Matchbook Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Group 3)

Off time: 19:40 | Winning time: 2m 5.84s

(5)

Here Comes When^h²¹⁴

Age: 9| Weight: 9-3| J: Oisin Murphy| T: A M Balding| OR: 110

33/1

Beat Ribchester by a neck when winning the Group 1 Sussex Stakes (Glorious Goodwood) in August 2017, also adding a Group 3 win at Haydock (1m, heavy) late last season; untested beyond 1m and ideally requires significant rainfall (not forecast).

Form: 9/54910-

(2)

Bombyx²⁴⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Daniel Muscutt| T: J R Fanshawe| OR: 98

16/1

Doncaster novice winner (1m4f); came up well short at Glorious Goodwood in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes (1m4f, good to firm) when finishing 12½L third of four to Cross Counter; plenty to find at these weights; now gelded.

Form: 1/24133-

(4)

Danceteria⁴³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: J P Spencer| T: D Menuisier| OR: 105| C| D

7/1

Winner of a 1m course Cl 4 handicap last June before progressing quickly over 1m2f on the July Course at Newmarket (won three on the bounce); ninth of 33 in the Cambridgeshire; opened this season with a 1m1f Maisons-Laffitte Listed win (gd/sft).

Form: 11594-1

(1)

Elwazir²⁸⁵

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: Jim Crowley| T: Owen Burrows| OR: 105| CD

9/2

Frankel colt; 500,000gns yearling; didn't quite make the grade when tackling Group 3 company (Rose Of Lancaster) at Haydock, but was progressive immediately prior to that and is a C&D winner (novice); not one to be written off at this level yet.

Form: 24/115-

(3)

Matterhorn¹³

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: J Fanning| T: C & M Johnston| OR: 112| D

11/8

A prolific winner on the AW (7-9); visually impressive when cruising past the classy Wissahickon in Lingfield's Good Friday Easter Classic (1m2f); the presenting soft ground wasn't at all favourable at Chester (ran well - second); of major interest.

Form: 111712

(6)

Regal Reality²⁷

Age: 4| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: Sir Michael Stoute| OR: 111

9/4

Finished sixth in this in 2018 (beaten 4L) before winning a 1m Group 3 at Glorious Goodwood (gd/fm); beaten by Here Comes When on heavy ground at Haydock in September; pleasing third in the Group 2 Bet 365 Mile here on seasonal reappearance; trip?

Form: 1/6133-3

Forecasts

Matterhorn (11/8), Regal Reality (9/4), Elwazir (9/2), Danceteria (7/1), Bombyx (16/1), Here Comes When (33/1)

Sir Michael Stoute has won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes nine times, including with Autocratic (2017) and Poet's Word (2018). His 2019 representative Regal Reality (sixth of nine in 2018) is respected off the back of a pleasing seasonal reappearance in the Bet 365 Mile. However, he is totally unproven at this 1m2f trip (dam was a 6f-7f winner) and that sways things firmly towards the 2018/19 AW Champion MATTERHORN who represents Mark Johnston (won this race with Bandari in 2004). He deserves plenty of credit for finishing second to Forest Ranger on unsuitable soft ground in Chester's Group 2 Huxley Stakes, so with the prospect of a sound racing surface tonight, he gets the vote.