Wisdom

THE Saturday before the Festival is either a time to keep your powder dry or build your bank and, let’s face it, there’s no fun in keeping anything dry. There’s a very decent card at Sandown and a tempting offer from race sponsors Matchbook, who dangle a £100,000 bonus for any horse who can win today and follow up in any race at next week’s Cheltenham Festival. That’s a tough ask for a trainer — and a considerably tougher ask for a horse.

There will be no shortage of connections with their eyes on the prize, though, with the Imperial Cup the feature race of the day.

I really like at an each-way price. He’s just the type of improving novice who can take this race and chance his arm at Cheltenham.

David Pipe’s five-year-old has been the model of consistency so far on his five hurdle outings with four places and a victory. Le Patriote beat Friday Night Light by a length in last month’s

Friday NIGHT LIGHT

Ascot Spring Garden Show Handicap Hurdle and has been put up 8lb as a result.

Given that Le Patriote looked to idle when hitting the front, has been given that weight hike and Pipe’s good record in this race, you have to say the value lies solely with Friday Night Light — especially given he’s almost double the price of Le Patriote. Nicky Henderson has two good chances with Call Me Lord and the hat-trick-seeking Whatswrongwithyou. Call Me Lord was last seen finishing third behind Elgin in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton and will carry top weight of 11st 12lb.

Henderson’s French import has won twice at the Esher track in his five starts, while Whatswrongwithyou was second here in December.

I would like to go on record as saying the John Quinn-trained Master Of Irony has no chance of winning this race, safe in the knowledge that if he does, my comment could be interpreted as being extremely ironic.