15:30 Sandown

Friday 6 July 2018

All13:2013:5014:2515:0015:3016:0516:4017:15

Davies Insurance Services Gala Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 2m 7.71s

(7)

Big Country¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: R L Moore| T: M Appleby| OR: 107| D

5/1

Progressive sort well worth who won a valuable Redcar handicap in May. Has a bit to find on form and disappointed at Royal Ascot but well worth another crack at this level and not ruled out with Moore taking over in the saddle.

Form: 05-1010

(2)

Euginio^b¹⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-7| J: S De Sousa| T: R Hannon| OR: 110| CD

7/4

Running well in three attempts at Listed level this year and produced a career best when only beaten 1L at Royal Ascot last time out. Has C&D form in the book and likely to run well here.

Form: 451-322

(4)

Morando^p1¹⁷

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 110

7/1

Has been a shade disappointing this year and while he won a Listed race at Windsor last year, this would require a career best effort and hard to fancy after a poor run at Ascot last time out. Needs first-time cheekpieces to spark a return to form.

Form: 1432-30

(8)

Mustashry²⁸⁰

Age: 5| Weight: 9-7| J: Jim Crowley| T: Sir Michael Stoute| OR: 112

11/4

Group 3 winner at York last year and the runner-up from that day has franked that form with two Group wins subsequently. Shaped as if amiss in a Group 2 when last seen but he should be bang there dropped in class if he's fully fit on return.

Form: 24/0117-

(1)

Spark Plug^p¹⁷

Age: 7| Weight: 9-7| J: J P Spencer| T: B J Meehan| OR: 106| CD

9/2

Winner of this race last year and will love the fast ground here. Needs to put a trio of below par efforts from this campaign behind him and this is a stronger race than last year's renewal but he has each-way claims.

Form: 236-637

Non-Runners

(6)

First Sitting²⁶

Weight: 9-10| Age: 7

T: C F Wall J: G Mosse

(5)

Emirates Flyer²³

Weight: 9-7| Age: 7

T: S bin Suroor J: Non Runner

(3)

Connect³⁴

Weight: 8-11| Age: 3

T: C G Cox J: Andrea Atzeni

Forecasts

Euginio (7/4), Mustashry (11/4), Spark Plug (9/2), Big Country (5/1), Connect (13/2), First Sitting (13/2), Morando (7/1), Emirates Flyer (14/1)

Mustashry will be hard to beat if he's 100% after 280 days off the track but with a slight concern over his fitness, EUGINIO is preferred after an excellent run at Royal Ascot last time out. Connect is the only three-year-old in the line up and Clive Cox's colt has already won at Listed level; with a less exposed profile than his rivals, he may be capable of a big run.