2.25pm - Group 3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes
Although a tricky contest to decipher, this is a classy one on paper given it is just a Group 3 where we get to see last year’s winning connections of Shadwell, Jim Crowley and John & Thady Gosden run Israr as the trainers look to win the race for a 3rd year in a row.
We also get to see the reappearance of last year's St Leger 3rd and first Royal Ascot for the King Desert Hero. The William Haggas-trained horse came on very well last season, as he was rated just 94 when winning the handicap contest at Royal Ascot, and has since won at Group 3 level as well as coming 3rd in the St Leger at Doncaster.
He will be one to keep an eye on as the season progresses, but I might just think this 1m2f on Friday might be a little too sharp for him, especially on seasonal reappearance. Therefore prefer Okeechobee for Harry Charlton, who was quite a smart 3yo winning three contests in a row in pretty eye-catching style. He was then off the track for some 550 days before running at Kempton last time out, where he came a 3-length 2nd to Group 1 globetrotter Dubai Honour, who is looking for Group 1 honour in Hong Kong very soon.
Considering that was his first run in a year and a half, it was an almighty effort to finish 2nd, and the headway that he made with 2 furlongs to go was very eye-catching indeed, and he was arguably unlucky to bump into a higher-class horse on the day. He could either come on for that run or blow out, but I feel it will be a case of he will come on for the fitness and go well again here.
The trip should hold no issues for him, and although he is yet to actually win on good going, and he is also a little shy on ratings compared to the rest, he has race fitness on his side and that promising run last time, making him the one to beat here.
- Selection - Okeechobee (3/1)
3.00pm - Group 2 bet365 Mile
Another small-field contest but a pretty classy one at that, with Group performers lining up, and although there are only seven runners set to line up, that doesn't make it any easier to pick the winner.
Nostrum has a pretty lofty reputation and will no doubt be well fancied for this with Ryan Moore onboard, but the fact that Sir Michael Stoute has only saddled six runners in 2024 might suggest a few things, and given his runner did disappoint in his last two runs last term suggests better value elsewhere.
The class angle suggests that the way forward here is in the shape of Lord North. A multiple Group 1 winner with a whole stack of prize money to his name, he was trying to land the Dubai Turf for the fourth year running at Meydan last time out, and although beaten into 8th he was only beaten by 4½ lengths, so still ran pretty well.
He is now an 8yo, so clearly won't be doing any improving with racing going forward, but he is most certainly the class angle heading into this contest, and although he hasn't run over this trip (usually runs over 1m2f) I just think he might be to good for the rest of these and the ratings suggest that is the case.
One thing to note also is that he was once rated 124 at his peak, so if he can get anywhere near those ratings on Friday, he will be hard to beat. Lord North is usually raced pretty sparingly these days as his whole season revolves around the Dubai Turf early on in the year, so the fact that John Gosden has decided to run him here might suggest we shall see a little more of him this season, as it could be his last in training.
A multiple Group 1 winner who has scooped up over £6 million in prize money, I just think he will be too good for the rest of these. William Buick takes the ride on him for the very first time, so clearly a sign of intent for the team heading into Friday.
- Selection - Lord North (3/1)
3.35pm - Group 3 bet365 Classic Trial
This contest, and probably the meeting as a whole at Sandown on Friday revolves around Arabian Crown, who is currently 12/1 for the Derby at Epsom in June, alongside Ancient Wisdom, who is a similar price for the exact same Charlie Appleby/William Buick team.
Arabian Crown won three out of his four runs as a 2yo last season, after a pretty decent 3rd on his racecourse debut at Sandown, only beaten by three quarters of a length to Starlore, who was pitched into Group company all of last season and for the rest of his runs after they met.
The Charlie Appleby horse then went on to win his next three outings, a 2-length win at Sandown over seven furlongs, before then going on to win at Salisbury in the Listed Stonehenge Stakes by just over 2 lengths, which was a step up in class and trip for the horse, which he duly landed with aplomb.
Next time out was clearly his career-best effort so far, when stepping up in trip and class once again as he lined up in the Group 3 Zetland Stakes over 1m2f at Newmarket, where he took a keen hold early on, before making all and forging clear in the closing stages to win by a little over 5 lengths.
Although the contest itself was probably not the strongest on the day with just four runners, he still won it in eye-catching fashion.
He does have his 195-day break to overcome on Friday, but as we all know the Godolphin horses, Charlie Appleby's especially, rarely aren't ready to race at the first time of asking. If he has trained on from two to three, then he could be a real force over these middle-distance trips this season, a very exciting horse at that for the team in blue.
- Selection - Arabian Crown (10/11)
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell