Sandown Cup Final preview

Sandown Cup Final – Thursday 28th May 10.42am

Things did not go to plan for favourite backers in last week’s Sandown Cup heats. The fancied runners in all 4 heats were so soundly beaten, that none of them managed to qualify outright for the final. Super Stayers champion. Here’s Tears did qualify as 1st reserve and ante-post favourite Mister Harlewood managed to scrape through as 2nd reserve, but it is unlikely either will get a shot at the coveted Sandown Cup, or the $50,000 prize for the winner, in what is the world’s richest stayers race.

ROCKSTAR BEAV (T1) finds himself at the sharp end of the market and it’s difficult to find any flaws in his recent form.  He set the fastest time in the heats where he was drawn out wide in T8. He finds himself in T1 here where he can use his early pace to lead into the first bend. He is not the fastest dog and he hits his top speed pretty quickly and this sometimes shows mid-race, but he is a true stayer and manages to hold that top speed all the way to the line, when others are burning out.

BLAZING CARTIER (T2) reversed the form with Mister Harlewood in the heats when she surprised onlookers by flying out of the traps and leading early-on. She can be a bit hit-and-miss at the boxes and will need to trap well again if she wants to go to the bend with T1. She does have good form when racing at 700m+, placing in 23 races from 30 starts.

ZIPPING CLIFFORD (T3) managed to hold on for 2nd behind Bronski Beat in the heats. He found plenty of trouble during the race, never really getting a clear run for more than 100m before being crowded once again. He did look game though and will be hoping to avoid trouble this week from T3.

HE SHALL POWER (T4) is a young dog with plenty of potential. Having been whelped in April 2018, he finds himself in a 715m Group 1 final on only his second start at the trip. He actually took the lead from Rockstar Beav mid-race in the heats, but started to tire coming round the last bend and went on the finish second to Rockstar Beav, beaten by 1½ lengths. Open to improvement.

ELLA ENCHANTED (T5) can’t seem to get a decent run recently. Last year’s Sandown Cup runner up will have to work hard from T5 to carve herself a path through runners. The 41.49s on her card from 12 months ago cannot be ignored, but she will need a lot of luck.

JUST TERMS (T6) returned to the track for the first time since April 9th and managed to pip Mister Harlewood on the line to get up for 2nd in her heat. She was always handy and showed good strength to bump off one rival when rounding the 3rd bend. Expect her to improve again on her second run back from a lay off. She a proven stayer, placing in 3 Group 1 finals and winning another. Could be a good EW bet.

TRUE DETECTIVE (T7) has mixed it at the top level over 515m and 595m at Sandown and has won a Group 1 over 600m at The Meadows. Stepping up in trip again, he now looks to add a 715m Group 1 to his credentials. But he had the advantage of T1 in the heats and would have much preferred an inside draw here. He will have to work hard at the start to try and secure himself a good position.

BRONSKI BEAT (T8) was a 10 length winner of his heat, but the time was only 42.07s, which was actually the slowest of the night. He managed to clear his rivals early from T7 last week, the rest of the field bunched together and there was plenty of bumping and barging all the way round. Bronksi Beat made the most of the crowding in behind and just ran his own race out in front. He will be hoping for a carbon copy of that again here.

Pick – 1-4-6

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