G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes

Coming back from a break under a penalty, Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) would have been forgiven an honourable defeat in Thursday's G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes but duly showed his class to land the spoils ahead of his big test at Royal Ascot. Runner-up in this to Almaqam 12 months ago, the John and Thady Gosden-trained triple Group 1 winner was 2-5 to deliver and after a tussle with the progressive Gethin (Ghaiyyath) had a neck to spare at the line. There was another three-length margin back to Almeric (Study Of Man)...

Thursday, Sandown, post time: 19:12, THE STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES-G3, £95,000, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT Field: Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Arabian Light (Kingman), Bedouin Prince (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Gethin (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Analysis: Not razor-sharp and burdened with a seven-pound penalty, Ombudsman could be vulnerable again here as he was 12 months ago, but there is no Almaqam in the line-up so he might just get away with it. Almeric's progession seems to have halted and he...

Thursday, Sandown, post time: 19:12, THE STAR SPORTS BRIGADIER GERARD STAKES-G3, £95,000, 4yo/up, 9f 209yT Field: Ombudsman (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), Almeric (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}), Arabian Light (Kingman), Bedouin Prince (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Gethin (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko). TDN Analysis: Not razor-sharp and burdened with a seven-pound penalty, Ombudsman could be vulnerable again here as he was 12 months ago, but there is no Almaqam in the line-up so he might just get away with it. Almeric's progession seems to have halted and he...

Having promised to make his presence felt in the better middle-distance contests for a while, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Almaqam delivered on Thursday evening in Sandown's G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Taken to the front early by Oisin Murphy, the 7-4 second favourite predictably faced his sternest challenge from the 5-4 market-leader Ombudsman inside the last two furlongs but stayed on strongly to end that rival's unbeaten sequence by 1 3/4 lengths. This win came at the track at which the apple of Ed Walker's eye had wowed 12 months ago...

Thursday, Sandown, post time: 19:05, STAR SPORTS HENRY II STAKES-G3, £80,000, 4yo/up, 16f 50yT Field: Al Nayyir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Burdett Road (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Tashkhan (Ire) (Born To Sean {Ire}), Trawlerman (Ire) (Golden Horn {GB}). TDN Verdict: Trawlerman looks to strengthen his Gold Cup claims now that old foe Kyprios has been ushered out of the scene and the 2023 G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup winner is a cut above these rivals on all evidence. The last time Burdett Road ran on the Flat,...