Pink Sands the pick at Sandown

PINK SANDS looks one of the better bets on the card at Sandown, where she runs in the Weybridge Handicap.

The lightly-raced William Haggastrained three-year-old made her return from an absence of over a year when third at Yarmouth last month, in what might well turn out to have been a useful novice contest.

The No Nay Never filly broke well alongside eventual winner Silver Machine and was just caught for second close home by stablemate Praised, who finished with a rare rattle from the rear.

The first three are of definite promise and Pink Sands is perfectly entitled to have needed it, having been off since her maiden win at Ripon in June last year, where she had subsequent Lowther winner Living In The Past back in third.

The sixth furlong at the seaside track might even have stretched her a bit, too, so the return to the minimum trip aligned to the nature of the Sandown sprint track might prove ideal.

Newmarket-based Yorkshireman Haggas could bag another with Star Of Wins in the Cobham Handicap.

Unraced at two, he finished middivision first time up at Newmarket and came forward from that to just fail at Bath, where he might have bumped into one in the shape of Sir Mark Prescott’s A La Voile, who has won again since.

Stepped up a quarter of a mile at Windsor, the Haggas runner duly won with a bit to spare and he should have more to give sent handicapping for the first time off a mark of 82.

At Hamilton, Kevin Ryan’s Stars In The Night looks the solid pick in the Stay At Our On-Site Hotel Handicap.

Yet to be out of the first two in three runs this season, she is clearly on good terms with herself.

Second off 71 at Beverley on her return, she was then second in a novice event at Ayr before landing the odds at Catterick last time out in a maiden.

That might not have taken much winning, but she could not have won in easier fashion.