2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips – DS
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips
We had to make do with a solitary 33/1 place at York on Saturday. Caius Chorister endured a nightmare passage and if David Menuisier can get her back there next year off a similar mark, she’ll go very close. Cemhaan got zero cover, was too keen and unsurprisingly, faded late on. The fare this Saturday isn’t quite as high a standard, more akin to Five Star Pizza when compared to the Michelin Star menu up at York. We’ll still do our best to try and find some e/w value, 2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday preview is below.
1.35 Chester – Contact Company Handicap (Class 2)
The draw isn’t quite as crucial over a mile as it is over sprint trips at Chester. That being said, it is still a positive for front runners to be drawn low and the 5/2 fav Lord Bertie is well positioned to attack from stall 1.
This son of Wootton Bassett is completely unexposed. He made all for a 12L win in a Novice at Thirsk (8f sft) last time, earning an opening mark of 95. He’ll have to be talented to defy that rating but the bit of cut in the ground is ideal and he got to within a length of the now 119 rated Chaldean on debut. Obvious claims.
Course Form
Another horse that will appreciate the ground (and track) is Master Zoffany. This fella has won twice here, off 78 over C&D and then off 84 over 7f. He ran respectably here on his seasonal return to action after a spell on the sidelines four weeks ago. On soft ground he shaped well before tiring late, finishing 4th of 7, 7L behind Safe Voyage.
The son of Zoffany races off 84 today, the mark his last win on turf came off. He has a nice enough draw in stall 4 but he’ll be held up so hopefully Billy Garrity can chart a clear passage. The fav will be tough to beat but at 11/1, hopefully Master Zoffany can stay on late for place money.
2023 Chester Saturday Tips: Master Zoffany e/w @ 11/1 (4 places)
1.50 Sandown – Virgin Bet Handicap (Class 3)
With very little rain forecast, we should have proper quick ground at Sandown on Saturday. The one that looks overpriced at odds of 16/1 is King Cabo. Trained by Luke Dace, this horse is bred for the dirt but he seems to relish fast turf. His last start over 7f on good to firm resulted in victory at Lingfield off 69 and he has run come cracking races in defeat since that win.
Luke Dace’s charge ran in a class 3 next time at Newmarket (8f gd) and was narrowly beaten. That came off 73 and the form has worked out. Popmaster was ahead of him in 2nd off 90 and he won off 91 next time and was placed off 96 subsequently. Lyndon B was 2.25L behind in fifth and even though he is better off at the weights, over this distance it would be no surprise if King Cabo upheld that form.
His penultimate 0.5L second at Newmarket (8f gd) off 73 has also worked out. The 4th and 5th both won on their next starts and the 3rd got a 3lb hike for an excellent effort on his next outing. King Cabo was only defeated by 0.75L at Kempton (8f) last time out so we know he can compete off his current mark. 7f on rattling ground could be his ideal conditions and if Marco Ghiani can sneak a soft lead, he could be hard to peg back at odds of 16/1.
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips: King Cabo e/w @ 16/1 NB (4 places)
2.05 Beverley – William Hill Silver Cup Handicap (Class 2)
A race that doesn’t make much appeal. If Dark Jedi could rediscover his mojo, he is extremely well handicapped. Drying ground may not be ideal though and he hasn’t really shown enough on his last few runs to warrant backing him. This is a race best left alone. No bet.
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips: No Bet
2.25 Sandown – Atalanta Stakes (Group 3)
Since the year 2000, sixteen of the twenty three winners of this race have been 3yos. At this time of year the weight for age allowance really starts to tell and six of the ten runners this year fit into that age bracket. They all get 5lbs from their older rivals and in such a tight contest, that could be crucial.
Coppice, a winner at Royal Ascot (8f gd/fm) off 97, looks the most likely of the younger brigade. She came up short behind Nashwa in a G1 last time but there’s nothing of her calibre in this contest. The daughter of Kingman is the 7/2 favourite and it is hard to argue with those odds.
Decent Odds
The one that could surprise with a big run at decent odds is Nibras Angel. This unexposed filly has won two from two. She got off the mark at the first attempt in a 7f Lingfield maiden last month on good to firm. That was followed by a dominant novice win at Thirsk (7f gd) where the winning margin was 3L. She was still displaying signs of greenness in the latter stages of that race so you would expect her to improve for that experience.
This daughter of Harry Angel’s pedigree doesn’t jump off the page but she is clearly very well thought of. Her trainer Ismael Mohammed has her entered in the G1 Sun Chariot in October so she’ll need to show up well here if she is to take up that engagement. This is obviously a big step up in class but Benoit De La Sayette might be able to poach an easy lead and if he can, Nibras Angel can hopefully hang on for place money at odds of 16/1.
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips: Nibras Angel e/w @ 16/1
2.40 Beverley – Beverley Bullet Stakes (Listed)
The best named race on the calendar. This 5f burn up has been won by Tis Marvellous for the past two seasons. He comes into this year’s renewal on the back of a string of poor efforts but Clive Cox will have him primed for this hat trick bid. He is currently a 7/1 shot, that could shorten tomorrow if stable confidence is high.
Apollo One is the fav and he deserves to get his head in front. This son of Equiano is an unbelievably consistent horse. Since September 2022 he has form figures of 3213222 and most of those runs came in top notch handicaps. If he repeated the level of form he showed at Goodwood last time out he ought to go very close here. Odds of 10/3 look fair.
It is hard to make a case for anything at a price with just seven runners in the field. A few firms are paying three places but the only one at huge odds is Elegant Erin and she needs to improve a stone to have any chance of even placing. It should be a good race to watch but for me, it isn’t a betting heat. No bet.
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips: No Bet
3.00 Sandown – Virgin Bet Handicap (Class 2)
With the cheekpieces reapplied, Skysail could outrun his odds of 18/1 in this 10f handicap. Trained by Marcus Tregoning, this son of Tasleet pitches up off a mark of 88. He ran just okay last time without the cheekpieces at Goodwood on ground that was probably too soft. However, on his previous outing at Ascot (8f gd/sft) he ran a super race, beat just 3l into 2nd by Good Gracious.
In that race Dougie Costello smuggled him up the inside and he was travelling well turning in. Once he got into the clear he ran on really well, the winner just had a better position and he couldn’t reel him in. It looked like he might get done for second but he pulled out a bit more close to home and shaped as though a stiffer test might suit.
His half brother won over 10f in Germany and his dam is closely related to a 10f winner. He has done most of his running on good to soft but his sole run on good resulted in a win at Newbury and he probably needed the run when encountering good to firm on his seasonal comeback at Epsom. The son of Tasleet should be piping fit now, he looks ready to try 10f and at odds of 18/1, Skysail is the e/w selection.
2023 Beverley and Sandown Saturday Tips: Skysail e/w @ 18/1 NAP (4 places)
3.20 Chester – Chester Stakes (Listed)
Not a race I’ll be getting involved in. I’d love to see Shanroe win it for Karl Thornton but he faces a couple of classy opponents in Lone Eagle and Military Order. If Ralph Beckett’s horse reproduced the form he showed on his last visit to Chester behind Hamish, he could be hard to beat. Odds of 7/2 don’t appeal though and unfortunately, this is another no bet race.
2023 Chester Saturday Tips: No bet
3.38 Sandown – Solario Stakes (Group 3)
Another annoyingly small field for the feature. Just six run and again, it doesn’t look a race for e/w players. The two outsiders, Inishfallen and Cerulean Boy are the only ones with official ratings. The Meehan colt is rated 90 after an excellent effort off 87 in a valuable York nursery last time out. However, he came up short in Listed company previously and he probably needs to improve plenty to win this.
Cerulean Bay is rated 3lbs lower but he is shorter odds at 14/1. David O’Meara’s charge has won both starts to date, over 6f at Hamilton (gd) and 7f at Ayr (gd/sft). That’s For Sure was a neck behind him at Hamilton and he beat a couple of decent horses in Jungle Mate and Ganesha on his next start. However, the horse he beat by 0.75L at Ayr was well behind Mortlake on his next start so on that formline, he might have too much on his plate.
Starlore and Aablan are extremely well bred and both won on debut. Devil’s Point was also impressive when winning at Ffos Las last time and he has very little to find with Starlore on their meeting at this track back in July. Hopefully we don’t regret letting Cerulean Bay go unbacked but with just two places on offer, I’m going to leave him alone. No bet.
