Sangarius out to stamp himself better than your average Group 3 performer

7.25 Sandown
Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes (In Memory Of Joe Mercer) (Group 3) | 1m2f | 4yo+ | RTV

The Coral Brigadier Gerard Stakes is right up there with the best races run at an evening meeting all season, but it can vary quite wildly in quality. The last five runnings are a good example.

In 2016, 2018 and 2020, the highest-rated runners in the race had BHA figures of at least 118 – Time Test (118), Poet’s Word (119) and Elarqam (120) – but in the intervening years there was nothing rated higher than 114 – Calderon (2017; 114) and Regal Reality (2019; 113).

This year’s race falls into the weaker category with Sangarius boasting a BHA rating of 114. That is proven by the fact that the five-year-old finished only fourth behind Lord North and Elarqam in last year’s race.

He is likely to go off at a short price to go three places better, which further reflects the weaker nature of the event, but also trainer Sir Michael Stoute’s record in the race – he has won it 11 times, including five of the last ten, and five of his 11 winners landed Group 1s.

Sangarius looks well short of that class and couldn’t lay a glove on Armory in the Huxley Stakes at Chester last time, but that was still good enough for a Racing Post Rating of 113.

The median RPR of all Group 3 winners in Britain and Ireland since the start of 2008 comes in at 112. That suggests Sangarius is already better than your average Group 3 horse so, even if he is short of Group 1 class, he should still be good enough to beat this level of opposition.

Having said that, Extra Elusive has a career-high RPR of 118 and that is better than the average Group 2 winner. The problem is he hasn’t run to that level since August last year.

Extra Elusive: biggest danger to SangariusCredit: Francesca Altoft Photography

Extra Elusive took a step back in the right direction when third in the Gordon Richards Stakes over this course and distance last month, recording an RPR of 111. There have been five horses that competed in the Gordon Richards as a prep run for this race since the start of 2011 and one was successful. That was Western Hymn, who completed the double six years ago.

Fox Tal has an RPR of 117 on the ledger. That came in October 2019, though, when he was fourth in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, and he has been below that level since. In fact, his best subsequent run was in a first-time hood at Chester last time, when he achieved an RPR of 111.

Oriental Mystique and Euchen Glen, who is better over further, complete the line up and look to have plenty to find.
Race analysis by Graeme Rodway

Sangarius ready to make amends

Sangarius will look to win the Brigadier Gerard at the second time of asking after he finished fourth in this contest last year when it was staged at Haydock.

Talented trio Lord North, Elarqam and Telecaster finished ahead of him when he was attempting to provide Sir Michael Stoute with a 12th win in the race. Sangarius subsequently underwent wind surgery and returned with a win in Listed company at Lingfield just before Christmas.

Another wind operation followed and he found only Armory too strong on his seasonal comeback in the Huxley Stakes at Chester.

Sangarius: won the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2019Credit: Edward Whitaker

Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owners Juddmonte, said: "Sangarius was hemmed in a little at a vital stage at Chester but still ran well to be second. He was a little ring rusty that day and has improved from that.

"He should be able to handle the ground unless they get a sudden deluge and we get an extreme of going, when it turns into specialist ground. But I don’t think it will be like that."

He added: “He handled Chester pretty well and hopefully he will meet the rising ground here well in what looks a competitive race."

What they say

Hollie Doyle, rider of Extra Elusive
He'll like the soft ground and I’d like to think he will be there or thereabouts. He went to Saudi Arabia and you never know how they will cope with a trip like that afterwards, but he seemed fine and I was pleased with his run at Sandown last time.

Fox Tal (left): represents trainer Andrew BaldingCredit: Edward Whitaker

Silvestre de Sousa, rider of Fox Tal
It looks a tough race but he won’t mind the ground as it was soft when he was just touched off at Chester. If he’s come on for that comeback run then he should be in with a chance.

David Simcock, trainer of Oriental Mystique
She could do with some winning black type but it looks a tough race with two decent colts in there. She runs here rather than Haydock on Saturday, where we thought the mile and a half on soft ground would stretch her stamina.

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