Racing

Sandown tipping preview: Eye of Heaven set for return to form

By Steven Dowler

Steven Dowler has thought long and hard about the Boosted £5,000 Place 6 at Sandown on Thursday and produced a fantastic preview to try and tackle it head on. Read his Sandown tipping preview and join his Syndicate.

Sandown tipping preview

16.20 – Class 4 Handicap – 5f

Plenty to consider in the first leg of the Sandown tipping preview, a wide open sprint race, but preference is for those who have either had previous experience of the undulations of Sandown or have good enough form previously to get competitive. Top weight MAY REMAIN is consistent as they come having won three of his final four starts when trained in Ireland last year. He has run well on all three starts for new connections to reach the frame, and he is expected to be in the mix here while on an upward curve.

WAR WHISPER is now 2lb below his last winning mark, and placed multiple times previously off higher marks than today’s rating. Most of those performances have been against better opposition – so this is an ideal opportunity to get back on the scoresheet.

OUR OYSTERCATCHER saves his best for this track with course and distance statistics reading 2, 3, 1 and 2. He ran well to finish second last time out, and there is every reason to indicate another bold show will happen again back at his favourite track on a workable mark.

Selections: MAY REMAIN, WAR WHISPER, OUR OYSTERCATCHER

16.55 – Class 3 Handicap – 5f

Another highly-competitive sprint race and this might be the time we see KONCHEK return to winning ways. His sole effort at this track saw him finish third in a Listed event, and since that fine effort in defeat, he’s competed against some top-class opposition in stronger-class races, and lost nothing in defeat when attempting to concede plenty of weight to two rivals at Windsor last time out. He is only 1lb higher today, and if Adam Kirby can get a soft lead on him, there is a strong chance nothing else will be able to claw this good-looking horse back which will hopefully see him back in the winners enclosure.

PUDS is a very adaptable horse over six and five furlongs. His last five placed efforts have come off this sort of mark, so in theory, he has been given a fine chance of being competitive here, especially with the mere fact that he’s gone close in higher-class company on a few occasions. The Richard Hughes stable is ticking along nicely – indicating a bold run from Puds is likely here.

Another one to note is MOKAATIL – who is a very well-handicapped horse, and has strong form on good ground over the minimum distance. Arguably, his best performances have been over six furlongs, but he’s 1lb lower than when successful at Epsom last year which came at a similar-level, therefore, he’s a player if getting a clear passage under today’s favourable conditions.

Selections: KONCHEK, PUDS, MOKAATIL

17.25 – Listed Stakes – 5f

Moving onto the feature race of the day and the third leg of our Sandown tipping preview. This looks an ideal opportunity for EYE OF HEAVEN to get her career back on track having returned a disappointing ninth when favourite at Royal Ascot in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes. I’m not sure what went wrong that day, but her debut success has worked out extremely well with the third, fifth, sixth and eighth all advertising the form since with victories in good-quality races. Frankie Dettori comes here to ride Mark Johnston’s two-year-old who takes a drop down in class. Furthermore, the form she has in the locker is head and shoulders above her main protagonists here. With that being said – clear guidance is to side with her. Indeed, her short-priced market odds could seem diminutive. But on the face of it, she should outclass today’s opposition and leave her Royal Ascot disappointment well behind her – especially reflecting on her excellent winning debut which I mentioned previously that has produced high-standard winners since including multiple group winner Tactical.

The only other runner I can see putting up some sort of resistance to Eye Of Heaven the Roger Millman-trained FURLONG FACTOR who has yet to finish outside the top-three in four career races, and she ran an interesting race to finish second behind Sardinia Sunset at York last week. That form entitles her to plenty of respect given Richard Kingscote reunites with her who was aboard her when successful two starts ago. If the favourite surprisingly fails to fire, all eyes will point to this filly – who should no doubt pick up the pieces while continuing to enhance her strong-looking CV at the same time.

Selections: EYE OF HEAVEN, FURLONG FACTOR

18.00 – Class 5 Fillies’ Stakes – 7f

Clive Cox boasts an impressive strike-rate at this track, so taking that into mind, Windsor third JAZZI’O has an excellent chance of winning this weak-looking contest. She did plenty wrong on her debut, starting slowly and breaking away awkwardly before running very green throughout the race. To her credit, it was an encouraging display in defeat to have finished as close as she did that day, and the form has been advertised with the winner Tanfantic running well in a higher-graded event since (Listed class). Having said that, Liam Keniry has been booked to ride again so with plenty more improvement to come, she is handed a confident vote.

Meanwhile DESERT VISION was a shade unfortunate to finish fourth last time out having been denied a smooth passage on the whole. Even so, she stuck to the task willingly, and her stable have done pretty well at this track previously based on statistics. Admittedly – she needs more to trouble the two market principles, but there is no reason why she can’t do that.

Selections: JAZZI’O, DESERT VISION

18.30 – Class 5 Novice Stakes – 7f

Boringly, SAEIQA is one who I am supporting in this weak-looking heat. His form is the strongest on offer, bringing Royal Ascot form to the table having finished a creditable third in the Group 2 Coventry Stakes. Clearly, that form is substantially above-average compared to the rest of this field. He was pulled out of a race last week, presumably when it became apparent the ground was too soft for him. This race is a lot easier anyway, and with the presence of Frankie Dettori in the saddle for boss John Gosden – this promisingly colt should comfortably justify favouritism.

KNIGHT SALUTE shaped encouragingly on debut when beaten just a neck by Dark Lion, who had the benefit of experience along with Royal Ascot form having finished one place behind Saeiqa, and on a line through that performance, there isn’t much to separate the two market principals today, especially when significant improvement is likely to come from the Andrew Balding-trained two-year-old on just his second career outing.

Selections: SAEIQA, KNIGHT SALUTE

19.00 – Class 5 Handicap – 7f

The final leg of my Sandown tipping preview and plenty are within a shout in this closely-matched handicap and it could be worth taking a chance with the Roger Charlton-trained IVADREAM who goes particularly well for rider Jason Watson, and still retains plenty of potential going forward for connections with room for improvement.

Henry Candy boasts an excellent strike-rate at Sandown, and his sole runner on the card this evening comes in this highly-competitive handicap named BLESSED – who started out at a higher-level than today’s race on his first couple of starts for connections, particularly on his second outing at Newmarket when admittedly finishing down the field, but behind the likes of Al Aasy, Tom Collins and Galsworthy. That form has a lot of substance to it, which has been well-advertised by the 1-2-3 of that race as mentioned previously, have all won sizable prizes since.

WILFY completes the trio of selections on the final leg of my preview. He surprisingly hasn’t got his head in front yet, but has been in good form of late, finishing second the last twice, albeit at a lower level. His yard does have an excellent record at this venue, so providing he handles the slight rise in class, there is an element of him going close to breaking his duck here.

Selection: IVADREAM, BLESSED, WILFY

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