Sandown & Newmarket selections Saturday 4th July
Sandown stages its premier flat race day with the Coral Eclipse taking centre stage. As usual Aidan O’Brien has a strong team for the big race, but it might not be the favourite he wins the Group 1 with. I also have two selections for the big handicap on the card and am looking at Newmarket for two other races this afternoon. We had a strong Saturday last weekend with Tuco Salamanca a winner (SP 13/2) whilst Synergism was placed in the Plate for the each-way (advised 10/1).
Newmarket 2.05: Lopeo
A really stamina laden individual, LOPEO may well have in time what it takes to become a Cup horse, but in the interim this staying handicap can prove a stepping stone to bigger things to come.
David Meniusier’s gelding showed plenty of ability, especially on soft ground as a juvenile, winning on heavy ground at Goodwood. However his two runs this term have been on quick ground and he has looked just as effective.
He chased home Al Azd, a serial winner, just beaten at Royal Ascot recently at Doncaster over 12f in April, doing his best work in the closing stages. He returned to Town Moor for his next run, over this 14f trip, again staying on for second. The fact this meeting has been moved from Haydock to Newmarket should be in his favour as a long finishing straight ought to suit this horse perfectly.
Sandown 2.25: Classic & Hard Endeavor
Despite a few non-runners this is still a big field to be going round a turning track and I want to be on two horses drawn in single figures.
CLASSIC won this race last year by making all the running, but he looks a much more tactically versatile horse this season and far more consistent and he could follow up today. He was drawn on the wrong side in the Hunt Cup at Ascot last month, but I thought he still ran with credit to finish ninth, running on at the end.
His two runs at Newbury prior to that in the spring proved how he was now far more adaptable, running on strongly for second in the Spring Cup before winning at the May meeting. His course record at Sandown however is excellent on ground good or quicker reading 4121 and stall five ought to be an excellent berth to be coming from.
HARD ENDEAVOR looked a horse full of potential last season when romping home by 6l in a backend novice at Kempton having had two decent sighters in the spring when third in the Wood Ditton and then again at Doncaster. He could well end up being listed class or better and did indeed have a go at that level in France in the winter.
He never figured on his return to the track at Newbury in May, but performed much more to expectations when fourth over course and distance here last month. That showed he is on a fair mark and that race will have given him some experience of big field handicaps which he can put to good use today. Market support this morning is encouraging.
Newmarket 3.15: Elsass
I am going to take a chance that the progressive ELSASS can take this step up in grade in his stride and land the Old Newton Cup.
He showed some ability last season, though mainly on the All Weather at the back end of 2025. However a gelding operation in the autumn looks to have done this 4yo the world of good and he is 2-2 this season.
He won again on sand at Southwell in April, but produced a dominant performance back on turf when taking the Braveheart Handicap at Hamilton. Always near the front, he simply quickened away from them 2f out and never looked in danger of being caught. In what is a smaller field than usual for this race, similar tactics could well pay dividends once more and there should be more to come from Charlie Johnston’s charge, especially on fast ground.
Sandown 3.35: Hawk Mountain
HAWK MOUNTAIN ran Constitution River to just 3/4l in the French Derby, yet is a much bigger price today and he rates solid each-way value in the Eclipse.
Whilst there is no clear reason for him to turn the tables, that Chantilly form is probably the best this race has to offer and I am not certain the English trained horses are classy enough to get totally involved. That Derby defeat was his first since his racecourse debut and his prominent racing style could be an advantage in this smallish field.
He is the sort of horse that just does enough, typified by his win in the Futurity at Doncaster last autumn at Group 1 level. Whilst he clearly acts on soft ground, his Chantilly run proved he can handle any going. Tactically this race is going to be interesting as there are a couple of horses in here potentially as pacemakers, but Hawk Mountain would be happy enough making his own running and could prove tough to peg back around this turning track.
Recommended bets:
1pt win – Lopeo – 2.5 Newmarket – 11/4 general
1pt each-way – Classic – 2.25 Sandown – 15/2 Coral (1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt each-way – Hard Endeavor – 2.25 Sandown – 13/2 Bet365 (1/5 odds 1st 5)
1pt each-way – Elsass – 3.15 Newmarket – 11/1 William Hill (¼ odds 1st 3)
1pt each-way – Hawk Mountain – 3.35 Sandown – 8/1 general (¼ odds 1st 2)
