Dave Massey looks ahead to what promises to be an interesting day of racing action.
2:05 Newmarket – 1m6f Handicap
Arc Ole Ole looked a bit unlucky not to finish a bit closer in the King George V Stakes, finishing on the heels of the leaders after not getting the best of runs and being forced wide to make a challenge, but he had quite a hard race there and this comes soon enough. He’s also been upped another 4lb for that, which looks a little unfair, and for all this longer trip will suit him, he might be worth taking on today.
Heroics finished seven lengths behind Arc Ole Ole at York in May, still looking far from the finished project, and a step up to this trip at Sandown last time saw him outbattle Wardlaw in the closing stages, still looking like he had more to come, and he finds himself 9lb better off with Arc Ole Ole on the York running today. That alone should bring the pair much closer together, and as Heroics is proven over the trip, he looks a bit of value to reverse the form today.
3:15 Newmarket – Old Newton Cup 1m4f Handicap
Klassleader is going to take a lot of beating here, that’s pretty obvious. He won a valuable York handicap last time out with plenty in hand, runner-up Sing Us A Song running well at Royal Ascot to give the form a good look, and there’s every chance he’s a Group horse in a handicap here. But the bookmakers have already reacted, prices of around 13-8 reflecting his chances, and what his presence does do is make an each-way bet against him look quite attractive, particularly with an extra place on offer.
Enemy has no secrets from the handicapper, but he is back on his last winning mark, and he shaped better than ninth in the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot would suggest, travelling well into the race but making a move far too soon, and paying the price for it late, fading away in the final furlong. All the same, that’s strong enough form to make him worthy of consideration here and given he stays much further than this, the likely strong pace ought to play to his strengths. Ian Williams has been amongst the winners in the past week or so, and he can reward each-way support at a huge price.
2:25 Sandown – Coral Challenge 1m Handicap
As you’d expect, this looks very open, but with Jane Chapple-Hyam banging in a few winners in recent days, maybe this is the time to get onboard with Hard Endeavour, who missed a lot of last season but came back to form on the all-weather in the winter, and looks about ready to strike after a much better effort over C&D last time out, staying on nicely from the rear to grab fourth without ever looking likely to trouble the front three.
Oisin Murphy rode last time but Billy Loughnane is a more than able substitute, and Hard Endeavour remains open to a bit more improvement after just the six starts. He looks a solid each-way bet here, with conditions clearly no problem to him.
3:00 Sandown – Coral Distaff 1m
One or two of those towards the head of the market perhaps have a little to prove now, Sacred Ground not looking the easiest of conveyances and is now tried with headgear, Pacific Mission well below form at Epsom in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (maybe the ground to blame?) and Act Of Kindness readily seen off in the Michael Seeley at York.
A chance is taken on Silenciosa, who has twice caught the eye in the paddock and will find this a lot easier than taking on True Love in the 1000 Guineas last time out. She looked all at sea on the undulations there and looked like dropping right away, but stuck on again up the final climb and wasn’t far behind the likes of Inis Mor and Venetian Sun at the death.
In the hope she comes on a bit again, on what is after all, only her fourth start, she could easily get in the shake-up with another step forward, and this stiffer track should suit.
By Dave Massey
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