Saturday’s racing features Group 1 action in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, but there is plenty to enjoy from the Surrey track and at Haydock on ITV. Matty Sutcliffe has cast his value eye over the cards and has five best bets.
1:50 Sandown- Coral Charge (Group 3) (Registered As The Sprint Stakes) (Class 1) (3yo+) – Shagraan 15/2 1pt WIN + West Acre 8/1 1pt WIN
SHAGRAAN was a bet for the column when upped to listed company for the first time in the Achilles Stakes at Haydock, and performed credibly to notch up a career best RPR despite racing on the unfavourable part of the track.
There was a huge bias toward the near-side rail that day and the re-opposing Balmoral Lady was arguably flattered by her position throughout the race, with Shagraan having come wide on the outside flank.
Despite an official rating of just 101, there’s little difference between high class sprint handicappers and listed sorts, and given his form behind the subsequent King Charles winner American Affair at York when giving him 3lbs for a two lengths defeat, he can still rate higher yet.
Mick Appleby won this with Raasel in 2022 who followed a near identical patch en-route (Goodwood/York/Haydock) as Shagraan, and his sole C&D start saw him beaten 3/4L when short of room on yard debut/seasonal debut last term.
I’d also like to chance WEST ACRE, who perhaps wasn’t suited to the King Charles III at Ascot as he raced without cover on the near-side flank, and the nature of Sandown where the all bunch toward the far-side rail may suit better as he can be covered up early, before angling out for a run which he did twice in impressive fashion over five furlongs on Meydan.
He wasn’t beaten far at Ascot (five lengths), and his form behind subsequent G2 scorer Symbol Of Honour in Meydan when pulling six lengths clear with that one over a trip he doesn’t quite get is strong. Given he drops into calmer waters and that was his first run after a seventy three day break, I’d expect him to be much more competitive particularly given he’s 2lbs clear on official ratings with Rumstar and Kerdos, with a further 3lbs 3yo allowance equipped.
2:05 Haydock – bet365 Handicap (GBBPlus Race) (Class 2) (3yo) – Novelista 7/1 1pt EW 3 places
Several of these either led or were prominent last time out including Pole Star, whose yard have won this on three of the last nine occasions and he may be the one to force the pace for his stablemate NOVELISTA, who was given a mistimed ride by Adam Farragher when just collared by the re-opposing Many Men over this trip at Doncaster last time out.
Though the son of Lope De Vega remains a maiden, his pedigree suggests he won’t be winning until over a trip over this nature (dam third in the Park Hill Stakes) and that looked to be the case at Doncaster. He travelled strongly throughout the contest in the rear of midfield, but he made a move off the turn on the home straight to go around Many Men and hit the front with a furlong to go, but had he been held together for a touch longer, he likely would’ve had enough left in the tank to fend off Many Men.
He’s a pound better off with that one now and I’d expect the form to be turned around with a more waiting ride.
2:25 Sandown – Coral Challenge (Handicap) (Class 2) (3yo+) – Greek Order 11/4 2pt WIN
Four of the last five winners of this contested the Royal Hunt Cup last time out, which heightens interest around Hi Royal, Galeron and GREEK ORDER.
The latter has the most obvious of chances and with natural progression, it’s tough to see him not go close here. Despite finishing fourth, he was only a length behind the winner with that pair pulling five lengths clear of the third home in their group who finished tenth, so it’s plausible to suggest there may have been a minor bias toward the far-side despite the winner overcoming it, who was shot up 9lbs for that success with Greek Order going up just 2lbs.
That was his yard debut and first run since returning from an eight one day layoff having spent the last year in America, but prior to that he had form figures of 112 in handicaps here including a half a length second to Astro King in the Cambridgeshire in 2023 off 2lbs lower. He then backed that up in Listed company when a three length third of six on ground too deep.
He clearly has an air of class and Ryan Moore returns to partner him for the first time since landing a C&D handicap on him in 2023.
3:15 Haydock – bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap (Gbbplus Race) (Class 2) (4yo+) – Stressfree 7/1 1.5pt EW 5 places
The Duke of Edinburgh Handicap at Royal Ascot has proven to be a good pointer in this race of late, including the 2022 winner Get Shirty who landed the double. Connections run STRESSFREE this time, and given O’Meara’s record in the Old Newton Cup within the last ten years reads 15PU1 (5th won it in 2016), he has to be considered.
Stressfree was well supported at Royal Ascot, but he failed to get competitive from the widest draw and was noted to have struggled on the rattling ground, so the return to calmer waters on a likelier easier surface can see him in a better light.
While he had been incredibly frustrating for connections since joining from France in 2023, they’ve clearly found the key to him as this season prior to Ascot his form reads 31432, with the latter pair coming over this trip. He was unlucky not to get up at York in the Jorvik Handicap at the Dante meeting when beaten a head by one suited by a prominent pitch, and I’d argue that was a much more competitive affair than this one.
His C&D success on his penultimate run was a career best RPR, and he won that a shade cosier than the finishing position suggests. He landed it by a head, but he came right from rear with a well timed ride by Tudhope to get up late from one attempting to make all, and a similar scenario looks likely with pace angles spread across the track.
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