, track and this race \u2013 he\u2019s\u00a0 a multiple winner of it already! It\u2019s very hard to ignore him.<\/p>\n

Edwardstone could be the one to chase him home at a bigger price. There not much each-way value as you\u2019ve only got seven runners so just get two places, but Edwardstone could run well.<\/p>\n

The big race is the 365 Gold Cup and Willie Mullins has 10 runners in it! Fair play to him, he is throwing everything at it\u00a0 to be UK Champion trainer again and a\u00a0 lot will depend on the prize money he picks up in this contest on the final day of the season. Just remember, there\u2019s \u00a398k, \u00a337k for second, \u00a318k for third and that could prove vital as he tries to overtake Dan Skelton.<\/p>\n

High Class Hero ran a very good Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival last year and actually jumped OK. Jumping won\u2019t be too much of a problem. Dancing City ended up on the floor at Aintree last time so Paul Townend has deserted him and gone with High Class Hero instead. MINELLA COCOONER<\/strong> \u2013 the winner of the race last year \u2013 is only 4lbs\u00a0 higher now.<\/p>\n

I thought it was a hell of a run by him in the Aintree Grand National earlier this month when seventh and can repeat his triumph of 12 months ago. The only concern is he ran a bit with the choke out at Aintree, so that might have left a bit of a mark, but he came on last year from the Scottish National and won here.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Of the others at bigger prices, Olympic Man<\/strong> definitely ran with the choke out in the Scottish National, and he\u2019s definitely one with an each-way chance.\u00a0 With the hood on, he could run a lot better.<\/p>\n

I feel for Dan Skelton in the title race because even if it comes down to the last contest on the card, I think it\u2019ll be Willie Mullins who\u2019ll win the Trainers\u2019 Championship. I really like BUNTING<\/strong> who put in an OK run in the Scottish Champion Hurdle, which kind of gives you an idea of where you are with him. Paul Townend has chosen him, and he chose to ride him over Jimmy Du Seuil in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham too, with the latter winning under Danny Mullins.<\/p>\n

So they obviously feel this horse has got it in his locker, but it hasn\u2019t quite happened for him so far. When you look at his runs last year,\u00a0 he was quietly fancied for the Triumph Hurdle (was seventh) and then ran in the Grade 1 at Punchestown, but was unplaced. Connections think plenty of him, he just hasn\u2019t quite delivered yet. It\u2019s quite interesting that Paul Townend is sticking with Bunting in the finale though.<\/p>\n

Mick Fitzgerald\u2019s Saturday ITV Racing Picks at Sandown<\/p>\n

13:20 \u2013 HMS President<\/a>
13:50 \u2013 Mark Of Gold<\/a>
14:25 \u2013 Pic DOrhy<\/a>
15:00 \u2013 Lucky Place<\/a>
15:35 \u2013 Jonbon<\/a>
16:10 \u2013 Minella Cocooner Olympic Man (each-way)<\/a>
16:45 \u2013 Bunting<\/a><\/p>\n

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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