It's a pity there aren't more meetings like this weekend's eight-race card at Sandown. The Esher track hosts one of the best day's racing in the calendar with the mixed meeting always proving popular with punters and race-goers alike.

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The centrepiece of Saturday's action is undoubtedly the Bet365 Gold Cup Chase (3.20pm), known to some as the Attheraces Gold Cup, the Betfred Gold Cup, or even the Whitbread. The race has changed sponsor enough times over the last few years, but the 3m 5f 110y chase still has the potential to produce a thrilling spectacle.

It also generally has the potential to throw up a decent-priced winner with six of the last ten hacking up at double-figure prices.

For those who follow the trends, it seems important to go for the lighter weights in this marathon contest with eight of the last ten carrying less than 11st to victory. That doesn't make things any easier mind you, because if Henrietta Knight's Racing Demon makes the line-up, he will put over half the field out of the handicap, with only three carrying over 11st.

Scottish National hero Iris de Balme scrapes in at the bottom of the weights at what seems almost a ludicrous amount of weight out of the handicap. That shouldn't be a problem though, as he won the Scottish marathon last weekend by an impressive 14 lengths from Halcon Generlardais from a similar position at the weights.

He was 66/1 at Ayr, but this weekend the bookies are taking no chances and the best price you can get about him is 8/1.

At this stage of the season it can often pay to back on who has been lightly-raced and Bewleys Berry, who has featured just three times this season, looks an interesting contender at 12/1. Fifth in the Grand National behind Comply or Die at Aintree three weeks ago, his two seconds in the Beecher Chase at Aintree (this season and last season) showed that he has a grip on these sort of long-distance trips. 

Going through his form, he is lightly-raced for a 10-year-old, and he was good enough to run Exotic Dancer to under two lengths at Cheltenham a few seasons back. He looks each-way value at this stage.

Flat fans can also get their fix though, and the Bet365 Mile (3.35pm) looks a fascinating betting heat with the rejuvenated Medicine Path looking tough to beat. Peter Chapple-Hyam's charge was good enough to run Derby winner Authorized close in the Racing Post Trophy as a two-year-old, and he looked like he was coming back into himself last time out when winning the Doncaster Mile from Lincoln winner Don't Panic. 

He faces a smart field, however, with last year's Royal Hunt Cup winner Royal Oath in tow, and former Lincoln Trophy winners Babodana and Blythe Knight also in the field. A strengthened up four-year-old Major Cadeaux may be the biggest threat however.

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