Sandown review & free replays including Brigadier Gerard Stakes
By Sporting Life
20:48 · THU May 23, 2024
A round-up of the latest action from Sandown on Thursday evening as Royal Rhyme, Sweet William and Almaqam were among the winners.
Royal runner delivers
Royal Rhyme justified skinny odds with a cosy victory in the Group 3 Chasemore Farm Brigadier Gerard Stakes.
Karl Burke's four-year-old colt was having his first start since finishing fifth to King Of Steel in the Champions Stakes at Ascot and could be in for a return to Berkshire after being cut to 20/1 (from 25s) by Paddy Power for next month's Prince of Wales's Stakes at the Royal meeting.
Jockey Clifford Lee was content to sit a long way off the strong gallop set by outsider Miss Cantik and he was still cutting a confident figure entering the final couple of furlongs when it became clear the long-time leader was running out of gas.
Certain Lad (7/2) initially picked up the running but 1/2 favourite Royal Rhyme smoothly tracked his main market rival before going on to win by a length, with two and a half lengths back to 17/2 chance Miss Cantik in third. Elegancia (11/1) was last of the four runners.
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Lee said: "I always knew I was going to get there. I got the leader quite easily, it was more the second horse.
"My lad was only beaten five lengths in a Champion Stakes and can run like that in his first race of the season.
"Possibly (Royal Ascot), we'll just see how he comes out of the race. I’m sure Karl and Sheikh Mohammed Obaid will have a plan.
"We’ve got plenty of good horses and with a horse like him, like I say he was only beaten five lengths in a Champion Stakes. He’s entitled to go for a good race, it just depends where."
Promising Almaqam makes an impression in Heron
Almaqam knuckled down when it mattered most to secure a convincing victory in the Chasemore Farm Stud Staff Heron Stakes.
Ed Walker’s colt had caused a few problems in the preliminaries to the one-mile Listed event, but turned in a professional performance out on the track to prevail by three and three-quarter lengths at 7/1.
William Buick was happy to flank the pacesetting Son early on but moved to the head of affairs when that runner lost ground by swinging very wide on the turn. A furlong out, everything was to play for as Frankel’s half-brother Kikkuli and Ice Max tried to lay down a challenge, but Almaqam had lots more left in the tank and ultimately powered away in the closing stages.
This contest has been won in the past by some elite-level performers, including the likes of Kris, Kalanisi, Proclamation and Without Parole, and Almaqam was cut to as short as 33/1 with Betfair for the St James’s Palace Stakes, although his trainer could opt to go up in trip at the Royal meeting.
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Walker said: “I’m very happy, I was really impressed with how he hit the line so strongly in that ground. We were worried about the ground, I think everyone was worried about the ground, but he did it really well.
“I think 10 furlongs won’t be an issue, so we’ll see. That was a huge step forward, that was a strong race. I know plenty of horses may not have acted on the ground, sometimes those races can be a question of who acts best on the ground and you can be made to look better than you are, but he’s done nothing wrong in his career.
“He’s very straightforward, he’s a beautiful horse. I’m very grateful to His Highness Sheikh Ahmed (Al Maktoum) for sending him to me. It’ll be the St James’s Palace or the Hampton Court – I’m not sure yet.”
Almaqam wins at Sandown
Of Kikkuli, trainer Harry Charlton said: “I’m very pleased with the run on that ground. He wouldn’t have enjoyed the going and I think a mile on better ground will suit him. There’s loads more to come."
William in Gold Cup frame
Sweet William delivered on his promising Yorkshire Cup third with a narrow defeat of Caius Chorister in the Group 3 Chasemore Farm Henry II Stakes.
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the five-year-old son of Sea The Stars was winning for the first time since landing back-to-back handicaps last summer and coped well with the return to two miles on his first career start.
Sweet William wins the Henry II Stakes
The 15/8 favourite Caius Chorister and Trueshan (5/1) looked like battling it out when initially locking horns in the home straight, but Rab Havlin conjured a strong late run from the visored Sweet William and, as Trueshan backed out of it inside the final furlong, the 5/2 shot got his head in front on the outside before holding on by a head.
Trueshan finished a further six lengths back in third, while the disappointment of the race was 4/1 shot Chesspiece who weakened right out and failed to beat a rival home.
Betfair and Paddy Power slashed the winner's Gold Cup odds from 40/1 to 14/1, a market topped by 10/11 favourite Kyprios.
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Havlin said: “He didn’t really travel for most of the race, but the further we went, the more he came on the bridle.
“We put a visor on him today just to switch things up and it was a reversal with Caius Chorister from last time, when she pounced on me. I was able to keep an eye on everything in the race from where I was.
"He’s a hard horse to get there late, because he’s not really got that much of a turn of foot, so I don’t know how much he’s actually had in the tank there but he’s very talented and he got the job done.
“I think the further he goes, the better he goes. He’s untested beyond two miles but for me, I definitely think he’ll get two and a half miles.”
Referencing the Derby, in which he replaces Callum Shepherd on Lingfield winner Ambiente Friendly, the 50-year-old Scotsman said: “It was like getting six numbers on the lottery, it came out of the blue. I’ve got sympathy for Callum. At the end of the day I'm not listening to anything that's been said, I’m not reading anything about it because I don’t want it to distract me.
“I was (riding him out in Newmarket), I did two canters, I’ll do the same tomorrow morning. He felt good.”
Meanwhile, the Cauis Chorister team are looking forward to a rematch in the Gold Cup.
“She ran a really good race, she nearly won – she didn’t, but it doesn’t matter,” said trainer David Menuisier.
“It’s a prep race for bigger things down the line. To me, she’s better on quicker ground than this sort of ground, especially at this level because it really tests her stamina.
“I am delighted, she really belongs here. People were doubting her which they are allowed to, I think she put them straight this time around.”
Owner Clive Washbourn added: “It’s mindboggling, I love this horse. We’re going to the Gold Cup and that’s that, we’ve got to have a go!
“She doesn’t like this ground so that was a really gusty performance from her. Good to firm is better for her. I can’t moan, as you know I bred her. She’s amazing. What a week I’ve had, I bred the winner of the 2000 Guineas in Germany (Devil’s Point). But I love this mare."
Empress remains unbeaten for Amo
Sergei Prokofiev filly Enchanting Empress made it three from three with another hard-fought win under David Egan in the Orbital Veterinary Services National Stakes.
Sent off a 4/1 chance for the five-furlong Listed race, Dominic Ffrench Davis' representative wasn't the best from the stalls and was under the pump soon after halfway but as the leaders began to tire, Egan's mount came through to pick up the running and she fought on bravely to confirm recent Ascot superiority over the reopposing Rock Hunter (9/2), who had to settle for second once more.
Zminiature (16/1) came from the back to take third, with 6/5 favourite Hawaiian bitterly disappointing as the last of the six runners to finish.
Betfair and Paddy Power make the winner a 10/1 chance for the Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and 8/1 (from 20s) for the Queen Mary.
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“She’s a tough filly, she just got herself out of trouble as she sat back in the stalls a little bit and missed the kick,” said Ffrench Davis.
“She had the class and speed to get herself out of trouble. We always thought she was an Albany filly, but I think we’re leaning now towards the Queen Mary because she’s got sharper with every run.
“It should be ideal, David was very much of the mind that five furlongs at Ascot was going to be fine.
“She’s got a fantastic attitude, she hadn’t done a lot between her last run and Ascot and here and she was actually a bit fresh today. She took a bit of waking up in her first run, but I think she knows what it’s all about now.”
He added of the Amo Racing-owned winner: “Kia (Joorabchian) puts a great investment into the game and he deserves to have a few good ones. It’s great to be able to build up something good enough to go to Royal Ascot.
“She seems to cope with any ground, she won on the all-weather at Wolverhampton, she won goodish ground at Ascot and it didn’t bother her here today. A good horse will go on any ground.”
Blake battles to first victory
Blake won the World Horse Welfare Handicap at Sandown, opening his account at the fifth time of asking under Luke Morris.
Trained by Peter Chapple-Hyam, the Zoffany colt sat third on the inside through the early stages of the mile contest before hitting the front a furlong and a half from the finish.
Ebt’s Guard (5/1) made a threatening moving passing the furlong pole and looked like laying down a serious challenge to the eventual winner, but the 11/1 chance fended him off in game fashion to score by a head.
Front-runner Kindest Nation (10/1) held on for third and 25/1 outsider Dramatic Effect was fourth, with very few getting into it from off the pace.
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