21:06 That’s it from a great evenings racing here at Sandown Park, it does make one wonder why courses do not stage more top quality evening meetings.
From a lovely sunny Esher goodnight.
21:05 A mile handicap to close this Blue Square sponsored evening.
In the race we finally saw a successful front running performance, but as in the last at Southwell last night it was close.
Dunn’o set off in front under Philip Robinson and although his rivals were closing in on him in the final half furlong he just held off the late challenge of Axiom, who ran on from mid-division.
Kavachi and Proponent were also running on well and the judge just gave third spot to the former.
The favourite Wintercast was a never nearer fifth.
The strangest run came from John Gosden’s Cadre who did not come into the parade ring before the race. Settled stone last throughout the race he was making eye catching late progress to finish sixth, although it has to be asked if he would have finished closer had he started his run earlier.
20:33 Our second listed contest, the 1m Heron Stakes saw a very popular favourite in the shape of Racketeer, with John Gosdens runner going off the 11/10 favourite.
He set off in front and looked the likely winner as they turned for home, only to quickly come under pressure.
At the two pole the field were almost five abreast, but it was Border Patrol under Steve Drowne who hit the front in the centre of the course and plugged on well to record a one length victory over Ashram in the Godolphin blue with their other runner Spring Of Fame, who did look booked for second, taking third spot.
20:02 Well it was a cracking race on paper and it turned out to be a thrilling race in reality and it produced the closest of close finishes.
Staying On set a good pace with, unusually Conduit tracking the pace rather than being held up.
Also with the pace was Campanologist and Allied Powers. Whilst the favourite, Pipedreamer, tracked the front group.
Two out the favourite hit the front, although both Conduit and Campanologist made a fight of it and indeed it was Conduit who hit the front as Pipedreamer once again folded under pressure.
Even fifty yards out it looked as though the new tactics were going to work for Conduit. However Christophe Lemaire launched Luca Cumani’s Cima De Triomphe with a blistering late run.
On first viewing it seemed as though Conduit had held on to take the prize. However doubts began to surface as it took Judge Di Clarke an age to announce the result – which was Cima De Triomphe had won the race by the shortest possible distance.
Stotsfold was also running on well at the end, grabbing third spot a length behind the front pair.
Drumfire ran on for fourth, whilst Pipedream only came home fifth.
19:43 Monsieur Chevalier will be going to the Norfolk Stakes at Ascot.
In the last race Shane Kelly picked up a three day "holiday" for careless riding on the winner.
19:41 A cracking renewal of the Brigadier Gerard, over 1¼ miles.
Nearly all the runners are warm in the parade ring, but it is a very muggy evening here at Sandown. The one exception is Pipedreamer, who looks as cool as ice.
Campanologist was whinnying in the parade ring and making his two handlers work for their money.
19:27 William Hill have eased Patkai from 2/1 to 9/4 for the Gold Cup, Yeats is 3/1 from 7/2 and the winner 5/1 from 10/1.
19:26 The Stewards Enquiry continues but the result will remain unaltered.
19:25 We will begin with some housekeeping from our last race. As expected Richard Hughes picked up a one day ban for careless riding on Monsieur Chevallier.
Right, on to the Henry II Stakes and a “shock” result in the Geordieland beat the odds-on favourite Patkai by five lengths. Having said that the Stewards are taking a look as there was interference inside the final furlong, although I don’t think it impacted the result.
Tungsten Strike, in a first time visor set the pace and a good pace it was too, so much so the field was well strung out as they entered the back straight.
Halfway down the back straight the pace did slow and the field did come back together, albeit in Indian file.
It was as they turned for home the action really began and two our Ryan Moore on Patkai launched what looked like a decisive run, making his rivals look leaded hoofed. Well all his rivals bar one as Geordieland was soon chasing.
An almighty roar erupted from the crowd as they passed the furlong marker and Geordieland was on the quarters of the leader.
The battle lasted half a furlong, at which point Shane Kelly drove Geordieland into the lead, coming home five lengths clear.
If nothing else the race will make for an interesting Gold Cup.
19:08 The two mile Henry II stakes next and Patkai, favourite for the Ascot Gold Cup was definitely the paddock pick.
18:45 Well it was very much a case of “job done” as Monsieur Chevalier recorded a facile victory in the National Stakes, coming home the 3¼ length winner.
Richard Hughes kept the favourite covered up for most of the contest, almost too well covered up as he looked to have nowhere to go approaching two out.
Indeed as he manoeuvred out he appeared to give Fratellino a nudge.
Once he saw daylight he ran on well and just after the furlong pole the race was over.
The front running Star Rover came home in second place with the running on second favourite Raine’s Cross taking third.
18:29 Well Monsieur Chevalier was easily the paddock pick for the first of our listed races, the 5f National Stakes.
I hope, after my paddock comments in the first, my praise is not the kiss of death.
18:17 Well the opening 1¼ mile handicap made a fool of me. I may not have been impressed with Mountain Pride in the parade ring but the John Dunlop runner knew exactly what to do on the track.
Settled towards the rear for most of the contest Ted Durcan produced a well timed run to take the lead inside the final furlong.
Indeed all the place went to late runners with Dr Livingstone taking the runners up spot and the favourite, Kensington Oval, a never nearer third and never looking like winning.
By Command set the pace and led until the home straight, eventually finishing fifth.
Incidentally the winning horse is owned by Ian Cameron, father of the Opposition Leader David – I wonder if he backed his Dad’s horse?
18:02 The favourite is drifting slightly 15/8 from 6/4, whilst there is some each way money for Sharpazmax, 16/1 into 8’s.
17:56 The runners are in the parade ring for our opener.
Kensington Oval, the favourite, looked to be a bit headstrong but nothing like as headstrong as Mountain Pride.
Moves Goodenough is not living up to his name in the parade ring, whilst Mafeking is getting warm.
17:25 Plenty of bookmakers setting up, almost 40 of them - I hope it is a good crowd here this evening. The racing is of a great quality.
15:50 Good afternoon from Sandown Park, where the weather is of the broken cloud variety and we look set for a lovely evening.
The only downside is we seem to have the jobsworth crew marshalling the Portsmouth Road car park - it is so good to start the evenings racing with an argument.
12:34 And a couple more non-runners
10:54 Sandown hosts the best evening meeting of the year in terms of class and quality.
The official going is Good.
We currently have six non-runners, details on the right.
Our selections for this evening are as follows:-
06:05 |
13 |
Pelham Crescent |
06:35 |
3 |
Monsieur Chevalier |
07:10 |
7 |
Paktai |
07:45 |
9 |
Pipedreamer |
08:20 |
2 |
Border Patrol |
08:50 |
2 |
Light From Mars |
Return to race archive: |
Non-Runners
The time in brackets is the time the horse was officially declared a non-runner.
SC - Self Certificate
VC - Vet's Certificate
6:05
1 Saltagioo (not eaten up - SC 08:19)
5 Serious Impact (bruised foot - VC 09:52)
11 Constant Cheers (going - 09:10)
7:45
2 Blue Monday (going)
8:20
7 Yorksters Girl (off colour - SC 12:19)
8:50
4 Medici Pearl (not eaten up - SC 10:40)
14 No More Tim (going - 09:38)
16 Pride Of Nation (going - 11:47)
17 Admiral Dundas (going - 08:44)
Results
6:05 Handicap 1m 2f 7yds
1st 7 Mountain Pride 16/1
2nd 3 Dr Livingstone 16/1
3rd 2 Kensington Oval 7/4 fav
11 Ran Nr's 1, 5 & 11
Distances 1 1/4 & 2
Fav third
Tote
Win £15.80
Places £5.30 £3.70 £1.20
Exacta £221.20
CSF £244.21
Tricast £676.34
Time 2' 08.87"
6:35 Listed Stakes 5f 6yds
1st 3 Monsieur Chevalier 5/4 fav
2nd 6 Star Rover 8/1
3rd 4 Raine's Cross 11/4
8 Ran
Distances 3 1/4 & 3/4
Fav winner
Tote
Win £2.00
Places £1.20 £1.60 £1.20
Exacta £10.30
CSF £11.16
Time 1' 00.83"
7:10 Stakes 2m 78yds
1st 2 Geordieland 5/1
2nd 7 Patkai 1/2 fav
7 Ran
Distance 5
Fav second
Tote
Win £5.10
Places £2.10 £1.20
Exacta £8.80
CSF £7.39
Time 3' 30.07"
Result Stands
7:45 Stakes 1m 2f 7yds
1st 5 Cima De Triomphe 4/1
2nd 1 Conduit 11/4
3rd 13 Stotsfold 14/1
12 Ran Nr 2
Distances
Fav 9 Pipedreamer 15/8 (5th)
Tote
Win £5.70
Places £2.10 £1.20 £3.80
Exacta £24.80
CSF £15.43
Time 2' 06.60"
8:20 Listed Stakes 1m 14yds
1st 2 Border Patrol 100/30
2nd 1 Ashram 6/1
6 Ran Nr 7
Distance 1
Fav 5 Racketeer 11/10 (5th)
Tote
Win £4.30
Places £1.30 £3.20
Exacta £17.70
CSF £23.11
Time 1' 42.63"
8:50 Handicap 1m 14yds
1st 5 Dunn'o 11/2
2nd 7 Axiom 20/1
3rd 11 Kavachi 11/1
13 Ran Nr's 4, 14, 16 & 17
Distances 1/2 & 1
Fav 9 Wintercast 7/2 (5th)
Tote
Win £6.10
Places £1.90 £4.90 £3.30
Exacta £167.90
CSF £120.65
Tricast £1,240.80
Time
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