Take 14/1 Celebre D’Allen at Sandown

Sandown 3.30 Saturday February 4th: Celebre D’Allen at 14/1 to 5 places with Skybet.

A competitive contest, as you’d expect, with a handful of horses in decent form dominating the betting. I think Celebre D’Allen is 5 or 6 points longer than he should be and he makes most appeal in this extra place race.

Celebre D’Allen has started favourite in 4 of his last 6 races, including the two this season. Connections must believe he is well up to winning again at this level. He was keen on his seasonal debut at Warwick over 20f (2/1 fav) and it’s probable that this was the cause of him not getting home in his first attempt at 3 miles (finished 4th). He dropped back in trip next time at Wincanton and was just never going (85/40 fav) – that was not his form. Still, in our favour, he has been dropped 4lbs since by the handicapper.

On Saturday he’s in cheekpieces for the first time to try to cool his keenness, and we will likely know our fate early. But the yard is in good form now having struggled for most of the season. The horse is 11, but has had comparatively little racing with only 20 career runs. He won three from four last season. His sole defeat was a 5th in the Festival Plate at the festival, where he was beaten just 10 lengths. Hopefully this will be the day he returns to that kind of form.

Good luck

Joe

My usual warning. Anything I put up as a tip here is for ‘fun money’ – stakes you can afford to lose almost without even thinking about it.  There’s just as much fun to be had with small stakes.

Post race edit: Celebre D’Allen finished 4th at 7/1. There was a 25p rule 4 deduction, giving a return of £15.50 to £5EW, pushing the running total for the season to +£85.50 to £5 stakes