Sandown plays host to a competitive card of racing on Wednesday, including one of two Listed races in the UK – the Fortune Stakes over a mile.
It is a clash of the generations as the up-and-coming Knight and Breege take on familiar faces such as Chindit and Sir Busker. Chindit sits at the top of the market following a very comfortable victory in the Group 3 Superior Mile Stakes at Haydock. The five-year-old has won a Group event in every season since commencing his race career at two, but the expected soft ground is an unknown and probably a negative for Richard Hannon's charge. He has not raced on a soft surface since a sound defeat in the Dewhurst Stakes as a juvenile, although did win a four-runner Listed Doncaster Mile on good-to-soft last year.
The cheekpieces are applied to Simon and Ed Crisford's Knight for the first time, after the gelding hung right in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood when finishing half-a-length second behind Angel Bleu. He has not fulfilled the promise demonstrated as a juvenile when unbeaten in two starts, but the performance at Goodwood would suggest the three-year-old is beginning to get back on the right track.
Eydon is an interesting prospect, returning for the first time since finishing fourth in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in 2022. It was a big performance from the colt, having previously won the Listed Feilden Stakes over nine furlongs at the same track. With only four starts to his name, Eydon remains open to progression and will be having his first start for new trainer Andrew Balding.
In a race where there are question marks about the front three in the market, it could pay to side with a longer-priced runner such as Novus. Gary Moore's three-year-old filly had been racing well in handicaps and stepped up in class to finish fourth behind Heredia in the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes over course and distance last time. She is a proven winner on soft ground and the form of the Atalanta Stakes may prove to be fairly strong with Heredia targeting some big prizes in the next few months.
WIN: NOVUS
In the 1m Class 4 British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes (2:30), Charlie Appleby's Kingdom Of Time could progress from his debut fourth behind surprise winner True Wisdom at Newmarket's July course. Although the colt did not appear to suffer for any lack of experience, he will have learnt plenty for the run and a softer surface could be key to eking out any further progression, with the dam Via Condotti a winner on soft in France.
Whiskey Pete is given slender preference based on his debut form, having finished a close second behind subsequent Group 3 Solario Stakes winner Aablan. He was finishing quickly in the final furlong and produced a very similar performance when third in a novice stakes at Haydock on his second start. The form was given a little boost over the weekend when winner Mafnood placed in a handicap at Doncaster, and Ralph Beckett's Whiskey Pete is expected to break his maiden on the third time of asking.
WIN: WHISKEY PETE
RACING & SPORTS SELECTIONS
RACE 1: EXQUISITELY
RACE 2: WHISKEY PETE
RACE 3: DUKE'S COMMAND
RACE 4: NOVUS
RACE 5: EASTERN CHARM
RACE 6: BORN RULER
RACE 7: KYNSA
