Equinties - Sandown nights

Gm Equinauts

Doesn’t feel like a Thursday, feels like a Saturday - tonight’s Sandown card is BIG!

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUND UP

INTERESTING JUVENILE

Karl Burke with another good 2yo. Shock.

More, the beautiful grey is by HAVANA GREY…who Karl trained!

AZIZAM, is his name but unlike HAVANA GREY (his daddy), got his head in front at the first time of asking.

Having cost 115,000gns at the breeze-up sales, he looked quite good. The race didn’t go to plan, and yet he stuck to the task very well to win comfortably.

The runner-up, MO OF CAIRO, cost 135,000gns at the breeze-ups, and the third (we we liked), STORM FORCE, cost 230,000gns at the breeze-ups. A proper race to follow - trust us!

Will he be heading to Royal Ascot? It seems likely, as James Cowley, Burke’s assistant trainer, said: "There was plenty to like about that. Sam [James] said the race didn't go to plan. He did things the wrong way round, was stuck on the wing and ran green, but when he hit the front he soon clued up and away he went.

"He'll come on in leaps and bounds and was learning on the job. There's plenty of improvement to come. He hasn't done anything to really shout 'wow' but you can't knock him. It's the time of year where we're building the Ascot team and it's coming along nicely."

There’s plenty to like about what he did yesterday. Eyes on him, and he ones in behind.

SANDOWN

19.05 LISTED HERON STAKES

This is a big race for TRAWLERMAN, and it’s thanks to KYPRIOS’ recent retirement.

A quick look back through the form books shows that TRAWLERMAN, John & Thady Gosden’s Godolphin-owned son of GOLDEN HORN, finished a narrow second to the legendary stayer in the Gold Cup last season. He gave KYPRIOS a proper race, and with him out of the picture, he could be the answer in this year’s renewal.

This is his second run of the season having got some sun in Meydan. He’ll be cherry ripe for today.

BURDETT ROAD is back. The Champion Hurdle runner-up is back on the Flat for the first time in 222 days, and his last run in this sphere was in the Long Distance Cup.
Now, on that form, TRAWLERMAN and AL NAYYIR have him beaten, and his Flat form is still lacking slightly. Interesting runner none the less.

We love COLTRANE, but the boy is eight now, so it’s fair to question if the old spark is there. Still, he now has a run under his belt having finished second in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot to YASHIN, and on that pure form, he’ll struggle to win here.

Still, it was a weird race last time out, and on his best form, he could win this. We hope he does for old times sake. We love him.

AL NAYYIR is on the drift, and this is his first run in the UK this season having ran in Meydan and Riyadh this year. Horses do find it hard on their first UK run back, even if his last run was in early April, and the market weakness would be a worry. His form with VAUBAN and GREGORY is probably a step below that of TRAWLERMAN, as well.

TASHKAN has plummeted through the weights, but he used to fight at this level. He was a good second in the 2021 Long Distance Cup, and he should appreciated any rain-softened ground. However, he’s lost his way, and needs a big retrieval.

Verdict: The improving TRAWLERAN should be a class apart in this and fit as a flea from his work in Meydan.

19.35 1m 2f GROUP 3 BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES

ALMAQAM is strong in the market and we like him. He’s always threatened to be a good horse and with his sights set slightly lower today, he’ll need to win this as a stepping stone for bigger things.

So he can beat him today?

OMBUSMAN might have a question mark over his fitness. Unbeaten, but he hasn’t been since his last win back in September of last year. He’s by the mighty NIGHT OF THUNDER and when Buick got off him last time said he’s got loads left to come. One to get excited about for later this season.

MILITARY ORDER won well last time out at Kempton which was after a long lay off - huge danger he could bounce. He’s by the GOAT FRANKEL, on a DUBAWI cross making him a full brother to Derby hero ADAYAR. Proper horse.

ENFIJAAR has progressed nicely from handicap level. This is a huge step up in graded and might need to run given it’s his first run this season. We think he’s definitely one to follow this season. Quite the danger should Varian have him ready to go!

CICEROS GIFT is fit and likes Sandown having won here last season. This is a different ball game though and we think he needs a lower grade.

PERSICA won his ‘Derby’ when landing the Sefton, every thing else this season will be a bonus. Might find one or two too good today.

BOLSTER has found Group races too hot, he could be using this to get his mark down for a big handicap.

PHANTOM FLIGHT has been busy all year out in Bahrain but he’s too much to find today.

AAFOOR has absolutely no chance.

Verdict: We’re going to say ALMAQAM can win this and go on to mix it in higher company.

20.05 LISTED HERON STAKES

Three-year-olds over a mile - it’s another Classic!!

Actually, no, it’s the Listed Heron Stakes, though it does include two horses who ran in Classic Trials at the start of the season.

One of those horses is OPERA BALLO, who was sent off favourite for the Craven earlier this season.

He was poor at Newmarket, and he does need to prove his all-weather performances were more than just hype. Charlie Appleby’s form is much better now than it was, so that’s a bonus.

The other is MATAURI BAY who also ran in the Craven, but he was two places behind OPERA BALLO. The difference with him is his juvenile form. He was an eye-catcher behind FIELD OF GOLD, the now Irish Guineas winner, in the Group 3 Solario Stakes at this very track.

This could have been a plan from Ralph Beckett, and his horses have needed their first runs.

Away from these, BAY CITY ROLLER is wildly unexposed. This is his first start of the season, though he won the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at the end of last year.

He was going to go to the Prix du Jockey Club, but George Scott has sent him here instead, and he quotes the slightly softer ground as the reason why. The quotes seems to suggest he is fit enough, though one could question that Champagne Stakes form with Aidan O’Brien’s pair of MONUMENTAL and AFTERMATH.

JACKNIFE is also in the unexposed category. One run, one win.

He rolled nicely down the outside and won going away. It was a nice performance, though this is deep waters. Still, he’s a KAMEKO half to the Group 1 winner DEFOE, so his pedigree can see him go well here. Connections must think plenty of NEBRAS as they sent him into a Group 1 on just his second ever start last year, 21 days after his debut!

That was the Futurity at Donny, and he finished seventh of eighth. Poor, and his two starts this year, he’s finished second both times, one of which in a Southwell novice at 2/7.

He is a half-brother to NASHWA, so he has that going for him, but his last run in a Listed race at Newmarket wouldn’t inspire confidence. It is still probably too soon to right him off, however.

PELLITORY looked nice when beating ANNO DOMINI at Newmarket in April, though he put that good effort well behind him when ninth in the Listed King Charles II Stakes. James Owen said he did all his home work with WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE ahead of his season reappearance, so that’s a good sign, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can put that behind him.

SUHAIL STAR completes the field. He’s a big price, he’s trained in Qatar, and he’s officially rated 90. Tough task.

Verdict: We’re going to chance MATAURI BAY in this. Put a line through his seasonal debut in the Craven, Beckett’s horses were running like drains then. Let’s not forget he nearly beat the Irish Guineas champ FIELD OF GOLD at this course last year as a 2yo when running out of track. 9/2 looks a good ew with Becketts horses running a whole lot better.

RISK ON

There has been an almighty plunge on MINNIE WILDES for Charlie Fellowes but it’s actually his other horse we like:

15.40 SATURN FIVE

Perhaps could have done with more rain, but there should still be good cut at Yarmouth and this horse will love it. The others in the field need quicker ground. The apprentice jockey will need to ride this lad more prominently than the last time he rode him, and if he does, can go close in this race. 11/2 looks a good ew.

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