Brigadier Gerard Stakes: Racing tips

Brigadier Gerard was one of the greatest thoroughbreds to grace the turf in the 20th century, so it's always been a bit of a let-down to see his eponymous race at Sandown graded as a Group 3.

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Some distinctly average animals have won this contest in the last decade, with the likes of Sights on Gold and Take a Bow winning in 2003 and 2007 respectively, and 2002 winner Potemkin didn't win another race after scoring at the Esher track.

Which makes it all the more appealing, that John Gosden's St Leger winner Lucarno and Henry Cecil's Passage of Time have turned up to add a bit of spice to the race.

Passage of Time was as short as 6/4 for the Oaks last year after her win in the Musidora Stakes at York, and although she bombed badly at Epsom and hasn't won since, Cecil is still very keen on the daughter of Dansili. Her four race wins have all come on easy going and although the recent rain may see her run well, there is a sneaking suspicion that she may not last up Sandown's hill in such conditions. Still, at around 5/1, you're getting a decent price about a decent filly.

Lucarno on the other hand has no such stamina doubts after his supreme win in the Leger, but all his best form, including his Doncaster success, have all come on better going than Sandown's soft.

It's an intriguing conundrum, and one which the bookmakers have solved by making Gosden's other runner, Pipedreamer, their 10/3 favourite.

Pipedreamer looked top-class when winning the 34-runner Cambridgeshire over 1m1f last year. He was clearly fancied, too, as he went off the 5/1 favourite that day. His reappearance this season in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes was a messy affair, and although he showed he could have won it, the easy going looked to scupper his chances. As it is softer here, he looks an uneasy favourite.

Godolphin line up a fascinating runner in Happy Boy, and at the prices, it seems fair to have a punt on Frankie Dettori's mount. Happy Boy was sluicing though heavy going in Brazil last year before the Dubai-based operation scooped him up. He won a Group 3 by nine lengths in Dubai in January, and although it certainly wasn't the strongest event on the planet, he was mightily impressive.

Charlie Farnsbarns was good enough as a two-year-old to run subsequent Derby winner Authorized to within a length and a quarter in the Racing Post Trophy, and although lightly campaigned since then due to severe injury, the four-year-old proved that he retained some of that ability with a win in a conditions race at York earlier this month. He looks a decent each-way bet at around 25/1 for those fishing for a bigger price.

Verdict: 1pt win Happy Boy @ 6/1

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