Big-race preview & tips: Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase

2.35 Sandown - Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase

Andrew Asquith - Hermes Allen

Hermes Allen was a Grade One winner over hurdles and made a fine start to his chasing career when beating Nickle Back by six and a half lengths in the John Francombe at Newbury. He started favourite for the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton over Christmas, but was unlucky to bump into a top-notch French raider, while he also left the impression he wasn’t crying out for three miles. A strongly-run race back at this trip will be right up his street and I expect he will take all the beating.

David Ord - Hermes Allen

He caught the proverbial tartar when chasing home Il Est Francais at Kempton on Boxing Day and this is a good opening for Hermes Allen. A strongly-run race at this trip are probably his optimum conditions, he's clearly open to further improvement over fences and is held in the highest regard by his powerful stable.

Matt Brocklebank - Le Patron

Gary Moore’s LE PATRON started chasing life at a lowly level but there’s no fluke about the way he’s taken to the bigger obstacles and connections will be buoyed by how well his Henry VII Novices' Chase victory has worked out since, the second and third going on to win Grade 2 races. He’s already won over this longer trip, is clearly well suited to the jumping test that Sandown presents and he might have a bit too much toe for main form rival Hermes Allen this weekend.

Timeform Top Rated

Hermes Allen (one pound clear)

Pace Forecast: Weak

Specific Pace Hint: Prominent racers are usually favoured here and a steadily run race will assist HERMES ALLEN at the probable expense of LE PATRON.

Individual Price Hint: NICKLE BACK can be expected to be up with the pace but despite how things promise to unfold has disappointed before after trading much lower than Betfair SP.

David Noonan maintains his partnership with Gary Moore’s Le Patron as the pair seek a second Grade One victory this season in the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Having won the Henry VIII over two miles in early December, Moore is happy to step his charge back up in trip and, given he was not entered for the Arkle, connections seemingly view him as a horse for middle distances.

With stable jockey Jamie Moore still on the sidelines, Caoilin Quinn and Niall Houlihan have been riding the majority of the string, but as Noonan did the steering last time out, he has been entrusted with the ride once again.

“He was pretty good when he won at Sandown last time,” said Moore. “He’s had a bit of a break with this race in mind, but he’s got to prove it again now.

“I think moving back up in trip is a benefit. When he won first time, and I know it wasn’t a very clever race he won at Fontwell, but it was only good ground that day and I think he will be fine on it. David keeps the ride, as I like continuity. He knows where his feet are and he has been good over fences, so I hope he is on Saturday as well.”

Venetia Williams won the race two years ago with L’Homme Presse, who went on to win at the Cheltenham Festival, but it remains to be seen if her Djelo can scale those heights.

He looked very good in winning his first three over fences but then Charlie Deutsch had the misfortune of being knocked out of his saddle at the very first fence in the Lightning Novices’ Chase last time out.

“He’s fine since Lingfield and Charlie gave him another pop over the fences on Thursday morning,” said Williams. “We hope for a bit better luck this time and obviously, as you would expect for a Grade One, it’s a strong race, but he deserves to take his chance.This is a much stronger race than anything he has been in before but it is to be expected.”

The Paul Nicholls-trained Hermes Allen could not get close to French star Il Est Francais at Christmas but his time still compared favourably to those in the King George later on the card.

“He couldn’t lay a glove on the hugely impressive Kempton winner Il Est Francais, who looked like a machine on Boxing Day,” Nicholls told Betfair. “But he kept on to finish second and I’m sure a stiff two and a half miles will suit him well. There should be plenty of pace, which will be in the favour of Hermes Allen, who worked pleasingly on Thursday morning.”

Hermes Allen had previously recorded a convincing victory at Newbury on his debut over fences, with the reopposing Nickle Back six and a half lengths behind in second.

Jamie Snowden’s Colonel Harry finished just over a length behind Le Patron in the Henry VIII and has subsequently stepped up in trip to win the Grade Two Towton at Wetherby.

“He’s had a wonderful season over fences so far and just got touched off in the Henry VIII,” said Snowden. “He improved for going up in trip when winning the Towton last time out and we’ll now have another crack at a Grade One at Sandown. It looks a very competitive race, but our chap is in great order; he’s fresh, he’s well and bounced out of Wetherby, and fingers crossed he can run another decent race.”

Colonel Harry sports the same colours as those of Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino, who suffered a fatal fall at Cheltenham last weekend.

“It was not nice for anybody and to lose a wonderful horse like Datsalrightgino was very hard and very tough for the whole team, the owners and everyone, but hopefully we can bounce back here,” said Snowden.