Tag: Sandown

Sandown Tolworth Hurdle Day Preview

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Splash Of Ginge was one of three winners for us at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and attention now turns to the Tolworth Hurdle card at Sandown on Saturday.

The feature race has a very disappointing turn-out of just four runners, one of which pulled up at Plumpton on his most recent outing over two years ago. That is a pretty abysmal entry for a £22,000 event and the odds-on favourite is Nicky Henderson’s L’Ami Serge. He was very impressive at Newbury but was presented the race at Ascot last time when Emerging Talent fell two out. It was too early to say whether he would have won but L’Ami Serge is clearly an above average novice.

I have followed the career of Aurore D’Estruval with interest and John Quinn’s five-year-old should have the class to win the 12.40. The only question mark is the distance as she steps up to two and a half miles for the first time. I would be more concerned if the going was heavy but she can take this at the expense of the consistent Mischievous Milly.

William’s Wishes was a smart chaser a couple of seasons ago for Evan Williams but has obviously had his problems since. He showed that he may be on the way back when a respectable sixth in the Tingle Creek last time out. He has Mr Mole and Brick Red to beat, first and second at Exeter last month.

I like the chances of Song Light in the 3.00 despite a hefty 10lbs hike in the weights. The gelding was a close third in a very competitive race at Cheltenham in November and was never going to get caught at Huntingdon last time. Kevin Jones rode him in both races and takes a valuable 7lbs off here, allowing him to race off just 10st 5lb. I fear the Paul Nicholls-trained Bouvreuil most of all, a French import at the foot of the weights having his first run for the yard.

The closing race looks no easier to solve but it may be worth sticking with hat-trick seeking Bertie Boru. Not many meetings go by without a Philip Hobbs winner and this eight-year-old has got up late in both of his starts this season. He looked to have no chance jumping the last at Newbury but wore down Phone Home in the shadow of the post. The runner-up ran moderately last week but Bertie Boru should give us a run for our money.

Aurore D’Estruval 12.40 @5-4 Ladbrokes

William’s Wishes 1.50 @7-2 Coral

L’Ami Serge 2.25 @1-2 Bet365

Song Light 3.00 @6-1 Paddy Power

Bertie Boru 3.35 @9-1 BetVictor

Tingle Creek Chase Preview

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Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase looks wide open in the absence of Sire De Grugy and Sprinter Sacre. Eighteen horses were entered on Monday so the race looks more like a big handicap than a two-mile championship race.

Many Clouds (tipped at 9-1) gave us a nice win last week in the Hennessy for one of the smaller stables in Oliver Sherwood and this week it could be the turn of Trainer Tom George to steal the headlines. He is set to run the rapidly improving God’s Own who has still not convinced everyone that he is a Grade 1 chaser despite wins at Punchestown and Exeter.

Balder Succes beat him fair and square at Kempton in February but could not repeat the performance in Ireland. God’s Own returned at 25-1 that day and was still a very generous 8-1 when the two met again at Exeter last month. The son of Oscar ran out a convincing five-length winner, both horses having made bad mistakes in the home straight.

His jumping is probably my main concern as they are certain to go very quick early on with such a big field. Balder Succes can go quite low at his fences and he is not certain to enjoy the Railway fences either. Never the less, I feel that God’s Own is a better bet at 9-2 than Alan King’s horse at 11-4.

Several of these have alternative engagements over the weekend including Twinlight, one of three entered by Willie Mullins. I don’t think that I could support him after the way he jumped at Kempton last year. Stable companion Ballycasey surely wants a longer trip and Felix Yonger looks held on Punchestown form, although he would probably be the best of the trio.

Oscar Whisky ran a great race to finish a close fourth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup with 11st 12lb on his back. However, he is a two and a half mile horse who has run his best races at Cheltenham and Aintree over the years. He put up a really laboured performance here last spring, admittedly in heavy ground, but I am not convinced that this race will suit him.

Paul Nicholls does not have a Kauto Star or Master Minded to call upon this year as he seeks a ninth win in the race. You have to treat Hinterland with caution after he was pulled up with a broken blood vessel last time so his best chance has to be Dodging Bullets.

He is starting to become a little frustrating as he didn’t really fire at Cheltenham last year and looked to be travelling well until flattening out on the run-in on his comeback behind Uxizandre. He could have failed through fitness there or maybe he does not really like the Cheltenham hill despite having won there in the past. He jumped perfectly soundly that day and could be worth an each-way bet on Saturday.

God’s Own @9-2 William Hill

Dodging Bullets @10-1 Bet365

Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4

Zipping Classic Preview

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The last of the Melbourne Spring Carnival features take place at Sandown on Saturday including the $350,000 Group 2 Zipping Classic.

The race is named after the horse that dominated this race between 2007 and 2010, winning for four consecutive seasons for owner Lloyd Williams. His colours could be carried by three horses this weekend including Melbourne Cup disappointment Fawkner.

The seven-year-old had gone into the big race in fine form after being narrowly beaten by Adelaide in a blanket finish to the Cox Plate. That followed a game win in the Caulfield Stakes and connections were optimistic of a big run at Flemington. Fawkner failed to pick up in the home straight and faded into tenth place.

He could be joined by 2012 Melbourne Cup winner Green Moon who returns after a virus foiled his chance for a repeat victory. Sea Moon may also make the line-up for which entries were re-opened after only 13 were declared.

They include another Melbourne Cup runner in Andre Fabre’s Au Revoir. He was priced at 70-1 for the big race but he ran reasonably well considering his wide draw. He moved up quite comfortably to the leaders on the home turn before his effort petered out to finish eighth. His best form is all at a mile and a half so it may simply have been a combination of having to use too much early speed and failing to see out the trip. He will join Peter Moody after this race and be aimed at next month’s Hong Kong Vase.

Au Revoir races in the colours of OTI racing and will be joined in the field by Andrew Balding’s Lord Van Percy. Andrew Balding’s stayer was denied a last-ditch attempt to qualify for Flemington when lameness ruled him out of the Lexus Stakes on Derby Day. He is reported to be fully recovered and will try to improve on his fifth place in the Herbert Power Stakes last month.

Prince Of Penzance could not quite get the better of Le Roi in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes but may be asked to turn out again by trainer Darren Weir. Moonee Valley Cup fourth Epingle and SA Derby runner-up Scratchy Bottom are also among the entries along with the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Spillway.  He ran a good race when fourth to Happy Trails in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes last time.

Au Revoir @Bet365

Sandown Wednesday Preview

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The weekend racing was top class on all fronts with the St Leger at Doncaster, the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Arc trials in France. George Baker falling out of the side door with the race at his mercy on Cotai Glory pretty much summed up my Doncaster meeting but it is back to the daily bread and butter stuff this week.

The exception is the clash of two potentially top-class two-year-olds at Sandown on Wednesday. Latharnach and Time Test are set to meet over seven furlongs and both colts hold entries for the top two-year-old events later in the year.

Godolphin are yet to find a genuine colt this season and they are still chasing a first Group 1 victory in Europe. Latharnach made his debut in a maiden race at Newmarket that has proved to be a goldmine for punters. Incredibly, nine of the eleven runners have won since including Basateen, Best Of Times and Typhoon Season.

Last season I highlighted the maiden race won by Taghrooda which produced a high percentage of winners but that has been surpassed by the Newmarket race. Ironically, it was won by Lexington Times who has proved to be a very ordinary juvenile. Latharnach duly obliged next time out here and the form has been boosted by Elm Park who finished third.

Time Test made his debut at Newbury and looked set to win easily until weakening in the closing stages behind Stec. Whether it was fitness or inexperience I am not sure but he made no mistake next time out, beating Sweet Dreams comfortably over course and distance. I am siding with Time Test here but both colts should have a future.

My second tip on the card is for Shama’s Crown in the 4.45. Jeremy Noseda’s filly looks very nicely weighted on a line through Pleasant Valley. Shama’s Crown gave that filly a real fright on her debut and she has gone on to win easily off a mark of 78. She is now up to 87 and contests a Listed race at Yarmouth on Wednesday. That surely leaves Shama’s Crown with a great chance off a mark of 80.

Ryan Moore rode her to a comfortable success over a mile last time out at Windsor but she steps back up to a mile and a quarter here.

Time Test 3.05 Sandown Wednesday @5-6 Betfair

Shama’s Crown 4.45 Sandown Wednesday @13-8 Bet365

Racing Preview Aug 30th

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Time Test was a very impressive winner at Sandown on Friday and looks set to be upped in class by Roger Charlton. It looked more of a staying performance to me rather than a Guineas prospect but I’m not ready to invest in the ante-post market just yet.

Saturday’s racing action opens with an impossible sprint handicap at Sandown before some more promising two-year-olds line up for the Solario Stakes. This doesn’t look like a strong renewal and Aktabantay looks vulnerable to something with a bit more scope. Future Empire fits the bill after knuckling down well to his task when beating subsequent winner Invincible Gold at Newmarket.

Godolphin has yet to win a Group 1 race this season, something that they will surely put right before long. I’m hoping to see the blue colours dominate on Saturday as Fintry makes the trip over to France for the Atalanta Stakes. Andre Fabre does not waste money on fanciful entries so we can assume that she is pretty smart. The danger could be John Gosden’s Water Hole who has won a couple of handicaps and deserves to take her chance at this level.

A huge field of handicappers go to post for the mile and a quarter handicap at 3.50. I’ve been going through the form but keep coming back to the ease with which Clon Brulee won at Newmarket last time. I don’t know the 7lb claimer and a 14 draw may not be ideal but he should go well. Forgotten Hero and Ajmany look the obvious dangers.

Chester also stages a very competitive card and B Fifty Two looks a tempting proposition in the opener. He blazed the trail here earlier in the season and comfortably holds Forest Edge on that form. More significantly, he nearly pulled off a shock win at the York Ebor festival and is housed in stall 2. He must surely go close although I am going to have a small saver on Dungannon who likes the ground and has slipped down the weights.

The seven furlong race at 2.55 is no easier to solve and plenty of people will fancy Foxtrot Tango to end his long losing run. It is true that he was second in the Irish 2000 Guineas and would win this doing cartwheels if he could reproduce that run. However, it is a long time ago now and I prefer the claims of Sir Michael Stoute’s Russian Realm. He was forced wide at York last time and is better with some give in the ground.

Finally, Whiplash Willie can gain a deserved Listed race success at 3.30. I was very disappointed with De Rigueur in the Ebor and the fast ground was blamed for his lack lustre performance. He is the main danger.

Future Empire 2.40 Sandown @9-4 William Hill

Fintry 3.15 Sandown @13-8 Betfred

Clon Brulee 3.50 Sandown @9-1 BetVictor

B Fifty Two 2.20 Chester @5-1 Paddy Power

Dungannon 2.20 Chester @10-1 William Hill (each-way)

Russian Realm 2.55 Chester @8-1 Totesport

Whiplash Willie 3.30 Chester @4-1 BetVictor

Sandown Friday Preview

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Racing has been distinctly low key in the UK this week after the excitement of the York Ebor Festival. Sandown provides the entertainment on Friday where all eyes will be on Roger Charlton’s Time Test.

The two-year-old son of Dubawi had caught the eye of several shrewd judges ahead of his debut at Newbury. He has been handed some big-race entries for later in the season so it was disappointing that he could not get past Stec over seven furlongs.

The race itself was extremely modest with just four runners but James Doyle looked to have matters well under control until his mount found nothing under pressure. It may have been a classic case of a horse needing the run and he can go some way to redeeming himself on Friday. There are several newcomers from the big Newmarket yards in opposition, notably Sir Michael Stoute’s Stravagante and John Gosden’s Sugar Boy. Neither hold big race entries and it will be disappointing if Time Test fails again here.

The colt runs in the all-conquering Abdullah colours, as does Torrid for Amanda Perrett in the 3.35 race. This colt is by Three Valleys who was a smart juvenile and he has not been seen since winning by eight lengths at Nottingham last season. He beat a horse called Saab Almanal who was not beaten far in the Dante at York and has since won his maiden at Newmarket. He is rated 95 so Torrid has scope to improve beyond his current mark of 90.

The two concerns are his lengthy absence and the softer going. He has been given an entry in the Cambridgeshire and the stable are generally performing better than they were a month ago. Ryan Moore needed all of his strength to persuade Beach Bar to win at Haydock while Imshivalla has been winning on quicker ground. I’ll take a chance on Torrid’s fitness.

There are several potential improvers in the closing handicap. Dance Of Heroes and Ski Lift both won with a little in hand last time out and have to be respected. I also felt that The Character showed himself capable of winning races when running on well into third at Chester last time. But the one that really catches my eye is Stoute’s Savant.

The grey has had three very quiet races to date, most notably last time out when tenderly handled into fifth place at Kempton. He looks ready to improve for the step up in distance and Ryan Moore takes over in the saddle.

Time Test 3.0 Sandown 9-5 Betfair

Torrid 3.35 Sandown 7-1 BetVictor

Savant 4.45 Sandown 11-2 BetVictor