Idole First to score off this mark

RACING Sandown Preview: Venetia Williams knows what it takes to capture the Ladbroke Hurdle and she can bag back-to-back runnings of the big handicap at Sandown today.

The Ross-On-Wye trainer was successful 12 months ago with Thesis - who takes his chance again but has raced only once since his two-length defeat of Sud Bleu - but she is fancied to strike with Idole First this time around.

With £100,000 on offer this is going to be a competitive affair, but the six-year-old is open to any amount of improvement. He steps up markedly in class but has won three of his five outings over timber and quickened up takingly to win a decent little race at Huntingdon early last month.

He can reward each-way support at least off what looks a handy racing weight.

Meanwhile, Paul Nicholls has warned punters that favourite Monte Cinto has not had an ideal preparation in the build-up to today's fiercely competitive handicap.

The French import will bid to complete a four-timer after scooping first prize in the William Hill Handicap Hurdle over the Sandown course and distance last month.

He has been hit with an 11lb rise for that win.

Monte Cinto will be joined in the extended two-mile race by his stablemate Emanic, who returns to timber after a brief spell novice chasing.

However, the Ditcheat handler revealed yesterday that Monte Cinto, the mount of stable jockey Ruby Walsh, was off colour following his one-length victory at the track last month.

"I am very happy with how he is now, but I must warn punters that he did cough after his last run and he missed a little work. That said, he does seem very well now," Nicholls said yesterday.

He was, though, upbeat about the chances of Emanic, who finished third to Dalaram on his last outing over timber in April.

"I couldn't be happier with Emanic and I expect him to run far better than his price (28 to 1) suggests, especially as he has a lovely weight of just 10st 1lb," he added.

"It would not surprise me at all to see him in the shake-up and he could be an each-way bet."

A cracking day's racing is in prospect at the Esher track, with the ladbrokes.com Tolworth Hurdle the main supporting contest.

Some of the best novices seen out this season square up in the Grade Two contest over an extended two miles and plenty of Cheltenham Festival clues should emerge.

However, the Noel Meade-trained raider Wild Passion gets the vote.

The five-year-old hails from yard as current Champion Hurdle favourite Harchibald and has rapidly made up into a smart performer himself, with some solid pieces of form to his name at home.

Put away to preserve his novice status after falling early on in last season's Triumph Hurdle, the German-bred gelding has done little wrong this term and comes here in search of a hat-trick after wins at Navan and Fairyhouse.

He beat Rocket Ship by three lengths at the latter venue, when admittedly his stablemate may have given him a bit more to do if he had avoided a bad mistake two out.

But there was plenty to like about the way the winner responded after a couple of errors himself and he was looking a big danger when Rocket Ship blundered.

The runner-up has been beaten since but had excuses and the form has been given a real boost by victories for the third - in Grade Two company - and fourth since.

Wild Passion is not another Harchibald, but connections, nonetheless, are pretty confident they have a good horse on their hands and he commands maximum respect.

However, the best bet on the card is arguably the Mark Rimell-trained Oneway in the ladbrokescasino.com Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old is most certainly going the right way, as victories at Worcester - where he made the most of a handy weight concession from the classy Colonel Frank - Wetherby and Haydock would suggest.

He defied the handicapper in style last time at the Merseyside venue and can do so again on his way to bigger and better things.

The mud is sure to be flying at Haydock and that will suit the Ginger McCain-trained Ebony Light in the 888.com Poker Handicap Chase.

The nine-year-old looked a likely winner over an extended three and a half miles here last time out when travelling particularly sweetly entering the straight.

He weakened quickly soon after, but drops back a mile in trip tomorrow and that gives him every chance off a mark some 8lb lower than his last success.