There’s two excellent days racing at Sandown starting with the opener on the card’s opener, a nursery over the minimum trip and Clive Cox’s Profitable (2.00) fancied to defy the burden of top weight after an excellent second last time out at Haydock when beaten a neck. Prior to that, the selection was backed like defeat was out of the question when shedding the maiden tag over course and distance and he remains with the potential to be much better than that of an 84-rated handicapper.
Amanda Perrett’s Torrid (3.35) hasn’t been seen since winning a Nottingham maiden by eight lengths last October and with the colt’s 2-y-o form working out exceptionally well he is taken to make a winning debut now sent handicapping. Prince Khalid Abdullah’s retained jockey James Doyle gets the leg up and with the colt’s juvenile working out particularly well he looks the type to improve further now stepped up in trip.
Doyle can double up on Roger Charlton’s Time Test (3.00) in the seven furlongs maiden. The colt is another stoutly-bred type, a Dubawi half-brother to the owner’s excellent Retirement Plan and he should be able to build on a pleasing introduction when second on debut last month at Newbury.
AP McCoy recorded his fastest-ever century of winners and continues to blaze a trail in the Jockey’s Championship, a four-timer at Worcester on Wednesday and an excellent book of rides over at Bangor on an afternoon of summer jumping. The Champ has ridden My Betty on her last two starts but gets off the Irish mare to ride Donald McCain’s Never Never (3.25) in the novices’ hurdle, the pick of McCoy’s five rides. Despite conceding 4lb, the 4-y-o sets a fair standard after an excellent summer, finishing in the frame in all four novices’ hurdles, and can record his second win of the season.
Cyclone (2.20) could make a mockery of his mark of 98 in the opening two miles handicap hurdle with McCoy once more in the plate, this time for trainer Jonjo O’Neill. The son of Teofilo was rated 85 on the flat but was slow to come to hand for connections, beaten a combined 138-lengths in his three runs over hurdles.
He was a beaten favourite on his handicap hurdle beau last month at Newton-Abbot, beaten nine lengths but likely to have been far closer were it not for a pair of jumping errors late on and eased down thereafter. He remains open to plenty of improvement and should have much more to offer than his mark of 98 suggests. An entry at Worcester on Sunday suggests the gelding could dot up and turn out two days later under a penalty.
There’s evening action from Salisbury and Wolverhampton with Richard Hannon’s Tupi (6.40) fancied to continue the trainer’s fine record in the feature Stonehenge Listed Stakes at the former. The stable won the corresponding race last year with Washaar and Tupi shares a similar profile, dropping down in class after being placed in group company.
The selection chased home Ballydoyle’s promising Highland Reel in the G2 Vintage Stakes at Glorious Goodwood and filled the same spot when second on ground softer than ideal earlier this month in France. The selection can return to winning ways under Richard Hughes and is a 33/1 chance for next year’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket; stable-mate Ivawood the 7/1 ante post favourite with BetVictor.
At Wolverhampton Ragged Robin (8.30) should continue the fine form of the David Lanigan yard in the mile and a half handicap. The selection is a half-brother to the stable’s Epsom Derby runner-up Main Sequence and bolted up over this trip at Kempton Park before following-up at Lingfield three days later under a penalty. The son of Speighstown receives 10lb from his elders, off-setting his 10lb hike at the weights and looks up to completing the hat-trick under stable jockey Ted Durcan.
For all the latest odds and more head to BetVictor.com
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