The Solario Stakes has relatively lowly Group Three status but it has offered plenty of future Group One winners a useful stepping stone to the autumn’s championship events in recent years, including Kingman (2013), Masar (2017) and Too Darn Hot (2018), and the latest renewal at Sandown on Saturday includes several runners with obvious potential to follow their lead.
Field Of Gold, a significant improver when successful at Newmarket last month, is a logical favourite butMatauri Bay and Royal Playwright (3.35) were winners of their only starts to date and Andrew Balding’s colt could have the most scope for progress. He showed an impressive change of gear for a debutant to accelerate three lengths clear of his field in a useful time at Salisbury in July and Balding’s juveniles tend to find plenty of improvement for a run.
Beverley 1.30 Another excellent opportunity for the ultrareliable and progressive Quietness, who should grab an excellent opportunity to take her record for the season to five wins from six.
Sandown 1.50 Impossible to rule out any of the 10 runners here with confidence but the fact that Michael Dods has booked Oisin Murphy for only the second time this year to ride Glenfinnan suggests that he could outrun odds of around 12-1. Murphy was aboard when he won over seven furlong for Balding, his previous trainer, last season and this is Glenfinnan’s first step back up to that trip for his current yard.
Sandown 2.25 A significant drop in class for Tamfana, a close fourth in the 1,000 Guineas in May and she will hard to beat if close to that form.
Beverley 2.35 The bare form of Staincliff’s wide-margin win at Windsor last time has little substance as the 1-6 favourite was entitled to win as she pleased, but Jack Channon’s filly posted a very useful time as she did so and this step up to Listed company may just be a springboard on the way to even better things.
Chester 2.40 Several leading candidates have drawn wide which could leave the way open for the consistent Carrytheone from stall five.
Sandown 3.00 An early price of around 12-1 could underestimate the lightly raced Wonder Legend, who kept strong company in a five-start three-year-old season and is still very feasibly weighted off a mark of 92.
Chester 3.15 Another drop in grade for Caius Chorister, whose form when second in a Group Three at Sandown in May would probably be good on this return to Listed company.