Sandown this evening

Beverley´s evening meeting yesterday had to be abandoned after all the rain - let us hope that the same fate does not befall Sandown today, as their card is probably the best evening meeting of the entire year, with two group races and two listed races. In any case the going is bound to be very soft/ heavy, so that there could well be some non-runners.

The ground does not worry Peter Schiergen, who saddles German challenger Girolamo (Richard Hughes) in the Henry II Stakes over 2 miles at 20.15 CET. He is running over this trip for the first time, but the Cologne trainer is confident that he will get it. The obvious danger is another runner well known to German racegoers, Brown Panther (Tom Dascombe/ Richard Kingscote), beaten favourite in the 2011 German Derby and owned by football star Michael Owen. As a son of Shirocco the ground will be no problem for him either. Several of these runners will be aimed at the Ascot Gold Cup next month - and later in the year the Melbourne Cup- and others to be considered are Tiger Cliff (Alan King/ Tom Queally), High Jinx (James Fanshawe/ James Doyle) and the tough German-breds Oriental Fox (Mark Johnston/ Joe Fanning) and Seismos (Marco Botti/ Andrea Atzeni),while 9yo Menorah (Philip Hobbs/ Kieren Fallon) runs for the first ever time on the flat! He is a smart hurdler, but we cannot imagine his playing much of a role here. Brown Panther seems the logical winner, but we are hoping for a good performance from Girolamo.

The other group race is the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over 10 furlongs at 20.50. Only 5 runners, but there is very little between them. Hillstar (Sir Michael Stoute/ Ryan Moore) was runner-up to Brown Panther at Chester and is down in trip now; he could start favourite but we will take a chance on Top Notch Tonto (Brian Ellison/ Dale Swift)., who is up in trip but will love the ground.

Tipps für die Rennen:
1. Rennen: Chain Of Events - Kastini - Cathedral
2. Rennen: Tiggy Wiggy - Escalating - Cock Of The North
3. Rennen: Brown Panther - Tiger Cliff - High Jinx
4. Rennen: Remote - Top Notch Tonto - Sharestan
5. Rennen: Master Carpenter - End Of Line - Patentar
6. Rennen: Secret Art - Dream Walker - George Cinq