Veteran horse races have become popular at many of England’s racecourses, but they don’t come any bigger than the Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase at Sandown (Saturday 5 January). Open to horses aged 10 and older and run over three miles and 37 yards, this handicap chase is worth over £60,000 to the winner. First run in 2016, previous renewals have been won by Soll, Peat The Feat, and Buywise.
Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase 2019 Trends
- Winners have been rated 145, 124, and 138
- Winners have been aged 11, 13, and 11
- Winners have carried 11-9, 10-1, and 10-8
- SP’s of the three previous winners have been 7/1, 20/1, and 12/1
- Evan Williams, Charlie Longsdon, and David Pipe have trained winners
- Leighton Aspell, Aidan Coleman, and Tom Scudamore have ridden winners
Unibet Veterans’ Handicap Chase 2019 Main Contenders
Rock Gone
Beat the likes of Rathlin Rose, Mendip Express, Pete The Feat, and Theatre Guide when second over course and distance last time, and there are a few reasons why he should reverse form with the winner Loose Chips. He has a big pull in the weights, whilst that was also his first run for over a year since running second in the Sodexo Gold Cup at Ascot the previous season. He’s also won on his second start of the season twice, so a big run is expected.
Beat That
Once a high-class staying hurdler who was a latecomer to chasing but has managed to win three chases already this season. However, he’s never run up to his rating in four previous visits to Sandown and his slightly suspect jumping will receive a stern examination around one of the toughest jumping tests in England.
La Reve
Would have a great chance on his best form at Sandown, where he has won three of his four course and distance starts. However, he’s really struggled for form since running in the 2016 Grand National and he needs the return to Sandown to rekindle both his enthusiasm and his old ability.
Buywise
Faces some tough tasks since winning last year’s renewal and the handicapper still has him on a much higher mark than last year. More worrying is the fact he’s set to carry another 12lb on his back and that will make his task much tougher. Still likely to have been targeted at the race so a big run not ruled out.
Unibet Veteran’s Handicap Chase 2019 Summary
A first prize of over £60,000 means this race will have a long-term plot for many of the runners and a return to form for the likes of Le Reve is a strong possibility. Meantime, past winners Buywise and Pete The Feat are also likely to be popular in the market. However, whilst the form of those horses looks regressive, there’s a chance Rock Gone is the sort of lightly-raced chaser that could actually be improving even at the age of 10. His second in the 2017 Sodexo Gold Cup is one of the best pieces of form on offer and he’s expected to strip much fitter for his promising comeback over course and distance last time.
Unibet Veteran’s Handicap Chase 2019 Tip
Rock Gone