Eclipse Day at Sandown Park

ECLIPSE DAY at Sandown Park is always a special day, and with a good supporting card for handicappers, sprinters and stayers it look a well rounded card for the 10 furlong spectacular that can boast Sea The Stars, So You Think, Twice Over being some of the most recent winners, all horses that boast boundless amounts of class.

Going through the card, there looks to be some strong bets to be had, and being fortunate enough to be attending there myself, here’s hoping to a profitable day. The first race is a seven furlong handicap limited to three year olds, and although I like Dutch Master at the head of the market, it could be worth taking a chance on DANCE COMPANY for the William Knight stable. Young claimer Harry Bentley takes off a valuable 3lb, and this horse has been showing decent bits of form since running in a Group 3 last season. Its fourth last time out at Yarmouth was a good run behind three smart horses and he looks on a very workable mark.

The Coral Charge is a five furlong Group 3; there are some horses in the field that have the potential to surge up the sprinting ranks. Night Carnation won this last year and is respected, as is the top rated Elnawin for Richard Hannon, but they are inconsistent and boast a sole place between them in five runs this season. The most obvious horse is JUDGE AND JURY who has shown a tremendous attitude and consistency running this season, often in quick succession. He returned from a break to win a good York handicap, and showed his best piece of form to date when second in a Group 3 last week at The Curragh. He may get an easy lead and be hard to pass on better ground for the eight year old.

Trade Commissioner is likely to go off a very short price in the 2.40 and in all honesty looks the most likely winner, but I would have him around a 4/1-9/2 shot, not the 5/2 he is currently priced up at and hence is opposed. STAGE ATTRACTION looks a much more lucrative option for the in form Andrew Balding stable, and has been showing a consistent strong level of form in all his three runs thus far this season. The course and distance winner was just tiring last time out when a five lengths fourth, and the better ground could see further improvement, demonstrating steady progress without the handicapper lancing him in. The winner of that race went on to win at Royal Ascot, and the form of his three runs looks decent.

The fillies listed contest is another minefield with a very strong favourite. Starscope was placed in The Guineas and The Coronation Stakes, both of which were on bottomless ground though and the firmer stuff here may find her out. I as a person and a tipster general avoid Godolphin horses, which makes it even more open. I tipped up KINETICA at Royal Ascot and she looked badly in need of the run. With the Sir Mark Prescott yard in much better form three weeks on and a run under a belt, I still think she is potentially group class, and are worth taking another chance on.

The Eclipse looks a bit of a damp squib affair with ante post favourite So You Think pulling out, and I was personally lumping on him on the day, he was a banker. New favourite Farhh is ludicrously short for a horse with little group form. Nothing makes too much appeal, with Bonfire and Cityscape ideally liking a bit of cut in the ground, similarly with Nathaniel, who the trainer has said not to lump in, with him concerned about his fitness, and looking like this may be used as a prep for The King George. It may be a shot in the dark, but CRACKERJACK KING could be a tremendously underrated horse, and is the sort Marco Botti does well with, and Ryan Moore booked. Only ever beaten once (in the Prix Du Jockey Club/French Derby), he has won every start, and the Shamardal colt will relish the trip, he is bred to anyway. Rated only 2lb better than Sri Putra (118-116), he beat him ten lengths in a Group One in Italy in May, he is clearly better than the bare ratings.

Similarly MOUNT ATHOS who is Luca Cumani and Marvan Koukash’s earmarked Melbourne Cup horse for the season. He finished a good fourth in the Cesarewitch last season, and made a striking reappearance winning a good handicap at Newmarket. The step up in trip from 14 to 16 furlongs should bring further improvement out and red hot William Buick is booked in the plate.

Hayley Turner will be seeking redemption in the last on FOURTIETH AND FIFTH who went off a well backed favourite in his debut in handicap company last time out at Thirsk when she gave the horse too much to do and later apologised on Twitter for doing so. He looks much better given the way he ran on towards the finish, and she will be eager to make amends for a gelding that looks to have a lot of potential given the way he hacked up in his maiden win at Hamilton, and the form of that race working out well.

1.30 Sandown – Dance Company
2.05 Sandown – Judge and Jury
2.40 Sandown – Stage Attraction
3.10 Sandown – Kinetica
3.45 Sandown – Crackerjack King
4.20 Sandown – Mount Athos (Nap)
4.55 Sandown – Fourtieth and Fifth (Nb)


The Yorkshireman – Jack Milner

@JJMSports