Sandown

NEWMARKET, UK--Oh, to be in England now that April's there. So wrote Robert Browning in 1845, though it is unconfirmed that this had anything to do with Classic trials. An unusually wet and cold April did little to lift the spirits this year, so we shall fast-forward to another line of his lovely poem. And after April, when May follows. May is becoming more marvellous by the day. There's York, of course, and who doesn't love York? It is a racecourse which comes close to perfection, from its location in...

18.45, Sandown, Listed, £50,000, 3yo, 8fT SLIPOFTHEPEN (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) takes in the Listed Heron S. which the John and Thady Gosden stable have employed for their G1 St James's Palace S. contenders in recent times. Successful in the former Easter S. at Kempton last month, The King and Queen's relative of the Oaks runner-up Flight Of Fancy (GB) (Sadler's Wells) looks likely to extend his unbeaten record and book his Royal Ascot ticket with just three relatively exposed rivals in opposition.

Last year's G1 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) will make his first start since winning the Blue Riband in Sandown's G3 Brigadier Gerard S. in late May, according to Saeed Suhail's racing manager Bruce Raymond. Successful in a Nottingham maiden at two, the 4-year-old won the G2 Dante S. at York in his first outing at three before rolling to a 2 1/2-length victory at Epsom. An ankle injury derailed any more starts in 2022, and the Brigadier Gerard will be his first start back. Trainer Sir Michael...

Claymore (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), winner of last year's G3 Hampton Court S. at Royal Ascot and not sighted since finishing fourth behind Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in the G2 York S. last July, is scheduled to make his seasonal debut in the G3 Brigadier Gerard S. at Sandown May 25, with the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a potential long-term objective. The Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained colt could encounter last year's returning G1 Derby winner Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in what is shaping up into a mouthwatering...

Six meetings have been confirmed for the 2023 Sky Bet Sunday Series (SBSS), Sky Bet announced on Wednesday. Worth £1.2 million, the series is an industry-wide collaboration between ITV, Racecourse Media Group, and Sky Betting and Gaming, which will showcase the sport in a Sunday twilight slot on terrestrial television during the summer. The schedule for the 2023 Sky Bet Sunday Series is as follows: Musselburgh, Apr. 30 Hamilton, May 14 Beverley, June 11 Pontefract, June 25 Haydock, Aug. 6 Sandown, Aug. 20 Steve Birch, Sky Betting & Gaming CCO...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Wednesday's Observations features a son of Dubawi (Ire) and the G2 Rockfel S. heroine Lucida (Ire) (Shamardal). 14.45 Great Yarmouth, Mdn, £14,000, 2yo, 7f 3yT John and Thady Gosden trainee OBELIX (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who will sport KHK Racing's G1 St Leger-winning colours, bumped into a good...

4.42 Sandown, Mdn, £15,000, 2yo, 7fT TABARETTA (FR) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of two Charlie Appleby-trained newcomers, with William Buick siding with this €650,000 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale graduate whose half-sister Devant (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) captured the G3 Prix Miesque. From the family of the G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero Blue Canari (Fr) (Acatenango {Ger}), the March-foaled chestnut is joined by City Of Kings (GB) (Kingman {GB}), a 350,000gns Book 1 graduate whose dam is the G2 Lancashire Oaks winner Horseplay (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and who was...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a son of Group 1 winner Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 1.25 Curragh, Mdn, €17,000, 2yo, 8fT HIPPODROME (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is one of three Ballydoyle newcomers in this maiden won by TDN Rising Stars High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Duke De Sessa (Ire) (Lope...

Fasig-Tipton will sponsor Sandown's G3 Solario S. on Aug. 20, the American sales company and The Jockey Club announced on Wednesday. Re-named the G3 Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars Solario S., the seven-furlong event for juveniles is named for Fasig-Tipton's November Sale. This year's Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars November Sale will be held on Sunday, Nov. 6, directly after the two-day Breeders' Cup meeting in Lexington on Nov. 4-5. "We are pleased to form a partnership with Sandown Park and The Jockey Club to sponsor the Solario S. to...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Thursday's Observations features a relative of Group 2 winner Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). 4.38 Deauville, Debutantes, €27,000, 2yo, c/g, 6fT WILLIAM TELL (FR) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at €420,000 was the joint-second highest-priced lot at last year's Arqana Deauville October Yearling Sale and debuts days after that auction's topper Denmark...

Jaber Abdullah's Dance In The Grass (GB) (Cracksman {GB}--Dance The Dream {GB}, by Sir Percy {GB}) became the fifth winner for her freshman sire (by Frankel {GB}) when snagging her June 10 debut, going seven furlongs at Sandown in her only prior start, and registered a first stakes win for the Dalham Hall Stud resident in Thursday's Listed European Bloodstock News EBF Star S. over the same course and distance. The eventual winner was squeezed for room during the initial exchanges and raced off the pace towards the rear through...

Juddmonte's hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Mirror Lake (GB) (MSW & GSP-Eng, $113,061), by Dubai Destination) was let go at odds of 13-2 for Thursday's Martin Densham Memorial EBF Maiden S. at Sandown and came home with a 'TDN Rising Star' after producing a taking display in a contest won last year by subsequent G2 Queen's Vase second Zechariah (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The homebred bay was bustled along from the gates to occupy a forward pitch in second after the initial strides of the seven-furlong test. Making eyecatching...