Racecards
13:50 Sandown Park
Bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes (group 3) (Class 1)
- 5 Runners
- Distance: 1m 2f 7y
- Going: Good to Soft (Good on the back straight: Sprint Course Good to Soft)
- Surface: Turf
- £47,000 added
Ask
187- Form 024/112-
- Age 5
- Weight 9-3
- Official Rating 119
- Trainer Sir Michael Stoute
- Jockey R L Moore
tracked leader, challenged from 3f out, hard ridden to take narrow lead over 1f out, strongly pressed throughout final furlong, stayed on strongly, in command towards finish
- Form 46140-1
- Age 6
- Weight 9-3
- Official Rating 112
- Trainer C E Brittain
- Jockey S Sanders
held up last, headway on outside 2f out, hard ridden to chase winner on offside final furlong, found no extra towards finish
- Form 09-0581
- Age 5
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 105
- Trainer M R Channon
- Jockey D Holland
led, ridden and narrowly headed over 2f out, stayed well there until weakened final furlong
- Form 03-2682
- Age 5
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 108
- Trainer W J Knight
- Jockey L Dettori
held up in 4th, hard ridden over 2f out, soon no response
- Form 765-101
- Age 4
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 102
- Trainer M A Jarvis
- Jockey N Callan
tracked leaders in 3rd, led on inside over 1f out out, hard driven and narrowly headed over 1f out, no extra inside final furlong
Majounes Song
201- Form 336710-
- Age 4
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 106
- Trainer C & M Johnston
- Jockey Doubtful
Nonrunner
- Form 575122-
- Age 4
- Weight 9-0
- Official Rating 103
- Trainer Sir H R A Cecil
- Jockey Ted Durcan
Nonrunner
In depth
Verdict
Ask, Hattan, and Philatelist are the three to focus on in this classy affair, with Ask looking to hold a clear chance at the weights. Hattan has been highly tried and has only three races to his credit, though his career best performance came last time at Lingfield when he took the Winter Derby. That was his first run for four months and he will be sharpened up. Philatelist is yet to win on turf, but he too is in form, a Winter Derby defeat sandwiched in between two handicap successes which read well. His margin of defeat in the Winter Derby was exaggerated as he met trouble, but he can give a good account here. Ask has never won over a trip this short, but he is classy performer, taking the Cumberland Lodge Stakes, and then just touched off in the Group One Canadian International at Woodbine. There should be a strong pace and Ask can have all the answers.
Formwatch
Ask 11-4 (9-0) 4wide, lugged in late, 2nd of 12, shd behind Cloudy's Knight (9-0) at Woodbine 1m 4f Grp 1 std in Oct.
Hattan (IRE) 14-1 (9-0) Mid-division, headway over 3f out, ridden 2f out, driven to lead iniside final furlong, pushed out, won at Lingfield 1m 2f Grp 3 (1) pol in Mar beating Silver Pivotal (8-11) by 2l, 14 ran.
Championship Point (IRE) 3-1 (9-0) Made all, ridden over 1f out, kept on well, won at Ripon 1m 2f stk (3) gs beating Spice Route (9-3) by 1 1/2l, 6 ran.
Illustrious Blue 12-1 (8-13) Steadied start, held up in rear, ridden 3f out, headway 1f out, finished well, just failed, 2nd of 8, hd behind Kandidate (8-13) at Kempton 1m 2f lst stk (1) pol in Mar.
Philatelist (USA) 5-2fav (9-1) Mid-division, headway 2f out, ridden to lead inside final furlong, driven out, won at Kempton 1m 3f hcp 0-105 (2) pol in Mar beating Mr Aviator (8-11) by 1/2l, 14 ran.
Majounes Song 40-1 (8-11) Tracked leader, 3rd straight, ridden and beaten 2f out, 10th of 11, 13l behind Satwa Queen (9-2) at Longchamp 1m 2f fll stks Grp 1 (1) gs in Oct.
Many Volumes (USA) 5-4jt-fav (9-10) Held up, ridden and headway over 1f out, every chance inside final furlong, kept on, 2nd of 6, nk behind Gulf Express (9-2) at Pontefract 1m 2f hcp 0-100 (2) gf in Sept.