Sandown hosts one of the premier evening meetings of the flat season on Thursday, with the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes the headline contest. GG tipster Joe Napier has four tips to mark your card with for the action.
6.35 Sandown – Star Sports National Stakes (Listed)
For all that the majority here have won races and we are still early in terms of the two-year-old pecking order, this could well develop into a straight shootout between the highly promising pair of First Legion and CLEAR FORCE, with the latter just preferred.
The former won well on his debut, but that was over 6f and he may just be more of a long term prospect over slightly further. The selection, on the other hand, has looked all about speed and must have a reputation at home to have been sent off a shade of odds-on on his debut at Musselburgh.
He may have been defeated that day, but he soon put things right, winning by 4½ lengths at odds of 1/4 next time out. That form has been significantly franked, with the runner-up Secret Hideaway winning at this Listed level in the Marygate Fillies’ Stakes at York. If Clifford Lee gets a good break, his rivals might not see which way he goes.
7.35 Sandown – Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes
The John & Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman is fascinating as an unbeaten four-year-old who still has the ranks to climb in his career. The booking of Ryan Moore shows ambition, and he won his first Group race at Longchamp last September, but might well face a different calibre if rival here.
Another potentially progressive type for powerful connections is ENFJAAR. Trained by Roger Varian for Shadwell Estate, he very nearly racked up a hat-trick of handicap wins last summer at Chelmsford, York and Goodwood before coming up short at Pattern level. He raced too wide in the Strensall Stakes at York, but nearly made amends when denied by Persica at Ayr in September.
The winner has boosted that form since and Varian’s charge gets an 8lb swing at the weights for only a half-length deficit that day. He won first time out last season too, so should be able to prove he is up to this standard.
8.05 Sandown – Star Sports Heron Stakes (Listed)
Opera Ballo is dangerous if settling after the application of a hood, but at a bigger price, JACKKNIFE did really well to win on debut in what looked a hot contest at Epsom and he may have some serious untapped potential.
Another for Roger Varian, he was well-backed when winning stylishly at the similarly Surrey venue. The third had already earned a rating of 77, while the runner-up also had two races worth of experience to call upon, yet could not repel the late challenge of Jackknife.
The son of Kameko travelled very well through the race for a debutant and looks a ready-made professional. As a half-sibling to 1m4f Group 1 winner Defoe, he may ultimately want further than this 1m distance in time, but looks to have the credentials to be competitive here nonetheless.
8.40 Sandown – Starsports.Bet Whitsun Cup Handicap
A smart enough handicapper for James Fanshawe, HICKORY regularly ran well in significant contests for his former yard. However, he gained his first win for two-and-a-half years on his debut for Jamie Osborne’s yard to begin this season and it came in no less a race than the Victoria Cup at Ascot.
That handicap is always a highly competitive affair, so the fact he was able to win it after a 201-day break, and for a new trainer, suggests he may be blooming late in his career. Saffie Osborne weighed in 1lb over the allotted weight onboard the seven-year-old that day too, so he was already running above his mark.
Hickory is effectively only 3lb higher here and this race should not prove anywhere near as strong. Stall 10 gives him something to contend with, but the step up to 1m could well be a further positive for a horse who has run almost exclusively at 7f.
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