Horse racing tips: Templegate NAPS rapidly improving Sir Michael Stoute runner to shine live on ITV

TEMPLEGATE looks to cap off a brilliant week of winners with one last hurrah at Sandown on Sunday.

Read on for our man’s tips, find his breakdown of every ITV race below and back a horse by clicking their odds.

IKHTIRAAQ (6.12 Sandown, nap)

Should rack up a hat-trick. Sir Michael Stoute has taken his time with this horse but that’s now paying dividends. He looks like he should progress into better company.

SAFARI DREAM (3.42 Sandown, nb)

Can prove a nightmare for the bookies. He’s lightly-tried but is getting the hang of things now and was impressive here last time out. He can win again.

VITESSE DU SON (3.50 Brighton, treble)

He bumped into a big improver last time but struck at this track easily the time before. This looks another good spot. 

Templegate’s guide to ITV coverage

4.12

EDWARD CORNELIUS can strike under super Hollie Doyle. Keith Dalgleish’s colt was a decent two-year-old but has kicked on again this year and has been knocking away in good races. Both of his victories have come over this flying five furlong trip and he shaped well enough in a competitive conditions event last time out behind a smart winner. The move back to handicap company looks wise and his form this year suggests his current mark isn’t beyond him just yet. If he breaks smartly from a slightly awkward draw I think he’ll be hard to catch.

5.42

FOLLOW THAT STAR can light up this fillies’ handicap. She’s been in and out of form since making her debut last December but her two best efforts by far have come at this track. She was second to Emily Upjohn here on just her second outing and went close here in a handicap at the end of July. This is a much tougher race but she looks more than ready to shed her maiden tag now. She ran much better than her mark when runner-up last time and the handicapper agreed, throwing her up 3lbs. That could still prove lenient and I fancy her to take this before taking one or two more afterwards.

6.12

IKHTIRAAQ has always been held in high regard and can land the hat-trick in style. He was a big money buy from Shadwell after just three outings and made the switch to Sir Michael Stoute. After an easy introduction he’s won his last two with plenty up his sleeve. He races under a penalty here but looks more than good enough to take that in his stride. This is a better race than he’s used to but I’d be shocked if he wasn’t up to even better in time. I can see him running in Listed races or possibly even better before the season is done. The ground will be no issue and his draw in stall 11 is potentially the only slight concern.

6.42

EL PICADOR can say adios to his rivals in this stayers’ handicap. His stablemate Evaluation might get more of the attention but I prefer Keith Dalgleish’s supposed second string. He didn’t quite stay the two miles last time and this slightly shorter trip looks wise. He’s not won on his last three starts but hasn’t been far away each time and finished strongly each time. If he races less keenly than he did last time out he looks like a horse on a handy enough mark in my book. The six-year-old has had plenty of racing but very little over this trip and he shapes like it could be the making of him.

Templegate’s tips

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