Racecards
17:20 Sandown Park
Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider Handicap (Class 3)
- 12 Runners
- Distance: 1m 6f
- Going: Good (Good to Soft in places)
- Surface: Turf
- £10,400 added
- Winner: £6,728
- 2nd: £2,002
- 3rd: £1,000
- 4th: £500

- Form 1114-
- Age 6
- Weight 10-0
- Official Rating 90
- Trainer P Hobbs & J White
- Jockey Oisin Murphy
tracked leaders, pushed along over 2f out, ridden and unable to quicken inside final 2f, plugged on in 4th final furlong

- Form 27-8316
- Age 4
- Weight 9-13
- Official Rating 89
- Trainer J A Osborne
- Jockey Callum Shepherd
tracked leader, led 10f out, ridden over 1f out, headed inside final furlong, plugged on in 3rd

- Form 111635
- Age 4
- Weight 9-12
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Miss Gay Kelleway
- Jockey B A Curtis
pushed along from stalls and led 4f, tracked leader, every chance 2f out, soon ridden, lost 2nd over 1f out, weakened final furlong

- Form 41119-8
- Age 4
- Weight 9-12
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- Jockey R L Moore
slowly into stride and slightly hampered start, held up towards rear, steady headway on inside 2f out, led inside final furlong, soon headed and outpaced by winner

- Form 58-4524
- Age 7
- Weight 9-12
- Official Rating 88
- Trainer Mrs A J Perrett
- Jockey Jim Crowley
held up towards rear, headway tracking leaders over 3f out, every chance 2f out, weakened inside final furlong

- Form 2125/1-4
- Age 6
- Weight 9-11
- Official Rating 87
towards rear of mid-division, never on terms

- Form 36-5537
- Age 4
- Weight 9-11
- Official Rating 87
- Trainer D Menuisier
- Jockey W Buick
soon steadied into mid-division and raced wide, chased leaders and ridden inside final 3f, weakened over 1f out, eased

- Form 11-1313
- Age 4
- Weight 9-10
- Official Rating 86
- Trainer J R Fanshawe
- Jockey Tom Marquand
raced wide early, soon tracking leaders, ridden inside final 2f, soon weakened

- Form 19454-2
- Age 4
- Weight 9-5
- Official Rating 81
- Trainer D Loughnane
- Jockey Hollie Doyle
mid-division on outside, ridden and weakened inside final 2f

- Form 404-380
- Age 5
- Weight 9-4
- Official Rating 80
- Trainer W J Knight
- Jockey Jason Watson
slowly into stride, behind, still plenty to do inside final 2f, switched out and good headway over 1f out, quickened to challenge and hung right inside final furlong, soon led and went clear

- Form 143-224
- Age 4
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 78
- Trainer H & R Charlton
- Jockey K Shoemark
held up in last pair, some late headway, never dangerous

- Form 29/030-4
- Age 7
- Weight 9-2
- Official Rating 78
mid-division, headway chasing leaders over 2f out, ridden and weakened final furlong
In depth
Verdict
A drop back in distance and an easier surface are both plus points for front-runner YOUNG MERLIN (NAP), who has a good record over track and trip. Seinesational is a thorough stayer so this looks too short but Platitude and Kaloor were second and third over course and distance last month with a subsequent winner in fourth. Calculation will need to improve on a disappointing reappearance at Newmarket but is capable of doing so but Vibrance has done all of his winning so far at Kempton and has yet to place on Turf.
Formwatch
Gumball (FR) 100-1 (11-10) Mid-division on outside, closed after 2nd, mistake 5th, weakened 2 out, 12th of 17, 28 3/4l behind Epatante (11-3) at Cheltenham 2m (1) sft in Mar.
Jersey Wonder (IRE) 4-1 (9-4) Tracked leader, led over 12f out, headed 2f out, weakened quickly over 1f out, 6th of 9, 29 1/2l behind Volcanic Sky (9-7) at Kempton 2m hcp (3) pol in Jul.
Mukha Magic 14-1 (9-7) Raced keenly, led over 3f, settled 3rd 10f out, pushed along over 2f out, weakened over 1f out, 5th of 9, 13 1/2l behind Volcanic Sky (9-7) at Kempton 2m hcp (3) pol in Jul.
Calculation 11-2 (8-9) Keen held up, weakened over 1f out, last of 8, 18 1/2l behind The Trader (8-7) at Newmarket 1m 4f hcp (2) gf in Jun.
Platitude 10-1 (8-9) Chased leader, led 3f out, headed over 1f out, kept on inside final furlong, lost 3rd towards finish, 4th of 9, 3 1/4l behind Hochfeld (8-12) at Goodwood 1m 6f hcp (2) gf in Aug.
Soghan (IRE) 28-1 (9-13) Steadied start, held up off the pace in in 4th, closer 6f out, weakened over 1f out, 4th of 5, 7 1/4l behind Victory Chime (10-0) at Windsor 1m 2f hcp (3) gf in Aug.
Kaloor 4-1 (8-11) Awkward start, always towards rear, 7th of 10, 11 1/4l behind Island Brave (9-2) at Ascot 2m hcp (2) gf in Aug.
Vibrance 13-8fav (9-1) Tracked leaders, went 2nd 10f out, led briefly 2f out, soon ridden chasing winner and hung left, well held, lost 2nd post, 3rd of 9, 5l behind Volcanic Sky (9-7) at Kempton 2m hcp (3) pol in Jul.
Yellow Tiger (FR) 100-1 (11-0) Always towards rear, struggling in rear after 3 out, tailed off next, 12th of 13, dist behind Burning Victory (10-7) at Cheltenham 2m 1f (1) sft in Mar.
Seinesational 14-1 (8-1) Keen in touch, pushed along 3f out, weakened 2f out, 12th of 15, 10 1/2l behind Just Hubert (8-8) at Goodwood 2m 5f hcp (2) gd in Jul.
Young Merlin (IRE) 8-1 (8-11) Edged left start, soon led, clear 12f out until over 5f out, headed 2f out, weakened into 4th inside final furlong, 4th of 6, 10 1/2l behind Table Mountain (8-0) at Ascot 2m hcp (3) gf in Jul.
Fire Jet (IRE) 50-1 (9-2) Tracked leaders, ridden over 2f out, weakened over 1f out, 4th of 13, 9l behind Leoncavallo (8-12) at Haydock 1m 6f hcp (4) gs in Aug.