Sandown Saturday Preview - 03/07/21

The first selection of the day comes in the Group Three Coral Charge over five furlongs and the horse we are siding with is Arecibo for how progressive he has been this term.

Having been a horse under David O'Meara that always flattered to disappoint in handicap company, this season he has turned into a different animal.

He started the season off at Newmarket when winning a Class 3 Handicap in good style and tried to back that up in a Group Three over the same C&D but could not.

However, he bounced back to form in a big way next time out when winning a Class 2 Handicap with ease on soft ground.

This made his trainer Robert Cowell step him up last time out into Group One company in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and he went on to finish a narrow second behind Oxted.

Next up is the Coral Challenge Handicap over a mile and Montatham at the head of the market could take some serious beating if fully tuned up.

The five year old was superb last season winning and going close in similar handicap events and having had his seasonal debut run he should be spot on for this event.

Montatham on his seasonal bow was a good third behind the smart Top Rank in the Listed Doncaster Mile which reads well.

Today he drops back into a handicap off a mark of 109 but with a handy 5lb claimer on board he essentially is only running off 104, which takes him back to his last winning mark.

Dangerous.

The Listed Coral Distaff always chucks out some smart winners and this year we believe the Andrew Balding trained Auria looks a big each way player.

The three year old filly has been seen four times to date, twice as a juvenile when showing bundles of ability on debut in heavy ground at Newmarket before using that experience to get off the mark next time out at Kempton.

Saved for this season, she returned at Ascot in a good Fillies' Conditions Stakes over a mile and finished a good second behind the progressive Creative Flair who has gone on to frank the form.

Auria was last seen at Newbury when stepped up in trip to 10f for the Listed Abingdon Stakes where she finished a fair fourth on extremely quick ground.

Getting back to a slower surface will be a bonus and she still looks to have more in the tank going forward.

Big each way player at 15/2.

The feature race of the afternoon in Britain is the Group One Coral Eclipse and Addeybb looks to be the big value in the market having been there and done that on numerous occasions.

The seven year old over a year ago went over to Australia for the first time in his career and at the back end of March 2020 became a black type winner for the first time when taking the Ranvet Stakes on his first start down under.

The big target whilst Addeybb was over there was to race in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes and on April 11th, with the rain bringing his favoured soft ground, he went on to take the contest with ease.

Coming back over to the UK, he made his seasonal debut in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and he finished a decent second to the stand alone winner Lord North.

Haggas explained that he needed a run before heading to Ascot and was seen earlier this month when taking the Listed Doonside Cup, blowing away the cobwebs.

It looked a perfect prep run and with Magical, who beat him last year in the Group One race since winning another Group One, the form of the 2019 Champion Stakes looked superb.

Addeybb then went into the Champion Stakes looking to reverse some form and with the rain coming the gelding was an emphatic winner of the race, going on to land the third Group One of his career, seeing off a field full of top quality rivals.

This year he has been seen twice back down under, finishing a narrow second in the Group One Ranvet Stakes behind the smart Verry Elleegant.

The two met again last time out in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he managed to reverse the form under a superb ride by Tom Marquand.

Having conquered Australia for a second time he is back in England and having swerved Royal Ascot he should be fresh for this Group One event.

An interesting contest on the Saturday at Sandown is the 1m2f Class 2 Handicap and at the bottom of the weights Sword Beach.

The four year old is a lovely each way player in this race receiving weight off the whole field and having been knocking on the door a fair bit without winning, this event might be the one.

She has always been a likeable running well on both soft and good ground and two starts ago she put up one of the best runs of her career when a good second over a mile at the track.

Last time out she was stepped up to 11.5 furlongs where she stayed the trip well on quick ground and managed to finish a close third.

Dropping back slightly to 10f will help and she just looks primed to go well.

The penultimate event of the afternoon is the Class 3 Handicap over seven furlongs and the top weighted Run To Freedom will not be far away.

The Henry Candy trained colt is having his second crack in a handicap having made his seasonal debut in one and ran to a good standard.

The three year old has only been seen four times and three of his runs came last term as a juvenile, starting over 7f at Newbury when looking to learn from his first experience.

He did just this when running next time out and finishing a good second at Kempton over 7f and then he was last seen getting off the mark over the same course and distance.

The form of his win in December is superb, with the second Highland Avenue since winning three times including in Listed company, with the third and fifth also going on to win since.

He stepped up for his three year old debut at Sandown at the start of June and was a narrow second behind an improving type.

Although up 3lb for that run he looks extremely progressive and is sure to come on for that run.

The final event of the afternoon is the Class 4 Handicap over 1m2f and Remedium looks to have a solid chance off the back of his three runs this term.

The gelding has been seen four times in his short career, Showing ability on his juvenile debut last term and this year running three times and placing in all of them.

He made his seasonal debut on quick ground at Nottingham and was a good second behind the Lingfield Derby Trial winner Third Realm.

Remedium had to settle for second again next time out at Windsor over the same trip and last time out he was another smart third behind nice types.

His consistent nature makes him a player in this event, but now he just needs to improve that little bit more.