Lucky 15 Tips: Sandown ITV gems pave way for next week’s riches

The Cheltenham Festival is but a handful of days away - but ahead of all that we've a superb quartet of races from Sandown on Saturday, all covered LIVE on ITV, to get us nicely in the mood - as if we needed any nudging.

Perfect vehicle then for our Lucky 15 tips, with stunning action featuring the biggest names in our sport.

Enjoy!

Horse Racing odds

Compelling, ultra-competitive racing is the order of the day, with some weighty purses up for grabs - so pragmatic play is our little suggestion. The each-way detail in the races we're most interested in is as follows, and is the way I'm leaning this afternoon (1/5 the odds in each case); 5 places (13:50), 5 places (14:27), 4 places (15:00), and 3 places (15:35).

Here's how we think things might just pan out, in what should be a brilliant afternoon of sport.

13:50 - Unknown Entity @ 11/2

£40k+ to the winner, and a warm 2m 4f handicap hurdle final with a maximum field of 18 scheduled to face the starter.

Our selection is Unknown Entity, and the six-year-old gelding might be just that. After four pretty ordinary spins for Willie Mullins no less this son of St Leger winner Kingston Hill joined Dan Skelton in December, and has shown ability in two novice and maiden hurdles for new connections.

There was something of a breakthrough last time 51 days ago at Wincanton, as he finished just a head adrift at around the minimum trip but has travelled 3m before when losing out by just a neck in a point back in February 2024 - his first run of any kind.

This step up today in every respect - class, and trip - needs to unlock plenty of improvement, but the horse could hardly be better stabled to potentially do just that.

Harry of course is in the plate for brother Dan and it would be ironic if an ex-Willie inmate contributed a nice little chunk of prize-money to help Team Skelton top the table for trainers this term, after the Irish legend's recent dominance.

Reasonable racing weight of 11st 3lb, on handicap debut.

14:27 - Go Dante @ 12/1

If anything screams 'it's nearly Cheltenham' it's the running of Sandown's Imperial Cup. Another white-hot handicap, as classy two-mile hurdlers pursue a handsome first prize of around £50k.

That pursuit has proved to be a fruitful one for trainer Olly Murphy's admirable ten-year-old Kayf Tara gelding Go Dante, a two-time former winner who's a fine seven-from-23 all told and evidently enjoys it around here.

In two 2026 appearances he's put in a couple of uncharacteristically modest efforts however, and last month underwent a wind procedure. Fingers crossed that it's had a galvanising effect and that he can prevail again, or go mightily close, off 5lb higher than last year's mark.

Lovely when your regular pilot is Sean Bowen, and the champ is once again doing the steering in Surrey.

15:00 - Lune Brilliante @ 7/1

Time for a mares' bumper over the minimum trip, and we're looking at promising types in the foothills of their careers here rather than anything that's already established a lofty reputation.

I've plumped again for a Skelton inmate, this time a five-year-old daughter of Walk In The Park - Lune Brilliante. She's had just two runs, winning on debut in a Carlisle maiden then 90 days ago at Huntingdon in a Listed heat, finishing 6.75l adrift of Ti'mamzel.

That Gary & Josh Moore scorer reopposes today having subsequently gone close in a £21k-to-the-winner contest at Windsor, but I'm hoping on just her third start that the Alcester-trained selection will improve past her; getting a useful 4lb, too.

Fascinating affair, some good yards represented including a Gavin Cromwell raider with Harry Cobden booked; and it's definitely one for the notebook, going forward.

That fine effort at Carlisle is encouraging too, because that track and Sandown possess two of the more formidable finishing climbs to the line anywhere in the country.

15:35 - Bucksy Des Epeires @ 7/2

3m staying chasers tackle that unforgiving finishing hill on what's expected to be easy ground, so stamina and resolve will be tested to the full.

The mighty Venetia Williams has so far refused to live up to the winter game cliché - which says she has a period in the season, when the mud's flying, where her horses carry all before them for a golden spell and the rest may as well sit in their barn at home.

It's just not really happened this term, but 17 days ago at Ludlow her seven-year-old gelding Bucksy Des Epeires produced a fine performance to take an amateur riders' event at the trip, in a slightly lower grade.

Regular pilot and stable stalwart Charlie Deutsch is back in the plate this afternoon and the horse is up just 3lb for that last success. He's run well here on a previous, solitary hurdles visit, and in a wide-open steeplechase could, fingers crossed, be the answer.

Should be approaching his peak now, at seven, and despite having a quiet season Venetia is an absolute titan of the training ranks, with a King George, Hennessy and Grand National among her many outstanding successes.

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 25p each-way Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £1,330 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon our selections (of course you can) - then go for it!

Lucky 15 Tips with Betfred Insights.