Following last week’s events in York, Sandown keeps the Group class action rolling on Saturday afternoon. The Group 3 double act of the Atalanta Stakes and Solario Stakes take centre stage on a quality card, with the latter event, in particular, well worth taking in.
Held over the 7f trip and restricted to juvenile performers, the Solario Stakes boasts an illustrious list of previous winners. Future Classic heroes Scratch, Charlottetown, and Athens Wood were among the early winners, with more recent years seeing Breeders’ Cup Classic champ Raven’s Pass, four-time Group 1 winner Kingman, 2018 Derby hero Masar, and Champion Juvenile Too Darn Hot land the prize.
Intriguing Field Assembling in 2024
15 remain in the field at the four-day stage, nine of whom won last time out. That creates an intriguing puzzle for punters to solve, but the following five colts lead the way in terms of pedigree, connections, form, and betting expectations.
Field Of Gold
- Trainer – John & Thady Gosden
- Sire – Kingman
With six previous wins in the race, John Gosden sits level with Sir Henry Cecil as the most successful trainer in the history of the Solario. Now in partnership with son Thady, the market suggests Gosden has a solid chance of claiming the outright lead in 2024.
Sired by the 2013 winner of this race, Field Of Gold looked in need of the experience when third on debut at Doncaster (winner since won at Listed level) but stepped up on that effort at Newmarket last time. Prominent throughout, the good-looking grey powered out of the dip to score by an eased down 3¾l. This represents a big step up in class, but his yard knows what it takes to succeed.
Royal Playwright
- Trainer – Andrew Balding
- Sire – Lope De Vega
Sitting atop the European sire table and responsible for the current Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite, Lope De Vega is enjoying a stellar 2024 campaign. The Ballyhinch Stud inmate may improve that record here, with two of his sons among the more fancied contenders.
Hailing from the in-form Andrew Balding operation and a son of the Group 1-winning mare Arabian Queen, Royal Playwright has raced only once but caught the eye when scoring at Salisbury. Despite showing his lack of experience when hurdling a path, he put the race to bed in a matter of strides once Hayley Turner asked him to quicken and looks a horse on the up. Successful with South Seas in 2016, Balding has a solid chance of doubling his Solario tally
Seagulls Eleven
- Trainer – Hugo Palmer
- Sire – Galileo Gold
Sired by his first British Classic winner, Hugo Palmer likely had high hopes for Seagulls Eleven. So far, the Newmarket handler will be pretty happy with what he has seen at the track.
Finishing a solid second first time out at Haydock, he broke his duck back at the Merseyside venue next time. However, it is his performance at the Newmarket July Festival which gives him leading claims here. Stepped up to Group 2 company, he was no match for Godolphin’s Ancient Truth but finished best of the rest, with subsequent Acomb Stakes runner-up Wimbledon Hawkeye amongst those in behind. That’s just about the best form on offer, and he should go well.
Matauri Bay
- Trainer – Ralph Beckett
- Sire – Lope De Vega
The second Lope De Vega colt in the lineup goes for Ralph Beckett, who is yet to claim the Solario Stakes but was among the winners at the Qatar Goodwood Festival and Ebor Festival.
In common with Royal Playwright, Matauri Bay has raced only once, and just like his half-brother, he went into many notebooks when finishing well to claim a Leicester Novice event early in the month. Possessing a huge stride and sure to improve for that outing, he looks a danger to all.
Surpass
- Trainer – Aidan O’Brien
- Sire – Saxon Warrior
It wouldn’t be a UK Group race without a nicely bred sort from the yard of Aidan O’Brien. The Ballydoyle maestro has just one entry at the four-day stage in the shape of this son of his 2000 Guineas champ.
Sent off favourite on debut at Tipperary, Surpass won by only a neck but emerged as much the best horse in the race, having missed the break and found as much trouble as possible before storming home down the outside. Having backed up that victory with an effortless 3l romp back at Tipperary in July, he came up short in the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown last time. Bumped at a crucial stage and possibly unsuited by the tacky ground, many will be happy to forgive that effort, but he needs to bounce back if he is to hand his trainer a first Solario success.