Racing Tips: Does Tizzard have the golden Elixir at Sandown?

Weekend racing odds and preview

All eyes will be on Laurina ahead of her return to action at Sandown today. The Champion Hurdle second-favourite is odds-on for victory in the Mares’ Hurdle, although our interest is elsewhere.

There are six further contests from the Esher course and Wincanton to enjoy after the star makes her bow in the opening race of the day. And we’ve tipped them all up in today’s ITV Racing Tips.

Elixir De Nutz – 2:25 Sandown

Team Tizzard are plenty confident about the chances of Elixir De Nutz at Sandown. And it’s easy to see why. The five-year-old novice hurdler has shone so far this term with back-to-back wins round Cheltenham.

It’s not just the victories themselves that are impressive, though. It’s how that form has been franked. Jarveys Plate, second to Tizzard’s runner last time out in receipt of 10lb, subsequently went on to take a Listed contest by 13lb on New Year’s Day.

That gives us great confidence about the selection’s chances here, as he bids for the hat-trick against the inexperienced Rathhill.

Rock Gone – 3:00 Sandown

Rock Gone returned from over a year off to finish runner-up behind Loose Chips over course and distance in November. He should be able to build on that with only his seventh run over fences here.

Dr Richard Newland’s runner showed enough in that defeat to suggest there’s more to come. And after being given time to recover from his first run in 372 days, we reckon he can go close again off the same mark.