Recommended bets: Sandown
1pt win Battaash in Coral Charge at Sandown July 8 at 6/1
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The Coral-Eclipse takes centre stage at Sandown on Saturday but there is a strong supporting card on what promises to be a fascinating day's racing.
The layers have priced up three of the contests on the undercard and Battaash makes plenty of appeal in the Coral Charge. He is a standout 6/1 in a place but even the generally available 9/2 and 5/1 is worth picking up.
His market rival is Muthmir who represents the same owner and it seems unlikely that both will line-up but William Haggas' runner, a fine fourth in the King's Stand Stakes, will have to give weight away all round in this Group Three and that will surely be enough to persuade connections to head elsewhere.
A number of those behind him at Royal Ascot also feature among the entries but three-year-olds have always fared well in this five-furlong dash and have won six of the last 10 renewals.
Battaash didn't shine at two, unlike Group Two winner Tis Marvellous who hasn't been disgraced in the face of stiff tasks this year, but his three-year-old season could be the making of him if his course-and-distance Listed victory last time is anything to go by.
He impressed on debut last year and was asked to contest the Windsor Castle Stakes but he was unruly at the start on both occasions and subsequently gelded. He continued to spoil his chance by racing keenly and was still a little free last month but that didn't prevent him from running out a ready winner from Koropick.
The runner-up went on to win a Group Three at Newcastle last weekend to frank the form of the Scurry Stakes, which has been won in recent seasons by some smart performers including Waady and Hoh Mike who both followed up in Saturday's race.
There could be a good deal more to come from Battaash providing there's no significant repetition of his wayward tendencies and although the draw is bound to play a meaningful role both in revision of the betting and the race itself, the Charlie Hills-trained gelding is still worth getting onside at the current prices.
The draw is arguably even more significant in the Coral Challenge, a mile handicap which follows the Charge as a quick look at the last few years shows with the first four home breaking from: 4, 3, 8, 1 (15 runners); 4, 12, 11, 10 (12); 4, 2, 9, 8 (13); 2, 5, 16, 14 (15) and 1, 9, 4, 15 (14 ran after non-runners).
Ryan Moore is jocked up on ante-post favourite Greenside, who displayed an impressive turn of foot to win at Sandown last time but he could easily drift if landing an outside box.
Manson on the other hand is likely to be ridden for luck so may not be too drastically affected by the draw.
This half-brother to Jack Hobbs has a bit to prove as he disappointed when last seen in March, a run that may have come too soon on the heels of his return from Meydan where he was last seen running behind Sunday's Group One winner Zarak.
In two runs at Sandown, he's won a fair little contest and finished a good fourth behind Sacred Act so is clearly well suited by the track. He needs to improve again to win a race as competitive as this from his mark of 95 but there's no reason to believe that he won't be capable of making progress and connections certainly believed him capable of doing so last term.
He takes the eye of those at longer odds but it is questionable whether he will be any shorter than the 20/1 available on the day and he does have a range of alternative entries, so I'll keep the powder dry until later in the week.
Posted at 1550 BST on 04/07/17.
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