Christian Williams has enjoyed a memorable season in valuable staying handicap chases and holds a very strong hand as the campaign draws to a close in the Bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday.
Kitty’s Light, desperately unlucky when placed third in this race 12 months ago, is joined in the line-up by stable companion Win My Wings, the easy winner of the Scottish Grand National earlier this month when Kitty’s Light finished seven lengths away in second.
Cap Du Nord, a comfortable winner for the stable at Kempton in February, is also in the field, but the Ayr 1-2 look like Williams’s prime contenders.
Lingfield
1.05 Psyche
1.35 Sassi Neri
2.05 Goldsmith
2.40 Secret Glow
3.15 Tiare
3.50 Agent Of Fortune
4.20 Diva Dancer
Ayr
1.45 Legend Of Xanadu
2.15 Unashamed
2.50 Alpine Sierra
3.25 Soldier’s Minute
4.00 Head Chef
4.30 Post Impressionist
5.00 Amourie
Southwell
1.55 Zephina
2.30 Mrs Meader
3.05 Lucky Draw
3.40 Lady Clementine
4.10 Encouraged
4.40 The Mad Monk
5.10 Dream Lofty Dreams
5.40 Smart Champion
Windsor
4.55 Sixth Street
5.25 What A Dude
5.55 I’m Mable
6.25 Almufeed
6.55 Darlectable You
7.25 Cosmic Desert
7.55 Shabs
Thirsk
5.05 Stanley Snugfit
5.35 Mr Mccall
6.05 Mattice
6.35 Come On John (nap)
7.05 Run This Way (nb)
7.35 Wotever Next
8.05 Langholm
Kitty’s Light is, in theory, weighted to reverse the form on 12lb better terms, but fast-improving Win My Wings (3.32) had plenty left in the tank last time and, with Rob James claiming a very useful 7lb, she is worth a bet at around 5-1 to become the first horse since 2007 to complete the Ayr-Sandown double.
Sandown: 1.50 There was plenty of market confidence behind Whizz Kid before his handicap debut at the Grand National meeting, when his inexperience showed in some hit-and-miss hurdling. He did well to finish less than three lengths behind the winner in the circumstances and with Sam Twiston-Davies replacing a conditional in the saddle, a more polished round of jumping would make him the one to beat.
Haydock: 2.05 Alrehb has yet to race on turf but he has a big chance at the weights on his all-weather form and the excellent Laura Pearson takes off a handy 3lb.
Sandown: 2.25 Erne River was second-favourite for a Grade One novice at Aintree last time and was slightly hampered when falling at the 10th fence. He had done nothing wrong in two previous chase starts, recording a decent winning time in both, and though he has a few pounds to find with his three rivals on ratings, he has much more scope for improvement. The early betting, which rates him the 5-1 outsider of the field, looks wrong.
Leicester 2.45: Happy Power is the second-favourite in a disappointing three-runner field but he has 1lb in hand of Path Of Thunder, the market leader, on ratings and showed his best recent turf form when making the running at Goodwood last summer. He could be tough to pass if David Probert gets a soft lead.
Haydock: 1.00 Corsini, 1.30 After John, 2.05 Alrehb, 2.40 Irresistable, 3.15 Aussie Banker, 3.45 Darkness, 4.20 Mille Miglia.
Leicester: 1.35 Sunny Orange, 2.10 Achnamara, 2.45 Happy Power, 3.20 Letmelivemylife, 3.51 Magisterial, 4.26 Flower Of Thunder, 4.56 Mumayaz.
Ripon: 1.45 Insolente, 2.20 Imperial Command, 2.55 Haizoom, 3.28 Noman, 4.00 Ava Go Joe, 4.35 Mandobi, 5.10 Buckshaw Village.
Sandown: 1.50 Whizz Kid (nb), 2.25 Erne River, 3.00 Greaneteen, 3.32 Win My Wings (nap), 4.07 Scaramanga, 4.40 Flic Ou Voyou, 5.15 Glynn.
Doncaster: 5.05 Definitive Force, 5.35 Hezahunk, 6.05 Spirit Of The Bay, 6.35 Edgar Linton, 7.05 Matchless, 7.35 In The Breeze, 8.05 Wholeofthemoon.
Wolverhampton: 5.45 Global Vision, 6.20 Desert Team, 6.50 Pilot Wings, 7.20 Scarborough Castle, 7.50 Goolwa, 8.20 Warm Smile, 8.50 Prydwen.
Sandown: 3.00 Nube Negra was 12 lengths behind Greaneteen in the Tingle Creek but is still the narrow favourite here with most bookies. That is surely a result of Greaneteen’s poor run at Leopardstown in February, but he should be fresher for a two-month break and is returning to a track that plays to his strengths.
Westover clings on for Classic Trial triumph
Westover just held off the late challenge of Cash to win the Bet365 Classic Trial by a short head at Sandown on Friday, and the two colts are now quoted at 25-1 and 20-1 respectively to win the Derby at Epsom on 4 June.
Cash was very weak in the market before the Group Two contest – in which Adayar, the subsequent Derby winner, finished second 12 months ago – and David Simcock’s grey was also reluctant to go into the stalls. He was then settled in last place by Jamie Spencer as Goldspur, the 6-5 favourite, made the running under William Buick.
Goldspur could not respond when Westover grabbed the lead inside the final furlong, however, as Spencer launched a late challenge on Cash from a couple of lengths further off the pace. Cash found a sharp turn of foot as they raced uphill in the closing stages but the line arrived just in time for Ralph Beckett’s colt.
“He looked a little green again today, so if there was a race that fitted well into the programme, then I’d say another run might be no harm,” Barry Mahon, European racing manager for the Juddmonte operation, said afterwards. “He is a horse we have always regarded as [a possible] Epsom horse and today has probably shown he is on the road, so hopefully he can stay in one piece and continue to improve.”
Emily Upjohn, a daughter of the Derby and Arc winner Sea The Stars, ran away with the fillies’ novice event later on the card and was immediately cut to around 8-1 third-favourite for the Oaks at Epsom on 3 June.
