Sandown Saturday

2.05 Read Meg Nicholls’ Blog At BetMGM.co.uk Handicap 1m

A yellow weather warning means the ground at Sandown is hard to call, with expected thunderstorms hard to predict, but I’m working on the notion that there will be enough rain to make the going yielding without turning into a swamp.

This meeting took place on good to soft ground last year, and Classic ran well to be second in this contest from a 5lb-higher mark. He is sure to go well after a couple of sighters this term when not ideally positioned and can have no excuses. I’d certainly include him in exotics but preference for win purposes is for Theory Of Everything, who won on his second start after wind surgery last summer and shaped well after another breathing op, when just out of the places on ground quick enough for him at Haydock last time. Dropped 1lb for that good effort, he’s back to a winning mark and should get the race run to suit his stalking style. Overnight rain is a plus for a horse with form on heavy ground, but anything on the easy side of good suits.

2.40 BetMGM Scurry Stakes (Listed) 5f 10yd

Star Of Mehmas holds Coto De Caza from when the pair were first and third in the Harry Rosebery Stakes at Ayr in September and, while the latter seemed to show improved form when winning the Cornwallis Stakes on her final start, the former has the benefit of race fitness now and has proven she has trained on with an excellent second to Tropical Storm at York last time.

Star Of Mehmas stays six furlongs but a stiff five is probably ideal and she is taken to make all the running if building as expected on her York effort, with stall two a positive for one with her way of going about things.

York Saturday

1.50 Doug Johnston

Memorial Ubettabelieveit

Macmillan Handicap 7f

Telemark and Yanifer both caught the eye, despite finishing out of the placings in the race won by Myal at Chester a fortnight ago and remain of interest for races of this nature. Telemark finished a close fourth and will be the better fancied of the pair, but Yanifer also went into my notebook as much better than the bare result in seventh place, trapped wide as he was and unable to get competitive, but noted going on nicely when the race was all over.

Yanifer isn’t the easiest ride, as he tends to race freely, but despite that he can finish with gusto, and the fitting of a hood last time didn’t seem to help him, which is hardly surprising with the headgear being introduced for the first time on his 35th career outing. The hood is off now, and Yanifer has conditions in his favour. His lifetime record in seven-furlong turf handicaps reads 22111211372187, including a win and a second from three runs over course and distance.

It’s unlikely that York will get much rain based on their latest forecast, so the ground is likely to remain good or just on the quick side of good for the meeting. That will be fine for Yanifer, who handles all turf going with the exception of heavy.

2.25 Queen Mother’s Cup

Handicap (Female Amateur Jockeys) 1m 3f 188yd

Adrian Keatley won this race in 2022 and 2023 with Kihavah and has a very similar type here in the shape of Maghlaak, who ran well to be second in a handicap over the same trip at the Dante meeting that Kihavah won two years ago on his way to success here. Like Kihavah, Maghlaak is a useful dual-purpose performer who won over hurdles at Wetherby in December and has acquitted himself well in handicaps over timber in the spring. Despite being out of the brilliant 1000 Guineas winner Ghanaati, he is best granted a true test at a mile and a half, and the likely strong pace here will be in his favour.

Maghlaak was equipped with a visor and a tongue tie for the first time when narrowly beaten by Great Bedwyn here last time, and seemed to raise his game in that headgear combination, so it’s to be hoped that he continues to respond to the aids which are retained now.

3.00 Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes (Listed) 1m 5f 188yd

The going may not be soft enough for Al Qareem unless rain arrives overnight, but even at his best, he may find it hard to concede 5lb to the likes of Absurde and Alsakib. The latter ran better than his finishing position suggests when a length and a quarter fourth of five to Rebel’s Romance in the Yorkshire Cup over course and distance on his return, and gave the impression he might tighten up for that run, his first since disappointing in the British Champions Long Distance Cup in October.

He can start slowly, but that shouldn’t be a problem given how this race is likely to unfold, and he produced a career-best effort to beat Al Qareem here last July in the Group 3 John Smith’s Silver Cup. The pair met at level weights then, and Alsakib has a handy pull at the weights, with quicker ground likely to suit him better than his old rival.

3.35 Churchill Tyres Supporting Macmillan Sprint Handicap 6f

Double Rush gets a confident vote, having given the strong impression that he’s a group performer in the making this season. Double Rush got off the mark in a six-furlong maiden at Wolverhampton at the end of March, and the handicapper took a surprisingly low view of that form, in contrast to the private handicappers at Raceform and Timeform, who – like myself – were suitably impressed with the way he won that contest in a very fast time for the level.

Double Rush then went to Newmarket for a handicap at the Guineas meeting and brushed aside some useful rivals with ease from a high draw, making his opening mark of 85 look very lenient (my back-of-a-fag-packet figure was at least 10lb higher) and his decision to raise Double Rush just 5lb for that success also looks to be very generous. The concern here is a high draw, but while low draws are often preferred at York, it’s usually the location of the best early speed that dictates the shape of races on the straight track, and the trio drawn in the highest stalls all have an abundance of early pace. In my view, that will be more of a help than a hindrance to Double Rush, and I expect him to enhance his growing reputation with an impressive victory.

Recommended

Theory Of Everything 2.05 Sandown – 1pt win at 5/1 (Hills, 9/2 general)

Star Of Mehmas 2.40 Sandown – 1pt win at 5/2 (Hills, Bet365, 9/4 general)

Yanifer 1.50 York – 1pt e/w at 12/1 (general – 4 places)

Maghlaak 2.25 York – 1pt e/w at 9/2 (Ladbrokes, Coral – ¼ odds 3 places)

Alsakib 3.00 York – 1pt win at 11/4 (general)

Double Rush 3.35 York – 2pts win at 11/2 (Hills, 9/2 Ladbrokes, Coral, BetVictor)