Alex Hammond’s Tip of the Day: Sky Sports’ Alex goes for 8/1 chance Bonfire in the Sandown 15:45. £10 Risk Free Bet. Saturday Preview below:
There are top class cards this weekend at both Sandown and Haydock with the feature race the Coral-Eclipse taking place at the Esher track.
Coral Eclipse: Sandown 15:45
Earlier in the week the ground at Sandown was described as no worse than good with it not expected to ride much worse than that on Saturday. Following the news that antepost red hot favourite So You Think will not race for a final time, Farhh is the new market leader at 9/4 who finished third behind the winner in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last month.
Farhh has been supplemented for this contest at a cost of £30,000 by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin team and if there is rain around that won’t harm his chances. He is an exciting progressive horse. He went into Ascot unbeaten in three and took the step up from handicap company in his stride (he had won the Thirsk Hunt Cup on his previous outing off a mark of 100). He did his chances no good by rearing as the stalls opened and didn’t get a clear run when he needed it. He is a son of Pivotal and they generally like some cut in the ground and if the ground is on the soft side it could be worth taking the favourite on here.
John Gosden’s King George winner Nathaniel (11/4 at Skybet) will make his seasonal reappearance in this having missed his intended run in the Brigadier Gerard as he wasn’t 100%. It’s not ideal although he hails from a stable in great form and will be ridden by a man at the top of his game in William Buick. Citscape and Bonfire are 11/2 and 8/1 chances respectively and the latter looks the flagbearer for the classic generation in this.
Andrew Balding’s highly strung colt won the Dante but was a disappointing sixth in the Derby where it’s felt the unconventional track didn’t suit him. Although they want to step him back up to a mile and a half in the future, this 10 furlongs will suit him well and I think he is the each way bet in this. He has apparently been working well at his trainer’s Kingsclere stables and he has come in for support this week.
Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape represents Roger Charlton who has also reported the horse to have been working well. 10/1 shot Crackerjack King is a horse we don’t know much about. He is now with the talented Newmarket trainer Marco Botti having been previously trained by Stefano Botti in Italy where he won the Italian Derby last year and comes here having won a Group One last time out beating Luca Cumani’s Afsare. He needs to find some improvement but he could well do and run into a place. I’d like to see So You Think go out on a high, but I’ll be with Bonfire each way at the prices.
Selection: Bonfire each way at 8/1 at Skybet
Coral Challenge: Sandown 14:40
Staying at Sandown and Trade Commissioner is the likely favourite for the one mile Challenge Handicap. He is trained by John Gosden with William Buick in the plate and he is worthy of plenty of respect here for a trainer who has a good record in big handicaps like the Cambridgeshire later in the season.
This horse has only run four times in his life, winning two of those starts in a maiden at Sandown and then a handicap at Salisbury for which he was raised 12lbs by the handicapper. However, he is bred to be smart being a son of Montjeu out of a mare called Spinning Queen who was bought for 3 million guineas after a racing career that saw her win the Group One Sun Chariot on her final start. This horse has apparently had problems, hence his lightly raced profile, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him progress through the ranks as the season goes on.
Selection: Trade Commissioner at 9/4 at Skybet
Coral Charge: Sandown 14:05
As it’s name suggests the Charge is a tricky looking five furlong Group Three. It looks wide open and at a likely double figure price Caledonia Lady is one to keep on the right side of. Her trainer Jo Hughes is in very good form at the moment and she has booked dual champion Paul Hanagan to ride.
Hanagan has been out of action for a week after suffering a bruising fall, but he is booked to ride on Friday and hopefully will be ok. The horse was only beaten 5 1/4 lengths in the Group One King’s Stand at Royal Ascot and was staying on in determined fashion and as a three year-old gets a 5lbs weight for age allowance in this Sandown race. She isn’t up to Group One company, but as a smart listed performer she won’t be out of her depth in this Group Three. She is my each way selection.
Selection: Caledonia Lady each way at Skybet
Bet365 Lancashire Oaks: Haydock 14:55
Haydock’s feature is the Lancashire Oaks and the rather inappropriately (for a filly) named Testosterone (5/1 at Skybet) is the highest rated for Ed Dunlop. Previously trained in France by Pascal Bary she won three races and finished second to Galikova in the Group One Prix Vermeille before being well beaten in the Arc.
She was then bought for 1.2m guineas last Autumn (no doubt as a potential broodmare) and has had just the one run for Dunlop in the Hardwick where she beat one home. I wouldn’t be put off by that effort though as she was keen on her first run of the season and is entitled to improve in a bid to recapture her best. It’s worth bearing in mind that Dunlop has a fine record with his racemares – the likes of Snow Fairy and Ouija Board bear testament to that – so she is in capable hands.
Set to Music is another of the protagonists for Michael Bell and Jamie Spencer. The Queen’s filly won the Warwickshire Oaks last time out and she will enjoy the ground at Haydock. 4/1 shot Shimmering Surf beat Set to Music over this course and distance last time out and has improved for Roger Varian this season. It’s fair to say the second filly was unlucky not to give her more to do on that occassion and the form of both looks solid.
Hawaafez hasn’t run since winning a listed race at Newbury in May and there must have been a little problem because after that victory her trainer Marcus Tregoning was keen to run her in the Ascot Gold Cup. He also said she would be suited by better ground which she hasn’t got here and I wonder if staying will be her forte. I’m hoping Testosterone can recapture some of her better French form which would see her being well capable of winning this for Ed Dunlop.
Selection: Testosterone at 5/1 at Skybet
Bet365 Old Newton Cup: Haydock 15:25
The big betting race at the track is the Old Newton Cup and Lexi’s Boy (7/2 Skybet) is a leading contender for Donald McCain. It takes a brave punter to take on McCain in these big flat handicaps as the trainer is winning plenty of them, including the Northumberland Plate last weekend.
He has been raised 10lbs for his recent win in the Cumberland Plate and looks dangerous off a light weight in this mile and a half handicap. Franciscan represents Luca Cumani, another trainer to have on your side in these types of races. He is a progressive horse with a bright future. Cumani also has a horse higher up the weights, Fiery Lad, who won a handicap on Derby day at Epsom on his last start.
However, soft ground wouldn’t be his cup of tea and I’d be more keen on his stablemate. Roger Charlton’s 8/1 chance Cry Fury is a horse that interests me. He made his seasonal reappearance in a 10 furlong handicap at Epsom last time out and that was only his 7th career start. He ended last season with a disappointing effort in the Cambridgeshire, but his last run was encouraging and there could be more to come.
Number Theory has become something of a track specialist for his trainer John Holt (who is based in Leicestershire). This horse has a record at Haydock that reads 3 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds from 6 starts. He can’t be ruled out at 9.1 at his favourite course. So in summary, I’m loath to oppose Lexi’s Boy who has been good to me in the past, but I think I’m with Cry Fury here in a red hot handicap.
Selection: Cry Fury at 8/1 at Skybet
Saturday Selections:
Sandown 15:45: Bonfire (each way)
Sandown: 14:40: Trade Commissioner
Sandown: 14:05: Caledonia Lady
Haydock: 14:45 Testosterone
Haydock: 15:25 Cry Fury
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