Sandown racing tips: Preview of Thursday’s meeting

6.50 Coral Henry II Stakes

OCEAN WIND and NAYEF ROAD lock horns in a fascinating clash for this two-mile Group Three.

Roger Teal’s Ocean Wind is the clear market leader at e0/11 and would not be winning out of turn following three successive runner-up finishes, most recently pushing triple Gold Cup winner Stradivarius close in Ascot’s Sagaro Stakes.

If he can get back on the winning trail, a rematch with Stradivarius at the Royal meeting next month will be very much on the cards.

The Mark Johnston-trained Nayef Road (9/4), who has chased home Stradivarius on several occasions, undoubtedly possesses the required talent to make a race of it, but does need to bounce back from a rare disappointing effort in the Yorkshire Cup.

RANCH HAND (9/2) looks the one most likely to pick up the pieces if the big two fail to fire.

7.25 Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes

Sir Michael Stoute has saddled 11 previous winners of this prestigious event and will have high hopes of adding to his tally with 11/10 shot SANGARIUS.

The five-year-old looked a potential star in the making after winning the 2019 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot (below) but was not seen in competitive action again for 12 months.

He only raced twice in 2020 but did make a promising start to the current campaign when second to Armory in the Huxley Stakes at Chester and top-level targets await if he can go one better in Thursday’s feature.

EXTRA ELUSIVE (2/1) has already won twice in Group Three company and following an unsuccessful outing in the Saudi Cup, shaped much better when third in the Gordon Richards Stakes over the course and distance last time.

8.00 Coral Whitsun Cup Handicap

Stoute also has a major contender for the penultimate race of the evening in RANSOM. The gelded son of Kingman has raced exclusively on the all-weather so far, winning his first two starts at Lingfield and Kempton.

Favourite backers had their fingers burnt after he could finish only fourth on his handicap debut last time, but stepping up to a mile and switching to turf, he is a 11/4 chance to reward those who keep the faith.

EPIC ENDEAVOUR and SEMSER also have a chance at 11/2 and 15/2 respectively. The former has won three of his last four outings, but has been off the track since October, while the latter debuts for Gary Moore on his first outing since scoring in France in early December.

8.30 Coral “Supporting Prostate Cancer” Handicap

The finale looks a devilishly difficult event for punters to decipher in terms of Sandown racing tips, with very little separating several horses at the top of the market.

ENCOURAGE (13/2) carries the colours of the Queen. He is a maiden after four starts but has shaped with plenty of promise and remains open to further improvement.

GRAND SCHEME (9/1) has been similarly consistent, while URBAN VIOLET (5/2) is nicely handicapped as he turns out under a 6lb penalty just a week after bolting up at the track.

FINAL WATCH (7/1) is another to consider in a wide-open contest.

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All odds and markets correct as of date of publication