SANDOWN SATURDAY

1.50 188BET EXTRA PLACE RACES HANDICAP 5F 10Y

Many of these have a point to prove at present, but not so Rapid Applause, who is in the form of his life, and looks to have an autumn campaign mapped out with this race a stepping stone to the Ayr Gold Cup.

The former Irish gelding has soon clicked for that wily old campaigner Spittin’ Mick Easterby, and seems ideally suited to a stiff sprint course, as evidenced by wins at Beverley and Hamilton in April/May.

It’s extremely rare for Mick to venture as far south as the London tracks, and he’s only had two runners at Sandown in the past decade, one of them a winner at the rewarding odds of 12/1.

I can’t imagine Rapid Applause is making the long journey for a tune-up, and the six-year-old looks to have plenty left to offer after very comfortable wins on his last two starts.

He had a next-time-out winner immediately in his wake at Hamilton with the others unable to lay a glove on him, and while this is harder, he looks ready for the step up in class.

2.25 BEST ODDS GUARANTEED AT 188BET HANDICAP 1M 1F 209Y

There’s a distinct whiff of history repeating itself about this contest, and I recall being very keen on the future prospects of a horse called Thundering Blue 12 months ago.

David Menuisier’s grey took this race then having won impressively at Newmarket on his previous outing, and History Writer treads a similar path this year in the now familiar colours of the flamboyant Clive Washbourn.

Unlike Thundering Blue, he failed to win his allotted Newmarket handicap, but he shaped exceptionally well after an early stumble almost put paid to any chance he had.

He was left in a poor position by that incident, but made up ground in the style of one ahead of its mark, and in the end did enough to think his future was as bright as his older stablemate. Before Newmarket he had run out an impressive winner of a mile contest here on his handicap debut.

That shows he handles the track, and he is bred to relish this step up in trip, his dam is a half-sister to a pair of mile and a half winners.

The main danger to History Writer is likely to come from another lightly weighted three-year-old in the shape of Red Force One, who is thriving at the moment, and did well to run down an enterprisingly ridden rival at Newbury last time, producing an exceptional speed figure in the process.

He’s more exposed than the selection, but in tremendous heart and not opposed lightly.

3.00 188BET CASINO ATALANTA STAKES (GROUP 3) 1M

A fascinating clash looks in prospect between Laugh Aloud and Veracious, in which the latter is an odds-on favourite having run so well to be placed in both the Coronation Stakes and the Nassau Stakes having won just a maiden (beating Winter Lightning) last season.

It’s almost certainly correct that her efforts at the highest level should see her as favourite, but I’m not sure there should be much between her and the older Godolphin mare, especially with the pair given the same rating by the handicapper.

Laugh Aloud has a bit to prove after missing the second half of 2017 and the first half of the current season, but absence tends to mean nothing to the Godolphin operation with runners regularly winning after lengthy lay-offs.

Prior to going M.I.A., Laugh Aloud had created a huge impression when winning the Princess Margaret Stakes at Epsom, storming home by five lengths from Absolute Blast, who may not be a top-notcher, but made the frame four more times in group races last season, including in the Group 1 Premio Lydia Tesio on her final start.

That shows that Laugh Aloud is up to winning at a higher level, and she will give Veracious plenty to think about if in similar form here.

3.35 188BET SOLARIO STAKES (GROUP 3) 7F

It says plenty about the quality of this year’s Solario Stakes that the 103-rated Victory Command, easy winner of the Listed Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot on his most recent start, and victorious by an aggregate 13 lengths in his last three runs, should be considered a rank outsider.

It’s tempting to veer towards him as an overpriced runner, too, but I suspect the market is correct in assessing this race as of great quality in depth, and the winner will need to be very smart.

There are several contenders for the leading role on paper, but the one who excites most is Too Darn Hot, the regally-bred son of Dubawi, whose full-sisters So Mi Dar and Lah Ti Dar have upheld the tradition set by their mother Dar Re Mi, who was a three-time Group 1 heroine (demoted in France on one occasion), and who has bucked the trend for brilliant racemares to become indifferent broodmares.

Lah Ti Dar gave a recent reminder of the family’s brilliance by winning the Galtres Stakes by a stunning 10-length margin, and her younger brother looked every bit as exciting when landing a mile maiden here on debut last month by a similarly impressive margin.

The bare form of that run leaves him with a bit to find here, but he scarcely looked ready for that outing, showing signs of inexperience, and looking burly to boot.

The fact that he could do what he did half cooked makes him look like he has the world at his feet. He has some smart opponents to suppress here, but he looks up to the task, and could be favourite for the 2019 Derby before the weekend is out.

4.10 188BET SUPPORTS THE NSPCC NURSERY HANDICAP (QUALIFIER) 7F

A couple of these appeal as being well treated, with Barristan The Bold in the notebook after an eye-catching fifth in a big field at Goodwood last time, his slow start potentially costing him the race, and he had performed with credit on all of his qualifying runs.

He must go close, but I feel the handicapper has erred very much on the side of leniency (an unusual trait, it must be said) when assessing Reconnaissance.

The son of Lope De Vega has managed no better than fourth in three runs, but he has not been knocked about at all, and ran very well in a warm contest at Nottingham last time over a six-furlong trip which is likely to prove an insufficient test for him.

The first and second in that contest both hold entries in the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, and the feeling is if the form book read Newbury rather than Nottingham, that a higher figure would be put on the form.

Reconnaissance goes handicapping off a mark of 75, which looks very fair, and the step up in trip is almost certainly going to prove a catalyst for further improvement.

RECOMMENDED

HISTORY WRITER 2.25 Sandown – 2pts win @ 9/2 (general)

LAUGH ALOUD 3.00 Sandown – 1pt win @ 4/1 (general)

RECONNAISSANCE 4.10 Sandown – 1pt win @ 4/1 (general)

20/1 winner

Rory tipped Muntahaa at 20/1, a winner at York last week