Sport : Horse Racing

Racecard

Sandown Park - Sat 28th Apr 2012
13:30 14:00 14:35 15:10 15:45 16:15 16:50 17:20

14:35 bet365.com Celebration Chase 2m
Weighed In - (Class 1), £75,000 added, 5yo+, 8 runners
Winner £42,712 2nd £16,028 3rd £8,025 4th £3,998
Going: Soft, Good to Soft in places Surface: Turf
TV Specials - First three Channel 4 Favs to win (2.00 S, 2.20 R, 2.35 S) - 100/1

Result
Full result

Weighed In
Winning time: 4m 0.30s
Off time: 14:36:50

Pos	Horse	Odds
1st	Sanctuaire (FR)	9/2
2nd	Somersby (IRE)	11/4
3rd	Dan Breen (IRE)	10/1

No	Form	Horse	A	Wgt	Jockey	Trainer	OR	SP
1	122417	Somersby (IRE) 44	8	11-6	D Elsworth	Miss H C Knight	166	11/4
2	3-22380	Cornas (NZ) 6	10	11-2	J Reveley	Nick Williams	153	8/1
3	13-8920	Dan Breen (IRE) 43	7	11-2 p	T Scudamore	D Pipe	148	10/1
4	1651-2F	French Opera 43	9	11-2	A Tinkler	N J Henderson	162	6/1
5	P-85511	Sanctuaire (FR) 49	6	11-2	D A Jacob	P F Nicholls	150	9/2
6	11P-113	West With The Wind 167	7	11-2	Paul Moloney	Evan Williams	154	25/1
7	6526F2	Wishfull Thinking 15	9	11-2 t	R Johnson	P J Hobbs	164	7/2
8	07-3277	Woolcombe Folly (IRE) 56	9	11-2 t	Ryan Mahon	P F Nicholls	155	22/1

Verdict

WISHFULL THINKING couldn't match the finishing speed of Champion Chase winner Finian's Rainbow in the Melling Chase at Aintree but that was a welcome return to form for Philip Hobbs' charge, who will be suited by the much softer conditions here. He was beaten a long way behind Somersby in the Victor Chandler at Ascot in January but different tactics were tried that day and the run is best ignored. The nine-year-old can turn the form around on better terms and land this nice prize. After chasing home Sprinter Sacre in the Game Spirit on his reappearance, French Opera fell in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham. He'll be happier racing off level weights against most of these and could figure but this may be too tough for the Nicholls' pair Sanctuaire and Woolcoombe Folly while Cornas is exposed at this level. Dan Breen and West With The Wind also have a bit to find.

Formwatch

Somersby (IRE) 5-1 (11-10) Held up towards rear, headway on outside 9th, not fluent 3 out, soon outpaced by leaders, no extra from next, 7th of 12, 17l behind Riverside Theatre (11-10) at Cheltenham 2m 5f Grade 1 chs (1) gd in Mar.

Cornas (NZ) 7-1 (11-13) unplaced, well behind Overlord (11-7) at Auteuil(FR) 2m 2f chs sft.

Dan Breen (IRE) 22-1 (11-2) Chased leaders, ridden after 3 out, weakened approaching last, 12th of 24, 18l behind Attaglance (11-3) at Cheltenham 2m 4f Conditional Handicap Hurdle (0-145) (4yo+) (2) gd in Mar.

French Opera 16-1 (11-7) Towards rear, mistake 8th, under pressure when fell 4 out, in a race won by Bellvano (10-2) at Cheltenham 2m hcp chs G3 (1) gd in Mar, 21 ran.

Sanctuaire (FR) 2-5fav (11-7) Made all, took keen hold and soon clear, hit 9th, unchallenged, won at a canter, won at Sandown 2m nov chs (4) gd in Mar beating Gracchus (11-7) by 41l, 4 ran.

West With The Wind 5-1 (11-10) Led, joined 6th, headed 8th, with winner until outpaced and blundered 4 out, lost 2nd approaching next, soon no chance with front pair, 3rd of 5, 39l behind Gauvain (11-6) at Cheltenham 2m chs (2) gs in Nov.

Wishfull Thinking 15-2 (11-10) In rear, mistake 10th, went 3rd and headway after 4 out, led before 2 out, headed soon after, ridden before last, kept on and always well held by winner, 2nd of 8, 7l behind Finian's Rainbow (11-10) at Aintree 2m 4f chs G1 (1) gd.

Woolcombe Folly (IRE) 22-1 (11-5) Held up in rear, mistake 2nd, hit 9th and reminders, never in contention, 7th of 12, 34l behind Aerial (11-3) at Newbury 2m 4f hcp chs G3 (1) gd in Mar.