Classy Kon Tiki ready to leave her Distaff rivals all at sea
SATURDAY’S Coral-Eclipse undoubtedly takes centre-stage at Sandown, but there are some strong shoulder races worth assessing from an ante-post perspective too.
The opening Group Three Coral Charge (1.50pm) has a wide-open look to it, with Jack Davison’s She’s Quality heading the betting after finishing ahead of Royal Ascot hero American Affair at Haydock last time out.
She’s a real speedball, but I’d be worried that her scalded cat run style won’t suit Sandown’s stiff track, and it might just set up perfectly for KERDOS.
Clive Cox’s five-year-old was ring-rusty on his comeback behind Inisherin at Haydock, but his two-length defeat to American Affair in the King Charles III was much more like it.
He was a real standard-bearer in Group One and Two sprints in 2024, and now in a Group Three for the first time in over a year, I think he’s the right bet at 11/2 each-way, especially with a strong pace to run at courtesy of She’s Quality.
Later on the card, the Coral Distaff (3.00pm) features a pair of Juddmonte-owned fillies vying for favouritism in Blue Bolt and Tabiti.
Blue Bolt is highly regarded by Andrew Balding and Tabiti arrives here after a massive run to finish third in the Sandringham, but neither has mixed it at the top level like KON TIKI.
After a perfect three-from-three start to her career, Jane Chapple-Hyam plunged her filly into the Group One Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she ran a blinder to finish sixth despite a negative ride and interference in the closing stages.
She rubbed shoulders with some of Europe’s best three-year-old fillies that day, and although she must carry a three-pound penalty here, she looks like she can take it in her stride, and I like her each-way at 7/1.
POINTERS SATURDAY
Kerdos e/w 1.50pm Sandown
Kon Tiki e/w 3.00pm Sandown