Today’s horse racing preview comes from York and Sandown. I took yesterday off to study for the forthcoming Royal festival next week, which should be an amazing week of solid racing.
14.40 Sandown – Randox Health Scurry Stakes (Listed) (5f)
A competitive renewal that see’s the smart Listed Westow Stakes winner Fashion Queen make an appearance. She took the scalp of Ardad that day to thirteen lengths, even at the weights you would have to think the form looks held.
My opinion in Ardad is complimentary; he has lost his way significantly since landing the Flying Childers at Doncaster last season. The Abbaye form has to be respected when mid field; the winner has already stamped his authority on the sprinting challenges this season.
Ardad looks ground dependable for me, not too soft or too firm, if getting good racing ground he most definitely can out run his 8/1 odds. Copper Knight had really turned a corner this year, with wins in the Sustainable Handicap at Chester and he then went on to win at York when landing the Unibet Sprint Stakes.
His sole run here over course and distance last year saw him literally put in his place, to say Easterby has found him making a pleasing transition is an under statement, a horse on top of his game and very hard to beat in this form.
Copper Knight : 2pt win @ 7/2 (BOG)
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14.55 York – Best Western Hotels Ganton Stakes (Listed) (7.8f)
I’m sorry to start this off in this manner, but I really thought Jamie Spencer gave Spark Plug the most under-enterprising ride in the Listed Festival stakes three weeks ago.
Leaving his mount far too much to do in the closing stages to be defeated by a nose. It’s not the first or last time Jamie Spencer will get it all wrong this season and cost a winnable ride into a disaster. We will see a jockey change this time with James Doyle taking over.
Last year’s Cambridgeshire winner drops to under a mile for the first time in his career and has to be taken on merit that his fractions from York over today’s designated trip has shown he can handle the drop, and Sandown.
Thikriyaat is a very interesting appointment here by Sir Michael Stoute. Last year’s Bonham Stakes winner showed nothing here at York when finishing on the tailenders.but to be fair he is a very lightly raced four year old, more to come I think.
Mondialiste has completely gone backwards since his Arlington Millions accomplishment, he would have to bring that form here and some, but his York Stakes run from last season was behind the very smart colt Time Test.
With the stacks of negativity that Mondialiste is going to struggle to turn the bad form around, I can swiftly move on to an entry that could have been over looked. Khafoo Shememi of Richard Hannon’s picked up his first win on turf for the new year at Sandown Park , he went on to record a gutsy win that day.
Sean Levey has impressed me this year with some good confident rides win or lose and for me, Khafoo cannot be underestimated.
Spark Plug : 2pt each way @ 9/2 (BOG)
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15.30 York – Catherine Kinloch Paver Memorial Macmillan Charity Handicap (0-105) (6f)
Most of the evening I have been going back and forth to get Roger Varian’s Ekhtijaar beaten, his Sprint Trophy win I thought was far better than his current rating, In fact to say I think he is rated at least 10-12lb higher than his current 94 and I generally feel a pattern horse in the making.
It would be an insult to not at least look over the opposition, Golden Apollo won impressively at Pontefract recently, only a 5lb assessment which gives an element of a big run still to come. Ran well over 7f here at York at the May meeting when behind a good winner in Battered, drop in trip looks a good move and feared.
Ekhtijaar : 3pt win @ 7/2 (BOG). (NAP)
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15.50 Sandown – Randox Health Handicap (0-100) (8f)
Greentide showed attitude when losing last time here when splitting Laidback Romeo and Sir Roderic, the trio are closely matched again, but I thought Greenside showed enough to get a Royal Hunt Cup invitation, but again he has to show he is still worthy.
In punter terms I again feel Greenside is a solid bet, I can’t see his two adversaries reversing the form it up holds.
Greenside : 2.5pt win @ 5/2 (BOG) (NB)
Good luck, Gamble Responsibly
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