John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on Friday.
Three points of interest
See The Fire can see off male rivals in Gordon Richards
The first of three Group races on Sandown’s card is the Gordon Richards Stakes (14:25) for older horses over a mile and a quarter and it looks a tight contest with just 7 lb covering the field of seven on Timeform weight-adjusted ratings.
This sees the reappearance of Almaqam who ended his three-year-old season with a smart effort when going down by a head to Jayarebe in the Prix Dollar at Longchamp and he could have more to offer for Ed Walker this year. Winter Derby winner Royal Champion has to concede weight all round, but he has had the benefit of an all-weather campaign that has seen him win both his starts for Karl Burke since returning from a spell in Australia.
The more interesting of Charlie Appleby’s pair is Arabian Crown who won the Classic Trial on this card twelve months ago. He ran creditably in defeat at Meydan last month on his first start since and is a rare ride for Ryan Moore in the Godolphin silks.
By virtue of her fillies’ allowance, though, it’s See The Fire who edges things on ratings. She got the better of male rivals when dropped in class for the Strensall Stakes at York last year but was otherwise campaigned at Group 1 level, being placed in the Nassau and Sun Chariot and winding up with a creditable fifth in the Champion Stakes. Those were all smart efforts and, representing Andrew Balding’s stable which can do no wrong at present, she gets the vote in a cracking renewal.
Lead Artist out to maintain connections’ fine form
It’s been a very successful start to the turf season for owners Juddmonte and for the stable of John & Thady Gosden who have the ‘Hot Trainer’ flag. Three-year-olds Field of Gold and Zanzoun won their Guineas trials at Newmarket last week and now their very smart stablemate Lead Artist bids to get his four-year-old campaign off to a winning start in the bet365 Mile (15:00).
This looks an intriguing contest with plenty of depth, though Lead Artist heads the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings by 3 lb after a three-year-old season when he went from strength to strength. Starting off with a narrow defeat in the Wood Ditton, Lead Artist went on to win a novice at York and Group 3 contests at Goodwood and Newmarket, with his win in the Darley Stakes at the latter track when beating a smart field of older rivals on almost level terms a particularly good performance. His second in the Bahrain Trophy on his final start was a creditable effort over a mile and a quarter, and this looks a good starting point for what could be a most productive campaign.
There’s no shortage of good rivals, however, who are headed by Dancing Gemini who bolted up in the Doncaster Mile on his recent reappearance. The sole filly in the field, Tamfana, has to give weight all round but she earned her penalty with a very smart effort to win the Sun Chariot Stakes in the autumn.
Andre Fabre has already struck at pattern level in Britain this year, and his colt Alcantor needs respecting after a successful return in the Prix Edmond Blanc at Saint-Cloud last month, especially with Ryan Moore booked. Haatem is another to note, too, having won the Craven first time out last season, though this will be his first start since winning the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Another Classic Trial for Andrew Balding?
Depending on earlier results, Windlord could be another winner on the card for Andrew Balding and for Juddmonte in the Classic Trial (15:35). It’s a race in which Balding has a very good recent record, winning it for the first time with Master Apprentice in 2015 and successful again with Bangkok in 2019 and Berlin Tango a year later in a renewal run at Kempton.
Windlord had more racing last year than his rivals, with four starts, but he sets a useful standard as the clear top-rated and the son of Dubawi may have further improvement to make himself given that he has shaped as though he’d be well suited by stepping up to a mile and a quarter.
After making the frame at Sandown in his first two starts, Windlord got off the mark in ready fashion in a valuable novice at York in September and was a rare runner for his yard in Ireland when improving again to finish third in the Beresford Stakes. Both colts who beat him went on to Group 1 success later in the autumn, with Hotazhell winning the Futurity Trophy and Tennessee Stud the Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
All four trainers represented in this year’s Classic Trial have won the race before, notably John Gosden who has won it a record nine times. His stable’s Southwell winner Damysus has more improvement to find than most, however, and Windlord’s biggest danger may be I Am I Said who was an impressive winner at Newmarket on his only start last year for Ralph Beckett who won this with Westover three years ago.
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