Five soft ground lovers to watch on Saturday

It may still be August but, at long last, there has been a significant amount of rainfall over the past 24 hours.

Bar a few exceptions, assessing a horse’s ability to handle cut in the ground has not been much of a factor for a large part of the Flat season so far, but it will come in to play at Sandown on Saturday, where the going is likely to be soft.

Unsurprisingly, there are a significant number of runners declared with a liking for softer conditions, so I have taken a closer look at the seven-race card and identified five mudlarks that it could be worth keeping an eye on in particular.

I have skipped out the second race, the Group Three Atalanta Stakes, as a vast number have shown an ability to handle soft ground, including Alobayyah, Cathedral, Spiritual, Bright Thunder and Fair Point.

Jamie Osborne’s German-bred six-year-old has ran five times this year, but has not been seen to best effect on going faster than ideal.

He was not beaten far on Good to Soft last time, however, and a closer look back through his form reveals his best performances have came in Italy and Germany on much more testing ground.

His best performance on the figures came when finishing third in Group Two company in Milan last November on Heavy, whilst he had previously won a Listed race at Munich on Soft and, earlier that season, won impressively at Dresden on Heavy.

His sire Soldier Hollow also relished soft ground, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on this weekend with conditions in his favour.

This filly also lines up in the opening race over 7f and her best effort by far came on heavy ground in a Listed race at Newbury in October, comfortably accounting for the now 104-rated Saqqara Sands.

Ellaria Sand ran with credit in the Firth Of Clyde last season on quick ground, but her sole effort on Heavy remains by far her best performance. 

In her three runs this season, she has finished fourth on the all-weather, ninth on Good in the Fred Darling Stakes, and then has not been seen since trailing home eighth in the German 1000 Guineas.

Conditions were officially Soft that day, but she was keen and the step up to Group Two level may just have been beyond her. She remains of interest at Sandown on Saturday granted plenty of rain.

Despite the largely dry summer, Gary and Josh Moore have done well to get three runs into this five-year-old, two of which have came on Good to Soft, running creditably in the Lincoln and finishing second on Oaks day at Epsom.

He was never a factor at Goodwood on ground described as Good last time out, but he came into his own in two runs on Heavy ground last year, winning both of them - the first by six lengths and the second by half a length over another soft ground lover in Rhoscolyn.

He then finished fourth in a hugely competitive handicap on Futurity Trophy day at Doncaster.

Given the form he has shown throughout his career on ground Soft and Heavy, he would be of huge interest on Saturday should the ground be of a similar description.

Another in the 3.00 that may well appreciate conditions is the William Haggas-trained Castle Cove.

We have less evidence to go on here, being a four-year-old with just five runs under his belt, but he made a winning debut on Good to Soft before being unplaced as the even-money favourite on Good to Firm the following month.

He made a winning return to action on Soft at Chester in June, a clear career which led to him being sent off the 7-2 favourite at Goodwood last month, only for him a very respectable, but nevertheless slightly disappointing sixth of 18.

A half-brother to Middleton winner and Prix Vermeille runner-up Lilac Road, who also handles a bit of cut (as well as faster ground), the evidence so far suggests this gelding is well capable of running well in testing conditions, when some in this race are yet to prove it.

The veteran Blind Beggar has not run on very testing ground many times during his 60-race career, which is a shame, because his record on it is very impressive.

His form figures on Heavy read 112, whilst he has finished second on four occasions on ground described as Soft. The seven-year-old will be making his debut for Jessica Macey, his fifth trainer, having left Mick Appleby for 15,000 guineas.

He also has a 100 per cent record over course and distance, having scored here in July on ground described as Good.

This versatile son of Equiano is well capable of outrunning his odds from a prominent position in a race lacking in proven soft ground specialists.