Brigadier Gerard Stakes: Timeform preview, tip and free racecard
The Brigadier Gerard Stakes (19:42) at Sandown on Thursday is available as a free Race Pass, which means logged-in customers can view all our premium comments and ratings.
Sandown stages the best evening fixture of the year which includes the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (19:42) and the return of last year’s Derby winner Desert Crown among a field of six.
As well being a ‘Hot Trainer’ at present, Sir Michael Stoute has won the Brigadier Gerard 11 times, most recently with future Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge last year. Stoute’s two Derby winners prior to Desert Crown, North Light and Workforce, also made their four-year-old reappearances in the race, Workforce winning it and North Light finishing a close second. Unlike them, however, Desert Crown (Timeform weight-adjusted rating 140p) isn’t lumbered with a penalty which makes his task that much easier.
He’s had only three starts and looked a top-notch colt in the making when running out a very impressive winner at Epsom nearly a year ago by two and a half lengths from Hoo Ya Mal with Westover just behind. That followed wins in the Dante Stakes at York on his return at three and a very promising debut success in a maiden at Nottingham at two. Missing since the Derby with a foot injury, Desert Crown should be fit enough for his return to be too good for his rivals.
Cash (126p) has had only four races himself for David Simcock and is the other one in the field open to improvement. He too won his only start at two, at Newmarket, before going down by a short head to Westover in the Classic Trial at Sandown on his return last year. He was then absent for seven months and disappointing on his return late last year but shaped much better in a listed race at Ascot earlier this month when three quarters of a length second to Chindit who has run well since to be second in the Lockinge. Looking as if the race would do him good, Cash took second near the line, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag, and will be suited by this return to a mile and a quarter.
Also returning from an absence since winning at last year’s Derby meeting is Coronation Cup winner Hukum (139) for ‘Hot Trainer’ Owen Burrows. He needed three screws inserting in a hind leg following a potentially career-ending injury sustained when winning the Coronation Cup by four and a quarter lengths from the future King George winner Pyledriver. That was a high-class effort from Hukum who also won in Group 2 company at Meydan earlier last year but he’s likely to find this trip on the short side.
Solid Stone (128) represents the same connections as Desert Crown and is a smart gelding in his own right, successful in last year’s Huxley Stakes at Chester, but his main role on his first start since last September may be to set a good pace for his stablemate as he’s often a front runner.
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Claymore (124) is another lightly-raced four-year-old in the line-up whose 2022 campaign ended prematurely as he wasn’t seen out after July last year. He won an admittedly weak edition of the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot under a well-judged ride, overturning odds-on Reach For The Moon by a length and three quarters.
Chichester (124) completes the field for Keith Dalgleish. This is a step up in class from his recent starts but he’s fit from some good efforts on the all-weather, including winning a minor event at Newcastle early in the year and finishing three quarters of a length second to Berkshire Shadow, another to have run well since in the Lockinge, in the All-Weather Mile Championships at the same track last month.
Timeform analyst’s verdict
All eyes will be firmly on the unbeaten Desert Crown, who makes his eagerly awaited comeback in a race that his yard has won with numerous high-class performers. The Nathaniel colt was most impressive in the Derby on just his third career start last June and, though absent since owing to an injury, it's unlikely that he will be found wanting fitness-wise. Cash could be the one for the forecast, given that Hukum is likely to find this trip too sharp.
Timeform weight-adjusted ratings
140p Desert Crown
139 Hukum
128 Solid Stone
126p Cash
124 Chichester
124 Claymore
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