Almaqam can Star in Brigadier Gerard
Thursday’s Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Evening from Sandown is Britain’s richest evening race meeting and visitors to the Esher track look set to be treated to some top-quality racing.
After the action kicks off at 6.05pm, racing fans will enjoy the Star Sports National Stakes (6.35pm), which is a fascinating juvenile contest.
Richard Hannon’s First Legion is shading favouritism over Karl Burke’s Clear Force, and while the former only has one run under his belt, the visual impression he created on debut at York makes me think he’ll be hard to beat.
The 11/8 is skinny enough, though, and I want to find other betting opportunities on the card.
The feature Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes (7.35pm) has attracted a talented bunch looking to capture the Group Three prize, and Ombudsman currently heads the betting at around 9/4.
John and Thady Gosden’s colt is unbeaten on four career starts and must be respected as we really don’t know how good he is yet.
The son of Night Of Thunder was last seen when winning a Longchamp Group Three in September 2024, and the booking of Ryan Moore for a rare ride in the Godolphin blue more than catches the eye.
However, his lack of a prep run and the fact that he has to carry a three-pound penalty are cause for concern, and I like the look of his main market rival, ALMAQAM.
Ed Walker’s colt was a highly promising type last season, winning the Heron Stakes impressively on this card 12 months ago, before fine runs behind stars Rosallion, Economics and Jayarebe marked him out as a horse to follow for 2025.
The Lambourn-based trainer has said that he has never been as excited about a horse as he is about Almaqam and took a lot of encouragement from his charge’s respectable comeback over this course and distance in April.
He will appreciate the rain that has recently hit Sandown as conditions were on the quick side for him last month, and with that run under his belt and the Walker yard in strong form, he is the value pick against Ombudsman at 5/2.
Later on the card, the Star Sports Heron Stakes (8.05pm) features another unbeaten colt heading the betting in the shape of Bay City Roller, and I’m keen to take him on too.
George Scott’s contender followed up two low-key novice wins with a victory in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster in September 2024 and had been earmarked for Sunday’s French Derby.
Scott has shelved those plans in favour of the rain-softened Sandown, and while these are calmer waters than what he would’ve faced at Chantilly, he will do well to successfully shoulder his five-pound penalty here, and to that extent, I like the look of OPERA BALLO.
Godolphin’s colt seemed to be taking the Notable Speech route to the Classics this season after two seriously impressive Kempton wins in the winter.
Things didn’t go to plan on his next start in the Craven when he pulled his chance away and did well to finish seven-and-a-quarter lengths behind subsequent Irish Guineas hero Field Of Gold.
Charlie Appleby applies a first-time hood and back to a left-handed track, more like Kempton than Newmarket, I’m happy to give him another chance to show his potential star quality, and the 9/4 is a fair price to do so.
POINTERS
Almaqam 7.35pm, Sandown
Opera Ballo 8.05pm, Sandown