AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SILVESTRE DE SOUSA: Sandown Saturday

We are only days away from the start of Royal Ascot and it’s always a week I really look forward to. This year will be that extra bit special as we are welcoming the crowds back in which makes such a difference. I know there will only be 12,000, but it’s certainly better than the handfuls we had last year. It was such a strange feeling winning aboard Art Power (pictured below) at the meeting 12 months ago and coming back in to empty stands and virtual silence.

I’ve some really exciting rides to look forward to including the speedball Winter Power in the Kings Stand on Tuesday. She been in great nick since winning at York and hopefully heads there with a massive chance. The next few days are crucial as trainers put their horses through their last bits of preparation and decide which targets to finally settle on. I’m at Andrew Balding’s yard on Saturday morning to sit on a few including Fivethousandtoone who could easily be heading to the Commonwealth Cup next week. I’ve got plenty of chances next week on paper and I’ll be doing daily blogs and Zoom Rooms to give you all my views on my rides. Anyway, plenty more about those horses next week, but in the meantime I’m heading to Sandown on Saturday for four rides…

SATURDAY

SANDOWN

WARRIOR BRAVE – 2.15pm (Scurry Stakes)

My first ride of the afternoon is Warrior Brave for Mick Appleby in the Scurry Stakes. Before talking about his chances I wanted to send my best wishes to his regular jockey Ali Rawlinson who had a nasty spill at Windsor earlier in the week and broke his ankle. He got badly knocked about but we’ve been in touch and he seems in good spirits, I wish him a speedy recovery. Warrior Brave is very consistent and has won three of his five starts for Mick. He did it nicely at Goodwood last time and will need to step up again here. He finished behind Atalis Bay at Nottingham two starts back and he looks the one to beat.

TRAIS FLUORS – 2.50pm

I finished fourth aboard Trais Fluors on soft ground at Nottingham last month and the combination of a drop in the weights, drop in trip and better ground may just help him a bit. That said, being drawn in stall 10 of 10 doesn’t make life particularly easy for him. He hasn’t won for over two years now but is slowly getting down to a mark from which he could be competitive. Latest Generation looks the obvious one though in a first-time tongue tie.

ENSURED – 3.25pm

Conditions will be a lot different for Ensured who won easily for me at the track on bad ground last month. The handicapper has put him up a stone for that success which seems a bit harsh as he may just have been the only one that handled the ground that day. He’ll need to step forward again if he is to be competitive with both King Of Clubs and Arqoob rating as obvious dangers.

GENERAL ZOFF– 4.35pm

General Zoff was only just reeled in late on at Lingfield last time having been committed a long way out. He should be very competitive here off just a 1lb higher mark and I’m looking forward to riding him.


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