Nico de Boinville: “I can see this test around here suiting him”

Sandown

12.15pm

Palladium

He was a decent stayer on the Flat and it was obviously disappointing to be just touched off at Warwick on his hurdling debut last month. But it was clearly a promising first effort, pulling clear of the third and the winner running a decent race upped up Grade 1 company in the Finale at Chepstow next time, and I can see this see this track playing to his staying strengths. With normal improvement, he should be going close here.

2.25pm

Son Of Camas

We still haven’t got to the bottom why he disappointed on his debut at Punchestown last season but he has clearly done nothing wrong in two starts this term, winning a good bumper at Newbury and then scoring on his hurdling debut at the same track last time. That rode like a good race, and it was pleasing to see the runner-up and win by a wide margin at Exeter on Wednesday, so we take our chance with him in this Grade 1. He obviously meets some equally promising sorts in here, but he has always been a horse we have liked and I can see this test around here suiting him. All the good horses from the five-day stage have stood their ground at the overnight stage but Silver Hallmark, who looked very good at Chepstow, is possibly the one I fear most.

3.35pm

Gunnery

He was obviously a very talented stayer on the Flat at his 2016-peak, when rated as high as 98, so hopefully he can progress now after his recent Doncaster success for me. His inability to settle was proving to be his downfall – the first time I rode him he did very well to finish second at Bangor considering how hard he pulled early on – but we changed tactics at Doncaster and he did it very well from the front. He will be going up more in the future than the 6lb penalty he carries here, so he remains on a very workable mark, especially when you consider how good he was on the Flat. He could well have competition for the lead here and the going may be softer than ideal for him – plus this looks a much better race than Doncaster  – but we will see how the race pans out tactically and the ground could have been worse at Sandown at this time of the year.