Excellent evening card at Sandown

Easily the best racing on today´s 7 cards comes from the evening meeting at Sandown, which stages the best evening meeting of the year, featuring two group and two listed races. The Group Two Henry II Stakes over 2 miles at 20.15 CET is a major trial for the Ascot Gold Cup, and Sir Michael Stoute´s mare Allegretto (Ryan Moore), who won this last year, is the class act here, but as the only Group One winner in the field she has to give away weight all round, which does not look easy. Balkan Knight (David Elsworth/ Jamie Spencer) now reopposed on 7 lbs better terms, but even more dangerous are the two runners with the lightest weight: Tranquil Tiger (Henry Cecil/ Ted Durcan) and especially Royal and Regal (Michael Jarvis/ Neil Callan). The Group Three Brigadier Stakes over 10 furlongs at 20.45 also features a Group One winner with a large penalty - John Gosden´s Lucarno (Jimmy Fortune), and it would be surprising if he can score over a distance well short of his best. Once again, a filly looks a big danger - Henry Cecil´s Passage of Time (Ted Durcan), but Godolphin´s Happy Boy (Frankie Dettori), who had good form in Dubai, and Regime (Michael Bell/ Richard Hughes) are also threatening. The listed National Stakes for 2yo´s at 19.40 could involve mainly Foundation Room (Andrew Balding/ Frannie Norton) and Finjaan (Marcus Tregoning/ Richard Hills), both of whom created a very favourable impression when winning their only start so far. John Gosden´s Vitrtual (Jimmy Fortune) was a non-runner last saturdax at Haydock because of the firm ground; condisitons will be more to his liking now andf he can take the mile listed race for 3yo´s at 21.20.