Last year’s Sandown’s Solario Stakes has produced the Derby winner Masar, to go along with an illustrious role of honour for this Group Three, and while I would be surprised to see next year’s Derby winner come out of this race, we’ve got a good renewal to get stuck into.
Impressive 7-length maiden winner Too Darn Hot trades odds-on favourite on account of his purple blood and the success of his sisters, with star three-year-old Lah Ti Dar lighting up York last week.
He is an extremely short price for a horse so inexperienced, and hype seems to have infiltrated the market.
That usually means there’s a bet elsewhere, and the one I like is Mark Johnston’s VICTORY COMMAND at dismissive odds of 22/1.
By War Command, he gets his fast ground and he’s proven staying seven furlongs, after clearly improving for the step up in trip since running over the minimum trip at Beverley.
He’s not got the sexiest profile for an improving Group horse, having run seven times this season, but he’s won four of those – three at this trip – and has never finished outside the first three.
Chasing him home at Ascot last time out was Nate The Great, who has a neat collateral form line with one of War Commands’s main challengers for the Solario, Arthur Kitt, the miracle horse whose dam died whilst giving birth to him.
Victory Command beat Nate The Great far easier than Arthur Kitt did, and though that doesn’t guarantee he’s the superior horse, it does make a mockery of his 22/1 quotes – Arthur Kitt is 8/1 and returning from a break.
I do like Arthur Kitt a lot, but I’m not sure he’s the paciest and will probably be at his best over middle distances next season.
None of the others are of much interest, but Dunkerron has been running nicely in higher company than this and looks sure to finish in the mix too.
1pt win Victory Command @22/1, 15:35 Sandown, Saturday (BetBright)
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