Weekend shortlist: Three to note in Saturday’s big Coral Challenge Handicap at Sandown
IT’S not just the Eclipse to be buzzed about this weekend – the £75,000 Coral Challenge is a proper race on the undercard.
Always won by a smart type, the mile handicap looks a tricky puzzle as always. Here’s three to take a closer look at.
Lush Life – Jamie Osborne (10-1)
Lush Life’s season hit a wall when she was beat last time out at Newcastle as she failed to pick up the required penalty to get in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot.
There didn’t look to be much of a Plan B in the short-term, but this £75,000 pot isn’t a bad consolation prize.
She is only three pounds higher than when a cosy winner over course and distance under Jamie Spencer in May, and conditions should be near enough identical on Saturday. A stiff mile suits her hold up style down to a tee.
Nicola Currie is booked to ride and after a horror few weeks for the Osborne stable – which included half the yard burning down – it would be brilliant to see them win a big one on ITV.
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Mojito – William Haggas (8-1)
This beast has been off the track for nearly two years but was a hugely promising colt before something clearly went amiss.
He’s a big old boy and rose through his handicaps with ease two summers ago.
Soon rated 104, he was smashed up as the 4-1 favourite for the Challenge Cup at Ascot on his last start, before he was tailed off.
He’s been gelded over the winter and it’s clearly always been the plan to get him back on the track.
Haggas doesn’t run his horses for a laugh and if he is solid enough in the betting come Saturday, a mark of 101 could still seriously under estimate this horse.
Coral Challenge Betting (Best odds)
Ouzo 11-2
History Writer 13-2
Qaroun 13-2
Via Serendipity 15-2
Mojito 8-1
Breden 9-1
Greenside 9-1
Alternative Fact 10-1
Lush Life 10-1
Key Victory 12-1
Petrus 12-1
Salute The Soldier 12-1
Zhui Feng 14-1
Apex King 16-1
Escobar 16-1
Rum Runner 16-1
Pactolus 20-1
Mordred 33-1
Pattie 33-1
Apex King – David Loughnane (16-1)
He is potentially starting to look handicapped to his peak, but his last run could have been slightly marked up in my book and showed perhaps there is a small bit of wiggle room there.
If you ignore his poor all weather effort, he has shown solid form all season.
He clearly relishes a quick surface and if anything performs best at undulating tracks.
He would get in off a nice racing weight here, although he still has to prove he is as good over a mile as he is over seven.
But he looks an interesting each-way player and had he been trained by a bigger name, would certainly be a shorter price.