Black-Type Analysis: Swagman To Give O’Brien Another Classic Trial At Sandown?

[Wandering Eyes]

Friday, Sandown, Britain, post time: 15:00, BET365 MILE-G2, £125,000, 4yo/up, 8f 0y

Field: Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), Alcantor (Fr) (New Bay {GB}), Cash (Ire) (Shamardal), Cicero's Gift (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), Dancing Gemini (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}), Ice Max (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), Lead Artist (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

TDN Verdict: Dancing Gemini takes the Charyn route, having impressed back at this trip in the Listed Doncaster Mile, and he will be tested with the likes of Tamfana and Haatem in here. Tamfana warmed up for her G1 Sun Chariot success with a win over course and distance in the G3 Atalanta Stakes in August and this stiff mile is probably ideal, while the dual Guineas-placed Haatem goes back up in trip having taken the G3 Jersey Stakes when last seen. Lead Artist looks like a Gosden improver, but he'll have to be in what is his biggest examination to date.

Friday, Sandown, Britain, post time: 14:25, BET365 GORDON RICHARDS STAKES-G3, £85,000, 4yo/up, 9f 209y

Field: Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Almaqam (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), Peace Man (GB) (Kingman {GB}), See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

TDN Verdict: This year's edition will be without a Sir Michael Stoute runner as the torch is well and truly passed on and it is up to the home trainers to try and match the retired master of Freemason Lodge's 10 wins in what is typically a pointer to the season's big middle-distance clashes. The much-vaunted Almaqam may not have shown his true worth at three, at least that is what Ed Walker states, so this return to the venue of his Listed Heron Stakes success last May will tell us more. Arabian Crown is another who needs to catch up, having had his 2024 campaign cut short after winning the course-and-distance G3 Classic Trial on this fixture, while See The Fire brings Group 1 form to the table and was on the premises in the track's marquee event, the Eclipse, in July.

Friday, Sandown, Britain, post time: 15:35, BET365 CLASSIC TRIAL-G3, £85,000, 3yo, 9f 209y

Field: Damysus (GB) (Frankel {GB}), I Am I Said (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}), Sir Dinadan (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Swagman (Ger) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Windlord (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

TDN Verdict: Sandown's trio of pattern-race heats concludes with a small-but-select field assembling for this G1 Betfred Derby trial. Ballydoyle's standard has been hoisted just once in the modern era, by subsequent G1 Grand Prix de Paris victor Imperial Monarch (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2012, and G3 Tyros Stakes runner-up Swagman is this year's selection. The €170,000 BBAG September yearling acquisition is the only one of five seasonal debutants without a ticket to Epsom's Blue Riband and comes back off a 274-day break having twice finished in the rear-view mirror of juvenile benchmark Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}). Juddmonte's Windlord suffered a similar fate when third in September's G2 Beresford Stakes and flies the flag for Andrew Balding's in-form stable. Team Gosden boasts a record nine editions of the 10-furlong contest and saddles Wathnan Racing's once-raced Southwell novice scorer Damysus. The flashy chestnut is a 460,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 graduate. Ralph Beckett, who took this with G1 Derby third and G1 Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in 2022, is two-handed here and relies on the Neil Diamond-flavoured I Am I Said, an impressive debut winner at Newmarket last backend, and Marcstown's Sir Dinadan, who posted an eight-length tally at Pontefract in October when last seen.

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