11.45am Time Test team buoyed by Sandown Eclipse going report
Tony Paley: The Gurkha will face six runners in Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday. The Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite, an impressive winner of the French 2,000 Guineas, was runner-up to Galileo Gold next time out after coming from the rear of the field under Ryan Moore in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and now steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time.
The Gurkha is one of three from the Classic generation along with stable companion Bravery and supplemented Godolphin runner Hawkbill, who won his fifth race in succession when landing the Tercentenary Stakes just over a fortnight ago.
Clive Cox’s four-year-old My Dream Boat goes to Sandown having landed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at the Royal meeting, while the Roger Charlton-trained Time Test bids for his first victory at Group One level.
Softish ground ruled Time Test out of a clash with My Dream Boat at Royal Ascot but while the ground at Sandown will be similar, an improvement in the weather has buoyed Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah.
“When we took him to Ireland for the Tattersalls Gold Cup, the ground was genuinely soft and we didn’t think he would enjoy that,” Grimthorpe told At The Races.
“It was a similar situation at Ascot, especially over the first five furlongs of the mile and a quarter - it was pretty soft. We’ve got to the stage now where it’s probably going to be good to soft [at Sandown] and that will certainly be within his scope. We’re looking forward to going.”
Pat Smullen, who rode the four-year-old once last season when he finished fourth in the Juddmonte International at York, will ride Time Test. The colt’s pacemaker, Countermeasure, and John Gosden’s Western Hymn complete the line-up for the weekend racing highlight.
Thursday’s best bets, by Greg Wood
The Tory leadership contest promises to be a more lively and unpredictable betting heat today than any of the 35 races scattered around the country, but Epsom’s meeting this evening offers punters in the capital a chance to escape from the turmoil and Hatsaway (6.30) could be the best bet on the card in the opening race.
Hatsaway’s ability to handle the track needs to be taken on trust, but he went around Brighton smoothly enough to record a narrow win in early May and improved again for a more convincing success at Salisbury earlier this month off a 4lb higher mark. The five-year-old joined Pat Phelan from Clive Brittain at the start of the year and has made just three starts for the yard, and while he is up another 5lb today, there is every chance that his progress will continue.
Shanghai Glory (7.15) also improved last time out when he was narrowly beaten into second place and should go close on the same card from a 2lb higher mark.
Perth stages the only jumping card of the day, and Hills Of Dubai (2.10) should get off the mark over hurdles in the opening race. Quick Brew (3.40) has been knocking on the door for conditional jockey Daragh Bourke and could give him a useful winner in the two-mile handicap chase, while at Haydock this afternoon, Bear Valley (4.00) and Lady Joanna Vassa (3.00) should both go well. Lady Joanna Vassa has been busy recently but is holding her form well and has another win in her off her current mark.
Tipping competition, day four
Our winners so far:
Monday
Gran Canaria Queen 8-1
Matidia 11-4
Slemy 13-2
Tuesday
Spirit Of Zeb 11-2
Roy Rocket 3-1
Duke Of North 6-1
Wednesday
Brockholes 6-1
Russian Regent 5-1
Royal Reef 8-1
And our leader is:
diegosigod +23
… who had both Brockholes and Royal Reef, allowing him to take a narrow lead over PHILYERBOOTS (+22.50), who had the lead yesterday and found Royal Reef. Kmill68 (+17.50) lies third.
Today, we’d like your tips, please, for these races: 3.30 Haydock, 8.50 Epsom, 9.10 Newbury.
This week’s prize is a copy of the much-praised Mr Darley’s Arabian, by Chris McGrath, who used to turn out high-quality prose about horse racing for the Weekender, the Times and the Independent. This is a history of our sport, described in an Observer review as offering “a teeming, colourful survey” of its many stories, drawing on “a cast that takes in aristocrats and nouveaux riches, playboys and industrialists, Smithfield meat salesmen and the rulers of Dubai”, according to a press release from the publishers. If you don’t win, you can buy it here.
As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be three each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers. If you have not joined in so far this week, you are welcome to do so today but you will start on -9.
In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.
For terms and conditions click here.
Good luck!
And post your tips or racing-related comments below.
