2.30pm Sandown Tips & Betting Preview 27/07/2017

Trainer Andrew Balding has won three of the last ten runnings of this race and knows exactly the sort needed and has a runner this year worth a second look, while Charlie Appleby took this last year with Parliamentarian and will look to follow up with the top weight today. In a small but competitive field it’s best to be fully prepared by reading out horse by horse race preview below ahead of the 2.30pm at Sandown this afternoon.

IN SUMMARY: Joshua Reynolds got off the mark at the fourth attempt when winning at Newmarket in good style, but this is much more competitive and an eight pound rise looks likely to catch him out here. JANSZOON however can race off one pound lower than he did when a great ninth in the ultra-competitive King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot last month, bumped at a crucial stage. His attractive pedigree and previous runs suggest he can take this step up in trip in his stride to record a well deserved second career victory for the in form Charlie Appleby team.

1 JANSZOON – Lightly raced son of Dubawi who produced a career best effort on his latest start to finish ninth in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, bumped at a crucial stage. That was obviously a much hotter race than this and he is able to race off one pound lower under William Buick, with this step up in trip firmly in his favour on what we know so far. He has an attractive pedigree so should continue to improve with more racing and looks the one to beat for the in form William Buick team.

2 GREAT SOUND – Won his maiden first time out for Newmarket trainer John Gosden by a length and three quarters from favourite Kazawi on soft ground at Chepstow but failed to improve for that when stepped in to handicap company at Salisbury with an eight and a half length third to On To Victory over the same trip when looking very one paced. Left on the same rating here he has more room for improvement than some, and his trainer has had four winners from just the twenty-eight runners in the last two weeks. Might do better stepped up in trip but a bit of an unknown quantity for now.

3 JOSHUA REYNOLDS – Son of Nathaniel for John Gosden who got off the mark at the fourth attempt when winning a Class 4 handicap at Newmarket on his latest start. He won that race in good style and was eased close home, but he has been raised eight pounds as a result and goes up in class for today’s assignment. He remains with potential and looks the biggest threat to our selection, but there would have to be a strong suspicion he may just be caught out by the extra weight in this class against Janszoon.

4 DUKE OF BRONTE – Rod Millman’s son of Mount Nelson steps up in trip again here after winning by a neck at Newbury last time out over a mile and a half in similar company. He got to the front where it counts despite the lack of a clear run when asked to win his race and although he has been put up three pounds for that, he was value for a lot further than the official winning margin. The softer going may not be in his favour with his well-beaten fifth of thirteen at Newbury his only run on a similar surface, but that was over a mile and a quarter and cannot be taken too literally here. Also declared in the 8.10pm Newmarket Friday.

5 NADAITAK – An interesting option for the Sir Michael Stoute stable after winning his maiden by three and three-quarter lengths from Normandie Attack at Carlisle on Good to Soft going over a mile and three earlier this month. He ran with a shoe missing that day which cannot have helped his cause but did it nicely, though the form adds up to very little so far and he needs to improve again here off a mark of 82 which seems high enough on what he has achieved to date, though Champion jockey Jim Crowley rides, which can only increase his chances.

6 ORSINO – Andrew Balding has won this three times with Victoria Montoya in 2008 (5/1), Hollow Tree in 2011 (4/1), and Debdebdeb in 2013 (11/4), so clearly knows the right sort to take this race. This year he relies on the son of Galileo who is still a maiden after four starts which sees him get nine pounds and more from all of his rivals. Last time out he finished a six and a half lengths fourth to UAE King over course and distance, weakening late on after pulling too hard too early, but off this weight he ought to do a lot better in this company and is difficult to ignore.