Competitive racing at Sandown
Seb Sanders, the UK’s third most successful jockey of 2002, goes for four-timer at Sandown on Saturday
Seb Sanders, flying high in third place in the race for the jockey’s championship, has so many attractive mounts at Sandown on Saturday that it could pay to follow Britain’s most under rated rider.
The jockey from the Black Country in the Midlands could conceivably be on the winners of all four televisied races – Desertion (2.40), Wahsheeq (3.10), Pagan Dance (3.45) and Croeso Croeso (4.20).
Of course, it’s a tall order expecting anyone to ride a four-timer at the principal meeting on a highly competitive Saturday card, but Sanders’s task may not be beyond the realms of possibility.
Sanders, 30, has never received the recognition he deserves, though his lofty position behind Kieren Fallon and Richard Hughes in this year’s ratings will go a long way to setting the record straight.
He won on the Ed Dunlop-trained Wahsheeq at Goodwood at the beginning of the month. Wahsheeq has since finished a close third to Bourbonnais and Salcombe at York and Sandown’s stiffer seven furlongs will suit him betterin the Iveco Solario Stakes.
Richard Hannon has won the last two runnings with King’s Ironbridge and Redback. This time the East Everleigh trainer relies on the Newbury winner High Accolade. Another danger is David Loder’s Desert Destiny, successful from subsequent winner Rainwashed Gold at Newmarket.
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Sanders partners Desertion for Sir Mark Prescott in the Atalanta Stakes where Henry Cecil’s Granadilla and Barry Hills’s Mamounia will be serious threats.
Pagan Dance will be all the better for winning his Newbury maiden and can be expected to step up on that form in the William Hill Handicap.
Croeso Croeso has won five of her eight races this season. Sanders has recently won on her at Brighton and Bath and they are now on a hat-trick in the Sunshine Coach Handicap.
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