English/Ire
King’s best bets – 31st January 2026
Sam King returns with three selections on Saturday.
Leopardstown has succumbed to the morning inspection unfortunately but there's still plenty of top-class action to be enjoyed in Britain, with both Sandown and Musselburgh hosting interesting cards alongside Lingfield's afternoon all-weather meeting.
The best bet on the Sandown card looks to be Gunsight Ridge, who seems to have everything in his favour this afternoon in the Virgin Bet Every Saturday Money Back Handicap Chase (14.02).
Olly Murphy's charge doesn't always look like the most straightforward of rides but he's four from seventeen over fences and it's tough to question his ability of scoring off this mark.
He's probably not been seen to best effect in both starts this season, but there was encouragement to take from the way he plugged on into fourth at Cheltenham last time out having looked at most points throughout that race that he was going to finish tailed off.
It's absolutely bottomless ground that brings out the best in him, with his ability to keep on plugging away when over hoist the white flag an absolute asset in this sphere.
A winner of this race on ground officially described as heavy twelve months ago, he looks to have his conditions again ahead of his defence, while he's back down to the same mark following a 2lb drop in the weights and Gavin Sheehan, who took the ride last year, gets back on board with Sean Bowen in Ireland.
He's two from four at the track and surely has a massive shout at a reasonable price.
Gunsight Ridge – 1pt Win
Odds – 6/1
Henri The Second certainly doesn't do anything flashy but he's another that seems to relish testing conditions and has already shown a major liking for the Esher venue's stiff finish.
The Virgin Bet Heroes Handicap Hurdle (15.10) will take some getting should racing go ahead there but that shouldn't prove any issue for Henri The Second, who steps back up in trip on his favoured surface following an excellent effort at this track last time out.
A course and distance winner on heavy ground here last December, Paul Nicholls' charge went on to finish a respectable runner-up in this contest twelve months ago, finding only the reopposing Red Dirt Road too strong up the straight.
He ran off a mark of 133 in this last year and following a nudge up the weights for his recent narrow course defeat, he'll run off 2lb lower this year around. I suspect Paul Nicholls has had this pencilled in as his cup final since this time last year and they can reap rewards by watching him go one spot better this time around.
Henri The Second – 1pt Win
Odds – 10/3
Paul Nicholls is no stranger to having winners at this Musselburgh meeting and I suspect that Insurrection will be able to provide him with another in the bet365 Scottish Champion Chase (2.20).
He couldn't have been much more impressive when thumping the 136-rated Asta La Pasta by sixteen lengths in a novices' handicap chase at this meeting last season before disappointing efforts off 142 and 141 at Cheltenham and Sandown.
Similar to Henri The Second, Insurrection will have had this as his target ever since his success at this meeting last year and it's interesting that Paul Nicholls opted to return to Musselburgh for his reappearance on New Year's Day.
He might well have won on his return to action but for a bad mistake at the third last which ultimately knocked the stuffing out of him, although I suspect that might prove to be a blessing in disguise here as he returns racing off an unchanged rating.
Furthermore, the booking of young conditional Freddie Keighley, who takes off a valuable 7lb, basically puts him down to a mark of 132, 2lb lower than when successful here last year.
Conditions ought to be spot on for him again this afternoon and while the topweight JPR One holds an obvious class edge, I'd be surprised if he were capable of giving a stone and 8lb away to this course winner.
Insurrection – 1pt Win
Odds – 10/3
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