VIRGIN BET SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE - PREVIEW & TIPS

2:40 SANDOWN
VIRGIN BET SCILLY ISLES NOVICES' CHASE (GRADE 1) (GBB RACE)

A small-field Grade 1 where tactics, jumping rhythm and handling testing ground look set to decide it.

SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE - PREVIEW

Sandown’s Scilly Isles is one of the key mid-season novice chases, run over two and a half miles with seventeen fences to be jumped. It is a proper test for a developing chaser because this track asks different questions to the flatter, speedier venues. The Railway fences come up quickly, the Pond fence can punish a lack of balance and the run-in is an uphill drag that finds out any horse who has been too keen or has wasted energy mid-race.

Conditions add another layer this year with the chase track described as soft, heavy in places, with a precautionary inspection. On ground like that, accurate jumping becomes even more important, not just for speed but for conserving momentum. A compact field of four can sometimes produce a tactical crawl, yet the make-up of this line-up suggests there is every chance of honest pace because more than one of these has been happiest bowling along or sitting very close to the lead. If a novice gets into a smooth rhythm in front at Sandown, it can be very difficult for those behind to claw them back.

SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE - RUNNER BY RUNNER GUIDE

A high-class novice who has already proved himself at the top level over fences, making all in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The standout feature of that win was his jumping, which made it difficult for rivals to ever lay up properly and that front-running style can be a major asset at Sandown when a horse is travelling and meeting fences on a stride. This drop back in trip should not be an issue on the evidence of his class and fluency and if he establishes rhythm early he sets the standard that the others have to surpass.

A useful hurdler last season, including finishing runner-up in the Formby and he arrives here off a confidence-boosting novice chase win at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day over a similar trip. That win came at the third attempt over fences, so he is still learning and he now has to bridge a sizeable gap stepping into Grade 1 company against rivals who have already produced higher-level chase form. The positives are recent winning momentum and proven ability over intermediate distances, but this is a very sharp rise in class.

Unbeaten over fences this season, winning an Ayr maiden chase and then a Cheltenham novice, both in three-runner fields and doing it from the front. He looks a smart recruit to chasing, has already shown he stays this sort of trip and his straightforward running style can make him hard to pass if he is allowed to dictate. The key question is how the race develops tactically because he faces serious competition for the lead here and Sandown on testing ground is not the easiest place to be taken on from a long way out. If he can settle into a clean jumping rhythm without burning too much energy, he has a credible chance of making his presence felt.

A mare who has taken very well to fences, making it two from two this season, most notably when winning a Grade 2 mares novice chase at Cork by a wide margin. She receives weight from the geldings, which is a significant factor in a small-field Grade 1 and her profile suggests she is improving quickly in this discipline. The question is whether she can translate that form into the heat of an open Grade 1 against a proven top-level rival, but she is clearly the most obvious threat to the favourite on what she has already achieved over fences.

SCILLY ISLES NOVICES’ CHASE - FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a fascinating little Grade 1 despite the small field because there are competing pace angles and a testing surface that should put the focus firmly on jumping under pressure. Kitzbuhel has already delivered the most compelling piece of top-class chase form, making all in the Kauto Star at Kempton and the way he jumped that day is exactly what you want for Sandown where a novice can win an awful lot of ground simply by being accurate and fluent at speed. If he is allowed to get into a comfortable groove in front, the others may struggle to land a meaningful blow.

Kala Conti is the clear danger. She is unbeaten over fences this season, has already won at Grade 2 level and the weight she receives gives her a serious chance of keeping tabs on the favourite and asking a question from the last two fences to the line. Sixmilebridge adds another intriguing element because he is also an uncomplicated front-runner who has done nothing wrong so far, but he may not get the easy lead his best form has been built around. Miami Magic comes here on the back of a Cheltenham win, but he has the most to find on the evidence of what this quartet has already achieved over fences.

Overall, Kitzbuhel makes the most appeal because he brings Grade 1 winning form, a proven ability to dominate from the front and the type of jumping that can make rivals look uncomfortable when the tempo increases. Kala Conti is respected as the main threat on her unbeaten chase record and her Grade 2 success, while Sixmilebridge looks best placed of the home team to chase the principals if the early battle for position does not take too much out of him.

Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase TIPS