Sunday Tips

Image: They race at Aintree on Sunday

Ashley Iveson has a bet for every race in the UK and Ireland on Sunday.

Nuts Well can successfully defend his crown in the Jewson Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase at Aintree.

The 10-year-old has been an excellent advertisement of the training talents of the Northumberland-based husband and wife team of Ian and Ann Hamilton in recent seasons.

While he has always been a high-class performer, over both hurdles and fences, the son of Dylan Thomas took his game to another level last term - with victory in this Grade Two handicap the clear highlight.

Nuts Well was not seen in competitive action again until returning to Aintree for the Grand National meeting, where he ran a fine race to finish second at Grade One level behind Fakir D'oudairies.

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He never threatened to land a telling blow on his final start of the campaign at Sandown - but just as he did last season, he made a winning return at Kelso to tee him up for his Old Roan defence.

Nuts Well must face a clutch of second-season novices, but is expected to make experience count.

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Plenty of familiar names contest the Jewson Tool Hire Veterans' Handicap Chase, with Irish raider Robin Des Foret catching the eye.

The 11-year-old was rated close to 150 not that long ago when trained by Willie Mullins, but lines up here off 139 for John McConnell after a slightly disappointing run of form.

Having said that, he has been contesting competitive races - most recently finishing down the field in the Kerry National - and might find things a little easier against fellow veterans.

He is perhaps not the force he once was, but he is handicapped accordingly and merits respect.

Only The Bold gets the vote in the Jewson Wallasey Handicap Hurdle.

A £215,000 purchase after winning an Irish point-to-point, the six-year-old did not run a bad race during his debut season over hurdles without quite managing to set the world alight.

The Jeremy gelding won once and was placed on three occasions, most recently finishing along way behind Cadzand when odds-on at Sandown in the spring.

He is surely better than that effort, and an opening mark of 125 may under-estimate his potential.

Vision Des Flos looked like being a superstar at one stage in his career - and while he has fallen short of those kind of expectations, he is more than good enough for a race like Wincanton's Fitzdares Racing Welfare Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old has found his groove over the summer, turning in some fair performances before striking at both Uttoxeter and Warwick in September.

Neither event was spectacular, but Vision Des Flos seemingly relished making all on decent ground, putting in some fine rounds of jumping and showing his rivals a clean pair of heels in the process.

Victorious by five lengths on his most recent run, Colin Tizzard's charge has edged up 5lb to a mark of 132 - but given he was rated 155 in November 2019, he may still be reasonably treated.

AINTREE: 1.50 The Knot Is Tied, 2.25 Robin Des Foret, 3.00 NUTS WELL (NAP), 3.35 Doctor Ken, 4.10 Only The Bold, 4.45 Sail Away, 5.20 Ma Belle Noire.

GALWAY: 1.10 Coole Og, 1.42 Sams Profile, 2.17 Winter Escape, 2.52 Hilltop Supreme, 3.27 Perfect Attitude, 4.02 Chinx Of Light, 4.37 Awkwafina, 5.10 See A Stride.

WEXFORD: 1.25 Rodaniche, 2.00 Lunar Display, 2.35 Mr Fred Rogers, 3.10 Better Than Heaven, 3.45 Champagne Sparkles, 4.20 Marshalled, 4.55 Chestnut Rose.

WINCANTON: 1.00 Mister Allegro, 1.35 Fat Sam, 2.10 Shearer, 2.45 Vision Des Flos, 3.20 Translink, 3.55 Kalyptra, 4.30 Famoso.

DOUBLE: Nuts Well and Vision Des Flos.

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