Best bets for the horse racing from Sandown Wednesday 18th September

They host a nice little meeting at Sandown on Wednesday and I will be getting involved. Prior warning, I am about to blurb on about Charlie Appleby again; he really should be paying me some kind of PR fee.

They face a mile at 2.20 for the British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes. Godolphin owned Charlie Appleby trained colt Never Alone was a 1,200,000 Guineas yearling and is a half-brother to Flat winners Legatissimo, Another Cocktail, Gumriyah and Smoulder; breeding would suggest this trip would be a minimum in time. He showed some promise on debut over 7f finishing third, not knocked about. Stablemate and winner that day, Royal Crusade has come out since and just missed out in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster the other day giving the form a very decent look. I have taken a bit of the 3-1. Heaven Forfend ran in what is turning into a very good looking Chesham Stakes so is feared off the back of that whilst the Gosden trained Byzantine Empire could get involved.

The Listed one-mile Chasemore Farm Fortune Stakes at Sandown due off at 3.25 is the race of the day and it is a real puzzle even with only six runners. Wootton is one I have tipped twice in the past and he takes a big step down in class having regularly been campaigned at the top table. Last Winter makes his debut on these shores for Sir Michael Stoute having finished second in a 1m2f Group 1 at Kenilworth South Africa when last seen on a track in January 2018. This years 2,000 Guineas runner-up King of Change returns to action after a four-month absence and Turgenev arrives after a fair second in the Group 2 Celebration Mile last time. Silver Line and Prince Eiji complete the line-up. Wootton has gone well fresh in the past and this stiff mile will probably suit him down to the ground; has been gelded since his most recent start in Dubai back in March. Giving the 3yo’s weight is a concern but hopefully, his class will tell as I have the 9-2.

Be lucky