Racecards
15:55 Sandown Park
China Southern Sanya Handicap (Class 3)
- 9 Runners
- Distance: 1m
- Going: Good to Soft
- Surface: Turf
- £15,000 added
- Winner: £9,338
- 2nd: £2,796
- 3rd: £1,398
- 4th: £699
- Form 750-464
- Age 9
- Weight 9-10
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer D O'Meara
- Jockey J P Spencer
held up in 6th place, modest 5th and no impression final 2f, dropped to 6th close home
- Form 1/4060-9
- Age 5
- Weight 9-10
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer J R Fanshawe
- Jockey Daniel Muscutt
held up in 5th place, weakened over 2f out, tailed off, eased
- Form 112220
- Age 4
- Weight 9-10
- Official Rating 95
- Trainer S & E Crisford
- Jockey Harry Bentley
tracked leading pair, 2nd over 2f out, led well over 1f out, ridden and strongly pressed inside final furlong, stayed on but headed final strides
- Form 2590-90
- Age 6
- Weight 9-9
- Official Rating 94
led until 3f out, ridden and lost 2nd over 2f out, weakened quickly, behind and eased over 1f out
- Form 1-46547
- Age 4
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 87
- Trainer B J Meehan
- Jockey Charles Bishop
held up towards rear, headway on outside chasing leaders over 2f out, went close 3rd over 1f out, weakened final 100 yards
- Form 22-1121
- Age 4
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 87
- Trainer D J S Ffrench Davis
- Jockey Rob Hornby
chased leaders, switched right to inside over 2f out, went 2nd over 1f out, stayed on inside final furlong, led last strides
- Form 0-81578
- Age 4
- Weight 8-13
- Official Rating 84
- Trainer R A Teal
- Jockey Josephine Gordon
slowly away, never travelled in rear, ridden 3f out, never on terms, went modest 5th close home
- Form 221492
- Age 5
- Weight 8-10
- Official Rating 81
- Trainer M Appleby
- Jockey Andrew Breslin
pressed leader, led over 2f out, ridden and headed well over 1f out, lost 2nd over 1f out, weakened inside final furlong
- Form 87-0806
- Age 3
- Weight 8-9
- Official Rating 85
- Trainer B G Powell
- Jockey Fran Berry
towards rear, pushed along over 3f out, never involved
- Form 7-71125
- Age 6
- Weight 9-8
- Official Rating 93
- Trainer Karen McLintock
- Jockey Connor Beasley
NonRunner
Verdict
This looks tricky but Custom Cut would have made short work of these in his prime, though has had a break and isn’t getting any younger. Knife Edge won the German 2000 Guineas in 2016 and then raced in Hong Kong. He’ll be all the better for his run at Chelmsford while Mordin would have every chance on his defeat of Ripp Orf at Kempton in April, though has been racing over 1m2f. Michele Strogoff probably reproduced a career-best when second at Leicester and Majboor arrives in fine form but Gurkha Friend is best at Ripon and has been raised a further pound since his fifth at Ascot. FASTAR has run well in both previous starts here and the handicapper is finally beginning to show Brian Meehan’s charge a little mercy – he could go close at decent odds in this.
Formwatch
Custom Cut (IRE) 8-1 (9-4) Broke well, led, headed over 1f out, faded, 4th of 6, 5 1/2l behind Repercussion (9-3) at Nottingham 1m hcp (2) sft in May.
Knife Edge (IRE) 33-1 (9-11) Held up behind, ridden inside final furlong, never a threat, 9th of 12, 6 1/4l behind Zwayyan (9-9) at Chelmsford City 1m hcp (2) pol in Aug.
Mordin (IRE) 12-1 (8-12) Held up in touch, ridden 2f out, weakened over 1f out, 13th of 19, 9 1/4l behind Euchen Glen (9-3) at York 1m 2f hcp (2) gf in Jul.
Sands Chorus 50-1 (9-10) Led stand side pair, pushed along over 4f out, weakened over 3f out, 19th of 20, 36 1/4l behind High Acclaim (8-10) at Doncaster 1m hcp (2) sft in Mar.
Fastar (IRE) 9-1 (9-8) In touch, pushed along 3f out, no impression from over 1f out, 7th of 13, 7 3/4l behind Argentello (9-6) at Newmarket 1m hcp (3) gs in Aug.
Majboor (IRE) 6-1 (9-13) Made all, ridden and pressed from over 1f out, stayed on, held on gamely, won at Chelmsford City 1m hcp (4) pol in Aug beating Mudallel (9-10) by 1/2l, 9 ran.
High Acclaim (USA) 11-1 (9-9) Raced wide held up, ridden over 2f out, never a factor, 8th of 12, 5 1/4l behind Dragons Voice (9-4) at Sandown 1m hcp (4) gd in Sep.
Michele Strogoff 9-2 (9-5) Led, hard driven over 1f out, weakened approaching final furlong, 2nd of 10, 1l behind Tahreek (9-0) at Leicester 1m hcp (4) gf in Sep.
De Bruyne Horse 50-1 (8-13) Held up in rear, headway towards stands side rail inside final 2f, ridden and kept on inside final furlong, never reached leaders, 6th of 15, 6 1/2l behind Squats (9-4) at Newbury 7f hcp (3) gd in Aug.
Gurkha Friend 8-1 (9-1) Taken to post early, tracked leader, pushed along 3f out, ridden 2f out, edged right and kept on same pace final furlong, 5th of 9, 2 3/4l behind Silver Quartz (9-1) at Ascot 1m hcp (2) gd in Sep.