Sandown 2:20 Result

Charlemont Gg is the only proven winner in the field, having scored last time out (form figures 01) and carries top weight at 137lbs, indicating a favourable weight-for-age allowance suggesting he's rated above this Novice grade already. Trained by Marco Botti with Marco Ghiani up, he steps back into a similar contest just 14 days after his win, fresh and race-fit. The headgear (hood) addition suggests the yard is sharpening him for this target. Rivals are largely unexposed or unproven: Altius and Highland Frost have no form at all, making them big unknowns despite fashionable connections (Godolphin/Appleby-Buick). El Morjan (4th LTO) and Hierax (5th LTO) both were beaten in their sole starts for powerful yards (Gosden, Haggas) but neither confirmed the requisite class with a placed effort. Imperial Nation was 3rd but hasn't run for 124 days, a big query on fitness for a first-time-out juvenile gap. Kingdom of Kush was runner-up last time (21 days ago) for Varian and looks the biggest threat on form, but a maiden win over an actual winner carries more physical proof. Given the open nature of this maturing 2yo race with a suspiciously deep bench of fashionable but unexposed sorts, I side with the horse that has already proven he handles this contest by winning last time out, especially carrying a big weight burden suggesting a rating well clear of this level. The market is likely to be seduced by the big names (Godolphin, Gosden, Haggas) but the proven form horse looks the value versus the hype.