EBF Novices' Final: Lithic can be penalty scorer in Sandown Final

The EBF Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown has a habit of throwing up a good horse or two, and there is no greater case in point than the 2013 renewal won by Close Touch. The Nicky Henderson-trained winner ultimately failed to build on the promise of that effort in six subsequent starts - he was off the track for 22 months after Sandown and clearly had his problems - but the second and fourth have both gone on to much bigger things since.

Indeed, the ill-fated Many Clouds (second) later won the Grand National, while Whisper was beaten less than 13 lengths behind his stablemate in fourth, and went on to win back-to-back renewals of the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree. Whisper is now among the favourites for both the RSA and the JLT at next week's Cheltenham Festival, but Henderson will be hoping to record a third victory in this valuable prize before then.

Henderson has three horses entered at the five-day stage and his Rather Be looks one of the best prospects in the race following a brave effort in defeat here last time. He was only beaten a head when attempting to concede a stone to the winner that day, keeping on well in the closing stages and shaping as if a return to this longer trip would be in his favour. He makes his handicap debut from what looks a fair mark this weekend and certainly deserves his place towards the head of the betting. Gaitway was an easy winner at Musselburgh last time and makes more appeal than Phobiaphiliac of the trainer's other two runners in race. 

No Comment is the only horse shorter than Rather Be in the ante-post betting for Saturday's race. He completed a hat-trick with an authoritative success on his most recent outing at Plumpton and that form has worked out well, with the fourth and fifth both successful since. The way he travelled that day suggests he will be seen to even better effect in a strongly-run race and he looks sure to run well in his search for the four-timer, with a big weight clearly no barrier to success in this race (top-weight has won or been placed in four of the last five renewals). 

Minella Awards shaped encouragingly when second in that Plumpton contest, but he is 1 lb worse off at the weights with No Comment here and there is no reason why he should reverse the placings on that evidence. That comment also applies to the Emma Lavelle-trained Chelsea Flyer, although his jumping rather went to pieces when fifth that day, and he bounced back with a comfortable victory back on better ground at Doncaster last time.

Emma Lavelle's best chance of success in this race would appear to come in the shape of Full Irish instead. He shed his maiden tag over hurdles at the third time of asking at Leicester last month, travelling strongly on the front-end throughout, and always doing enough to hold off the challenge of the rallying runner-up. He should have more to offer as he gains more experience over hurdles, and it would be a surprise if he didn't prove better than a BHA mark of 130 in time.

Dolos failed to meet market expectations when only third on his most recent outing at Taunton, but looks on a good mark if returning to the form of his third in a Grade 1 at Auteuil in November, and can't be ruled out. Meanwhile, Man From Mars is another that could run well at a slightly bigger price, having shown a fairly useful level of form when second at Huntingdon last time. He is improving all the time and looks sure to be suited by the step up to this trip.

However, the best bet at this stage would appear to be Sunday's easy Huntingdon winner, Lithic. He was strong in the betting after 12 weeks on the sidelines and opened his account over hurdles in style, proving a different proposition on just his second start in a handicap. Indeed, he was still on the bridle when hitting the front two-out and appeared to have far more in hand than the official winning margin would suggest. This is altogether more competitive, but he looks very well-treated under a 5 lb penalty if none the worse for those exertions, and is taken to follow up for the yard that won this with Albertas Run in 2007.

Recommendation:

Back Lithic at 14/1 in the EBF Novices' Handicap Hurdle Final at Sandown