Our form expert tipped the Greenham winner at 10/1 in his last Verdict column and he has three tips for Friday's ITV4 card at Sandown.
The Verdict: Friday April 24
1pt win Underwriter in the 13.20 Sandown at 12/1 (General)
1pt win Laureate Crown in the 13.50 Sandown at 10/1 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power)
1pt win Never So Brave in the 15.00 Sandown at 8/1 (bet365, 7/1 General)
Brave call in the bet365 Mile
The Gosdens are flying and on a really good Flat card on ITV4 at Sandown on Friday they are going in stacked with short-priced favourites everywhere you look.
They include stable poster boy Field Of Gold in the Group 2 bet365 Mile, a renewal so good it could easily be a Group 1.
Field Of Gold is the best horse in the race on his best form and he is suited by the conditions of the contest, but he’s just the sort of horse I like taking on.
The bare facts are he won twice from five starts in what was meant to be a coming-of-age season and he looked a shadow of his peak self on his last two starts at three.
Of course, he could bounce back in style as a four-year-old, but first time up at 5/4 I’d rather bet against him especially in a race as deep as this.
Zeus Olympios is a horse I’ve loads of time for and he could have a stellar season ahead of him, but he could be fresh and keen first time up and he does have to give 3lb to both Field Of Gold and NEVER SO BRAVE who looks the bet at 8/1.
Unlike the two market leaders, Never So Brave is a gelding and he settles very well in his races, while the boot he has for seven furlongs could be a key weapon in this race.
He improved enormously for being gelded and the switch to Andrew Balding’s last year, while he thrived on the fast ground in the summer at Ascot and York.
In the QEII he finished a couple of lengths behind Field Of Gold, but he was even more inconvenienced with how the race panned out than the Gosden horse and he was hampered out wide as things conspired against him.
That wasn’t his true running, but he previously showed that he stayed the trip well in the Group 2 Summer Mile at Ascot and he advertised his battling qualities when landing the Group 1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes over seven furlongs.
He escapes a Group 1 penalty for that here with the penalties only kicking in after August 31 and in against quite a few who want a strongly-run mile, or perhaps even a furlong or two further, he can have a big say under Oisin Murphy.
The Balding team are in great form themselves and the stable won this race with Tullius in 2014 and Beat The Bank in 2019. This son of No Nay Never could bring up the hat-trick in what looks an unmissable contest.
The Verdict: Back NEVER SO BRAVE in the 15.00 Sandown
Crown can be king in Esher Cup
It could be a good day for Murphy and his ride LAUREATE CROWN looks worth backing earlier on the card in the bet365 Esher Cup Handicap over a mile.
Again, we have a Gosden hotpot to take on here in Organise, but he ran green at Yarmouth when winning last time and his potential looks to be well factored into his price for all that he could well be running in a much higher grade later this season.
You could say that about a few of them in this race, including Laureate Crown who looked to have benefitted hugely for being gelded in the off season when winning cosily at Wolverhampton last time out.
He did well to close from the rear off a steady pace to win that, especially against a rival like Waterford Castle who was sent off 4/6 and ran really well next time at Newmarket behind Archers Bay.
Up 6lb from that here, Laureate Crown is officially 2lb well-in and Hugo Palmer usually means business when he books Murphy, the pair boasting an impressive 53 wins from 207 races at 26% together over the years.
I like that he overcame a steady gallop at Wolverhampton to win, as he might have to again here with no obvious pace in the race, and he looks underestimated at the prices with his proactive jockey a good man to have on your side in such a scenario.
The Verdict: Back LAUREATE CROWN in the 13.50 Sandown
Underwriter worth the risk
Finally, the bet365 Handicap opens the card over five furlongs before the ITV coverage starts and Archie Watson’s UNDERWRITER is worth backing at 12/1.
The son of Mehmas has untapped potential over five furlongs as he’s never run over the distance, but he shaped like he had the speed for five several times over six furlongs as a juvenile.
He made all twice at Ayr to win easily with his defeats coming in Group 2 company or in soft ground in France, but he’s a fascinating handicap debutant here off 91.
The Watson yard is in terrific form and have had 10 individual three-year-olds win already this year, while the gelding procedure could seriously improve this sprinter.
Indeed, Watson has a brilliant record with his newly-gelded horses, winning 44 from 168 goes at 26.19% (+£22.84 to £1 at SP), which is a superb return compared to his peers.
The Verdict: Back UNDERWRITER in the 13.20 Sandown
Preview posted at 16:15 BST on 23/04/26
Click here for full Ben Linfoot tipping record
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