Friday’s card at Sandown looks high class, with some significant names continuing the flat season apace. Matty Sutcliffe has four best bets on the card, including a 40/1 Group race contender.
1:15 Sandown – bet365 Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-100) – Brosay 1pt WIN SP
With a plethora of early pace on here and watered ground that’s drying out, it may pay to chance one that often comes from off the pace/midfield and that brings BROSAY into contention from stall five.
The gelded son of Tasleet came to hand early as a two year old, landing something of a gamble in a 15k Novice Stakes contest at Goodwood before a credible two length third in a similar contest at Tipperary next time out, and he wasn’t entirely disgraced in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot when unfavourably drawn low, with those in rear struggling to get in to the contest.
He returned to the winners enclosure when switched to Paul Attwater in the winter, cosily landing a 0-85 nursery in first time cheekpieces. He backed that up next time out when beaten a head at Southwell, giving 8lbs to the winner who’s since climbed 12lbs and was only beaten a length in the all-weather champion 3yo handicap sprint last weekend off a mark of 90.
He couldn’t get into the contest at Newcastle when devoid of cover on the wide outside, but he bounced back to again be beaten a short distance by Combine Harvester, posting a carer best RPR of 90 in the process off joint top-weight.
The drop back to a stiff five furlongs looks the correct move, and with plenty of pace on either side I’d expect Edward Greatrex to find an early position in the middle with plenty of cover, as this strong traveller will be able to get him out of a gap and pounce late on.
1:50 Sandown – Esher Cup Handicap (Class 2) (3yo 0-105) – Thunder Wonder 10/3 1.5pt WIN
The last ten winners of this contest have all been entires which would temper enthusiasm toward the four are the rear end of the weights, so it may be best to focus on Dividend, Seraph Gabriel, The Lost King, and THUNDER WONDER.
Thunder Wonder landed something of a gamble in the Royal Mile at Musselburgh just six days ago having made all to win by five lengths, and he’s officially 4lbs well in under a 6lbs penalty. Mark Johnston won this race with Naamoos in 2021 who had also won the Royal Mile en-route, so it’s plausible to suggest this has been a well formed plan by the yard, and he looks set to be given a soft lead in here.
Stall eight is fine in that regard, and he looks feasibly treated still off this mark. He was four lengths behinds the subsequent Dewhurst third Ancient Truth on debut and while he was beaten ten lengths at Newmarket next time out, the form of that race has worked out ridiculously well with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th all winning since, with the front three all rated 100+.
His Thirsk win in August has also worked out well with the Godolphin second winning next time out now rated 90 and the five length third also winning next time out rated 82. If coping with the six day turnaround, then this son of Night Of Thunder could be tough to peg back on the front end.
2:25 Sandown – bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (Group 3) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Arabian Crown 10/1 1pt WIN
Ryan Moore has won this contest three times in the last five renewals and picks up a rare outside for Charlie Appleby here, who he has a respectable 18.18% all time strike rate with.
ARABIAN CROWN is 2-2 over 1m2f and is 4/4 when ridden prominently, so it’s plausible to draw a line through his five length fourth in a Meydan G2 last month, where he was ridden in rear over 1m4f from a 309 day layo. That race was won by connection’s 8/13F Silver Knott who dictated the race from the off, so Arabian Crown is likely to be primed this time around.
His record here reads 311, including in the Classic Trial on this card last season and I’m surprised that William Buick has chosen to ride Ancient Wisdom, who I was against last time out due to needing 1m5f and this drop back to 1m2f doesn’t look the obvious move for one beaten eighteen lengths.
3:00 Sandown – bet365 Mile (Group 2) (Class 1) (4yo+) – Cicero’s Gift 40/1 0.5pt EW 3 places
As mentioned, Sandown have watered on ground that’s already seen rain this morning and that might be just enough for CICERO’S GIFT, who needs some soft in the going to be seen to best effect.
I was absolutely astounded when they ran him on rm going at Goodwood in August, and I’d argue that probably ruined the rest of his season for all he was entirely disgraced when beaten two lengths in the G3 Superior Mile, nor was he when beaten six length in the Balmoral when not looking all that straight forward, holding his head high and hanging right under pressure.
He was gelded four days later, and if that, along with a subsequent wind operation has ironed out any chinks in his armour, then the 40/1 here looks awfully big for a horse who had group one aspirations last term.
His record fresh reads 111, including giving 9lbs and a length beaten to Docklands on his second start who’s now rated 115 after his second to Charyn in the Queen Anne, and his Coral Challenge triumph off top-weight over C&D when supposedly not fully wound up was the performance of one deserved of graded ability.
He has something to find on the figures with the protagonists, but if the ground is soft enough for him then this looks the perfect opportunity for him to get his well touted career back on track for a yard among the winners of late.
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