Simon Holt's Sandown betting preview and tips

Recommended bets: Friday racing

1pt win Royal Artillery in 2.20 Sandown at best morning price - more to come from this strapping sort

1pt win Rebel De Lope in 1.50 Sandown at best morning price - nicely treated and value against likely favourite

ROYAL ARTILLERY, the horse who went into many notebooks when winning impressively on his sole outing as a two-year-old, began to fulfil that potential in his final two starts last term and can make a winning reappearance for the red-hot John Gosden team in a good renewal of the Group Three bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on Friday.

Restricted to just four appearances in 2016, the son of War Front was probably too inexperienced in his first two starts but then hit the target at Haydock in August when beating two solid yardsticks in Scottish and Arab Spring before posting a career-best at Deauville later in the month, finishing third behind the brilliant Almanzor and Zarak.

A repeat of that effort, with the promise of further improvement, could be good enough here and this scopy son of War Front is one to follow this season.

There are three obvious rivals, namely last year's winner My Dream Boat, Ulysses and Deauville.

My Dream Boat must be respected having won first time out for the past two seasons and was a much improved performer all last year, ending with a fifth to the aforementioned Almanzor in the Irish Champion Stakes and fourth behind the same horse in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot in October.

A line through Almanzor gives the selection a slight edge, however, and Clive Cox's honest five-year-old seems best with some give in the ground which is unlikely here.

Ulysses was considered good enough to run in the Derby last June but that task came too early for him and, after a short break, he returned to win the Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half at Glorious Goodwood.

Sir Michael Stoute's colt was beaten at odds-on dropped back two furlongs on his next start at Windsor but then ran creditably to finish fourth behind Highland Reel, Flintshire and Found in a very strong Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita.

This could be a good year for the beautifully-bred Ullyses but his pedigree - by Galileo out of the Oaks winner Light Shift - tends to suggest that a bit further than this trip would suit ideally.

Deauville is probably best at a mile and a quarter but, despite winning the Belmont Derby in New York over this trip last July before finishing third to Mondialiste in the Arlington Million in Chicago, he may have a little to find and could finish only seventh, albeit from a moderate draw, in the Dubai Turf at Meydan last month.

Earlier, Atty Persse is likely to prove popular in the bet365 Esher Cup after winning his sole race last season over this course and distance in taking fashion.

The son of Frankel holds entries in both the Dante and the Derby so could be anything at this stage but there is no reason to suggest he is particularly well handicapped on that debut win (even though the second won at odds-on next time) whereas REBEL DE LOPE looks potentially well-treated and could represent better value.

The Charles Hills-trained colt was rather hit-and-miss last term, but looked a decent horse when landing a seven-furlong conditions race on this course last September, beating Eaton Square (now rated 95) and recent Kempton winner Khafoo Shememi (103).

Off a mark of 90 for this reappearance, Rebel De Lope has definite claims at the weights.

Posted at 1045 BST on 27/04/2017.