Equinties - Sandown Saturday

Gm Equinauts

Big shout out to arguably the best rider in the world at the moment, Harry Cobden. Congratulations on your first Champ Jockey title. Very much deserved.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS

Let’s start with the potential Derby runner, ARABIAN CROWN. Now 6/1 for the Derby, a short price considering DUBAWI has never sired the winner of the Blue Riband event. Arabian Crown was a €600k yearling purchase by Godolphin in Deauville, his brother by NIGHT OF THUNDER was picked up by Wathnan Racing last year for €660k.

ARABIAN CROWN looked very professional and certainly wouldn’t have minded the cut in the ground. MACDUFF who picked up 2nd place honours wouldn’t have been that at home with ‘soft’ in the going description. WESTOVER won this a couple of years ago for Juddmonte and Beckett and you can see him turning up at Epsom in the Summer. A 4th place finish last year in the Royal Lodge gives AL MUSMAK and GHOSTWRITER a small formboost for their Guineas tilts next weekend.

CHARYN looked game as ever when winning the Bet365 Mile. Now the option to go to Newbury for the Lockinge is truly on the cards. A 250,000gns yearling, his full brother is WINGS OF WAR who won the Mill Reef and his full sister sold to Sumbe Racing for 850,000gns. POKER FACE was a real eye catcher, he brings solid Gr2 form and this race might work out quite well. POKER FACE was a 95,000gns yearling, by FASTNET ROCK who has just been pensioned in Australia. This looked a mighty run under a 3lbs penalty and his first run of the year. The Queen Anne at Royal Ascot looks the next obvious target, but the Lockinge 3 weeks away would also be enticing.

OKEECHOBEE, randomly is a city in Florida. ISRAR was our bet and he kicked for him early but couldn’t hold on. OKEECHOBEE looks a very progressive Charlton trainee, races like the Prix d’Isaphan or a Tattersalls Gold Cup look likely targets for the Juddmonte homebred. DESERT HERO, owned by King Charles had a perfect comeback run in 2nd place and King Charles and Queen Camilla could have a real Group horse in their ownership.

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