The final weekend of the jump season is upon us. Sandown brings down the curtain on another campaign of thrills and spills on what looks a quality horse racing card. There’s also plenty of action from the football league with promotion and relegation battles still to be decided. Prices correct at time of writing on Thursday afternoon.

Horse Racing

1.40 Sandown – Greaneteen @ 9/4

All eyes will be on Jonbon here as he goes into open company for the first time. He may well be up to the task but in the selection he faces a smart foe when going this way around. He is 8/14 right handed but only 2/9 left handed, those wins coming when 4/7 in a Fontwell novice hurdle and 4/9 in a Fakenham novice chase. Greaneteen won this race in 2021 and 2022 and can notch up the hat-trick.

2.15 Sandown – Musical Slave Each Way @ 20/1

Runner-up in this race last season, he bounced back to winning ways two starts back. Things never went for him at the Cheltenham Festival when pulled up in the Kim Muir but that is easy enough to excuse. Very much a spring horse, he is four pounds higher than last year but his Exeter win two starts back reads as a career best so he may yet be up to defying this new level.

Football

Gillingham to beat Newport County @ 11/8

Neither of these teams have anything to play for this season but it’s the final home game of a tumultuous season for the Gills. They looked relegation candidates at the halfway point but have won nine of their last 11 home games to pull clear of the scrap. They can end on a high to give hope for next season to their fans.

Bournemouth V Leeds (Sunday) over 4.5 goals @ 11/2

The two leakiest defences in the league go head to head on Sunday. Leeds won the reverse fixture 4-3 in November with both teams shipping goals by the bucketload since. The away side will be desperate for the points as they try to get away from the relegation battle so expect this to be open from the first whistle.

Greyhounds

8.17 Hove T6 Jacktavern Magic Each Way @ 14/1

The wide outsider of the field in the Puppy Cup Final but he looks to have the best draw to work from. The sole seeded runner in here, the 5 is a smart trapper who goes straight left. He could cause carnage for the two favourites in 3 and 4 here. One of them may still be good enough to pick the selection up but at the prices, the Mark Wallis-trained wide runner is worth taking a chance on.

8.38 Hove T6 No Rush @ 2/1

Ducked under 30 seconds in the heats of this competition, she won her semi last week as well. A Cat 1 finalist at Nottingham recently, she boasts plenty of form at the top table. Her main market rival in 1 has not fared so well as she has in the draw. She should hold her position early before asserting from the third bend.