bet365 Oaksey Chase |
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| Grade 2, Sandown 14:25 £80,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 6f 164y, Class 1  |
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Blow Your Wad arrives as a likeable, progressive sort from the Moore yard, and his recent sequence suggests he’s found his rhythm. He’s not flashy, but he’s effective—and at Sandown, that counts for plenty. If he can travel comfortably into the straight, he’s the type to keep finding when others have cried enough.
The Dan Skelton team fields a strong hand, headed by Etalon, a course winner who has long hinted at being better than his bare record. He travels powerfully and, on a going day, could prove the class act in the field. Stablemate Doyen Quest is more exposed but admirably consistent—likely to give his running without necessarily having the gears to settle matters.
Then there’s Matterhorn, representing Paul Nicholls, whose runners at Sandown always command respect. Still relatively unexposed over fences, he shaped as though this sort of test would suit last time. With Harry Cobden booked, there’s a sense that connections expect a bold showing.
Riskintheground lands the @UnibetRacing Silver Trophy Handicap Chase pic.twitter.com/N1fReloadF
— Haydock Park Races (@haydockraces) April 15, 2026
Riskintheground, another from the Skelton battalion, arrives off the back of a victory and may not have reached his ceiling just yet. If building on that latest effort, he’s not easily dismissed.
Mahons Glory is a veteran in comparison but retains enough ability to make his presence felt if the race turns into a slog. He’s the type who could outrun market expectations if conditions play to stamina.
Teddy Blue is interesting—capable on his day but not the most straightforward. If he settles and jumps fluently, he has the latent ability to figure.
And what to make of Ventura Highway? Lightly raced and still something of an unknown quantity, he could either struggle with the occasion or suddenly improve past these more exposed rivals.
Verdict
As is often the case with the Oaksey, this may come down to who handles Sandown’s finish best rather than who travels sweetest. Etalon has long looked poised for a race of this nature and, with conditions to suit, may finally deliver on that promise.
Matterhorn appeals as the chief danger, especially if progressing again, while Blow Your Wad should be thereabouts, keeping the principals honest all the way to the line.
Selection: Etalon
Main danger: Matterhorn
Each-way angle: Blow Your Wad
bet365 Oaksey Chase
(For The Menorah Challenge Trophy)
£80,000 guaranteed, 5yo plus, 2m 6f 164y, Class 1
8 entries
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
