Salty Boy well suited to such a stiff stamina test

3.00 Sandown Betfair Exchange London National Handicap Chase 3m5f 5yo+ Class 2 ITV4/RTV

Card and Spotlight, page 73

THIS looks like a typically wide-open running. The last four winners have all been ridden by a jockey claiming weight, while six of the last nine carried 10st 8lb or less and three shouldered 11st 9lb or more.

The last two winners came out of the Southern National at Fontwell and Salty Boy won that contest 20 days ago. That was his first win over fences, and although 5lb higher now he retains potential for better.

Third in the Eider at Newcastle in February, Salty Boy is well suited to a stiff stamina test of the type he will get here. Mitchell Bastyan claims 3lb, reducing his burden to 10st 4lb, while his best Racing Post Rating over fences came at right-handed Thurles. He has plenty in his favour.

Strictlyadancer goes for a fourth win in just over six weeks for Christian Williams. He must overcome a careerhigh mark for the third run on the bounce, but has claims.

Deise Aba and Larry enjoy their racing at Sandown, the former 2-2 here and the latter with a pair of wins in three visits. Larry’s stamina looked to ebb away in the bet365 Gold Cup over course and distance in April, but Deise Aba has long threatened to be suited by this new trip.

Paul Nicholls has trained the winner of this twice in the last seven runnings and relies on topweight Highland Hunter this time around. Fifth in the Midlands National when last seen in action, he will not fail for lack of stamina. Deep Purple, in 2011, was the last horse to win this on a seasonal debut.

Williams ‘striking while the iron is hot’

Christian Williams is at a loss as to why Strictlyadancer has managed to make such rapid improvement.

The seven-year-old bids for a rapid four-timer, having started his winning streak off a 19lb lower mark in an amateur jockeys’ handicap chase at Cheltenham on October 22 before following up with wins at that track and at Haydock on Betfair Chase day, and Williams is confident the sound surface at Sandown can see Strictlyadancer continue his remarkable rise.

“We’re striking while the iron is hot – when the rain comes he’ll need a break then,” the trainer said. “I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with him last year, we were missing something. I don’t know whether he strengthened up during the summer or if he had a little niggle that we didn’t know about.”

Williams added: “He could be a Scottish National horse with his weight sneaking up. When a horse like him improves that much we don’t know where the ceiling is.”