LOOK FOR A SAN-SATION
Stoute ace unlikely to find any trouble in Paradise
SANGARIUS can begin to make up for lost time with a victory in the Listed Betway Paradise Stakes (3.00) at Newmarket this afternoon.
Even Sir Michael Stoute must have found the son of Kingman a difficult horse to train – Sangarius is now four years old and has been restricted to just five career outings.
But there is no doubting the colt’s ability – successful at Newmarket and Doncaster on his first two outings as a juvenile, he ran fourth in Too Darn Hot’s Dewhurst Stakes back at HQ in October 2018.
And, having made his return last season with a third to subsequent St James’s Palace Stakes runner-up King Of Comedy in Sandown’s Listed Heron Stakes in May, Sangarius made the hallowed winner’s enclosure at Royal Ascot the following month. Sent off at 13-2 for the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes, the Freemason Lodge runner found his path blocked when trying to make ground for Frankie Dettori – Ryan Moore is in the plate today – on the run to the final quarter-mile.
But, once finding clear water,
Sangarius exploded to the front to beat
Fox Chairman by two and a quarter lengths.
We didn’t see him again for the rest of the campaign, so there is a 351-day absence to overcome.
On the plus side, owner Prince Khalid Abdullah has elected to keep the faith and, with only a handful of races to his name, Sangarius still has the potential to rate higher.
His Ascot win came over 10 furlongs, but the pace he showed that day suggests the step back to a mile will not be a problem.
And, with Stoute (left) having been in fine form since racing returned from the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, Sangarius should pick up where he left off.
Kevin Ryan was no doubt pleased to see the Group 3 Betway Abernant Stakes (2.25) salvaged from Newmarket’s abandoned Craven fixture as his BRANDO won the race in 2017 and 2018.
Twelve months ago, the eightyear-old went off the15-8 favourite for the hat-trick, but had to be content with the bronze medal, a head and a neck behind Keystroke. Tom Eaves’ mount, whose CV includes a Group 1 success in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville in August 2017 when he was a neck second to Advertise in the same contest last summer, is strongly fancied to resume normal service.
The Betway Handicap (1.50) looks open, but top weight GULLIVER is capable of a decent show at rewarding odds.
David O’meara’s evergreen signed off for 2019 with a neck win from Hyperfocus in a bigmoney sprint at York in October.
Successful at Southwell in January, Hyperfocus followed a fourth in Doha the following month with a sixth in Wolverhampton’s Listed Lady Wulfruna Stakes last time, but makes his return to turf on a 4lb higher mark than when victorious on the Knavesmire last autumn.