Katie Midwinter (31/08/23)
SANDOWN
1:50pm – Class 3 Handicap
Final Watch must bounce back following a disappointing effort at Newbury in July, but he has been kept fresh since and may be seen to better effect this time around, still running off a mark of 88.
Progressive three-year-old Tough Enough is two from three in handicap company, up 4lbs for a recent course-and-distance success. The James Tate-trained colt finished a respectable fifth in a higher class Newmarket handicap earlier in the summer, the form of which has worked out well with three subsequent winners finishing ahead of him in the field behind winner Quinalt, including recent Group Three winner Mill Stream.
Lyndon B has plenty to find with Final Watch on Newbury form, and may benefit from another drop in the weights. whilst Youarenotforgiven remains on a mark of 80, down in trip and up in class with 3lbs claimer Mollie Phillips back onboard.
Alpha Capture showed potential as a juvenile but has been disappointing this term, failing to show promise in four handicap performances this summer. Now running off a mark of 82, 21lbs lower than when first seen in this calendar year, he represents an in-form William Haggas yard but is unreliable and difficult to back with much confidence.
Win selection:
Tough Enough – James Tate, Rossa Ryan
2:25pm – Atalanta Stakes (Group 3)
Coppice sets the standard at this level following an impressive handicap win at Royal Ascot, where she beat a number of promising horses including Breege and Unless, both of whom have performed well in black-type races since, with the latter landing a Listed success at the Curragh.
A fifth-placed finish in the competitive Falmouth Stakes when last seen, in a race not run to suit, will have provided the Kingman filly with valuable experience as she faced a number of high-quality, older rivals. This drop in grade could allow her to land her first black-type success as she continues to develop and improve.
A threat in the field is Richard Fahey’s likable filly Midnight Mile, making her fifth appearance of the season. Third in the Rose Of Lancaster Stakes when last seen, this drop back to a mile for the first time since her impressive fourth-placed finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf could be a wise move by connections.
The daughter of No Nay Never possesses plenty of speed, as shown when winning a Group Three as a juvenile over 7f, and has had her stamina tested when tried over 1m4f. She has looked comfortable over an extended mile-and-a-quarter, and landed a Listed win over the trip at York in July, but a drop in distance could allow her to be seen to even better effect.
Archie Watson’s Roman Mist battled all the way to the line in the Valiant Stakes but was just held by the formidable Random Harvest. It may have been a career best performance and she must build on that run to be competitive here.
The unbeaten Nibras Angel has made only two career starts and faces her toughest test yet now in graded company. Novus has been performing well in handicap company and could be one for the places at a big price if others underperform, but has plenty to find with Coppice on the Sandringham Stakes form and is unlikely to be first past the post.
First-time cheekpieces are tried with Queen For You who is yet to show her full potential and is capable of showing the necessary improvement to be competitive, but may find this too hot a contest at this stage in her career.
Win selection:
Coppice – John & Thady Gosden, Kieran Shoemark
Each-way selection:
Midnight Mile – Richard Fahey, Oisin Orr
3:00pm – Class 2 Handicap
Top-weight Certain Lad, well handicapped on his best form, has shown little ability this term and is now winless in three years. The son of Clodovil was sold for 13,000gns as a yearling and has earnt almost £300,000 in prize money, but his best days appear to be behind him and, whilst he could run on well enough to finish among the extra places, it seems unlikely he will get the better of his thirteen rivals.
Eagle’s Way, unbeaten as a three-year-old, began his four-year-old campaign with a narrow defeat to Cumulonimbus at Yarmouth before finishing seventh as beaten favourite at Goodwood. He is a leading contender in this field, now 3lbs higher rated running off a mark of 99, likely to be competitive in the closing stages.
Gaassee hasn’t been seen over this trip since he won at Newcastle in novice company. Bred to stay by Sea The Stars out of a Monsun mare, he has been struggling to find form this season and could benefit from trying something new and different.
Course-and-distance winner Andaleep finished fourth in the aforementioned Yarmouth race, now 1lbs lower following a below par effort at Ascot in which a lack of stamina may have been to blame. The Daniel and Clare Kubler partnership have been in excellent form of late, performing at a 35% strike rate in the past fortnight which could bring this seven-year-old gelding into play.
Great Max, now back with Michael Bell, has appeared tripless this term with Alice Haynes, running over varying distances and entered in a 6f sprint at Ascot. By Wootton Bassett out of a Youmzain mare, the gelding has run in many competitive races in his career so far, and a step back up to 1m2f could reignite the spark. A 260,000gns yearling, he has failed to live up to expectations to date, but is better than his form suggests and may be well handicapped off a mark of 92.
At the bottom of the weights is Baltic Voyage for the in-form Ralph Beckett yard, representing owner Marc Chan who recorded an impressive double last Saturday with Kinross and Angel Bleu both winning their respective races, following the success of Going The Distance at Ffos Las on Friday, giving him a 100% strike rate with his recent runners. The gelded son of Frankel is proven over the trip on soft ground, but could be even better on a sounder surface, and may be ahead of the handicapper off a mark of 86.
Groundbreaker makes his first appearance following wind surgery and wears a tongue tie for trainer Andrew Balding in the hands of Jason Watson.
Each-way selection:
Andaleep – Daniel & Clare Kubler, Richard Kingscote
Wildcard:
Great Max – Michael Bell, Kevin Stott
CHESTER
3:20pm – Chester Stakes (Listed Race)
Military Order made no impression when finishing last in the Derby, and a trip to Chester isn’t an ideal next step considering he is a big colt, a brother to the talented Derby-winner Adayar, and failed to cope with the undulating nature of the track at Epsom.
His stablemate New London, was found wanting on his trip to Chester, and was subsequently pulled out of the 1m4f Classic, another individual with plenty of scope that was unsuited to the twists and turns of the Roodee.
Chester is a unique track, and often a perfect stepping stone to Epsom, but given that Military Order has already disappointed at Epsom, it is a worry ahead of his run in this Listed affair. Whilst he is 1lbs clear of his elder rival Lone Eagle, for in-form connections, and could potentially be rated much higher in the future, he now needs to prove he is back on track and may get away with a slightly below par performance down in class at Listed level.
William Buick takes the ride aboard the colt who will more than likely go off as favourite come the off.
NAVAN
5:40pm – Maiden
Earth Dance – Donnacha Aidan O’Brien, Gavin Ryan
The gelded son of Australia finished third on debut at the Curragh, beaten by a well bred filly in Sumiha who has made only one racecourse start to date, and Thunder Roll who had previously placed in a Cork Group Three.
The fourth-placed horse was an imposing filly of Aidan O’Brien’s, Starry Eyed, a subsequent winner at Cork who was sold for €1,500,000 as a yearling and looks set to improve as she grows into her large frame.
This presents a good opportunity for Earth Dance, bred and co-owned by Mrs Ann Marie O’Brien, to land his maiden success.
All runners/prices are correct at the time of publication.
Photo by Benny Hassum on Unsplash
THE CONDITIONAL 