Expert advice: where to find the Royal Ascot clues at Sandown tonight

Sandown hosts its popular Brigadier Gerard fixture on Thursday evening and the meeting always throws up plenty of clues for Royal Ascot and occasionally beyond.

Royal Ascot begins in less than a month so, with that in mind, we look at the impact of this Sandown fixture on the royal meeting in the last decade.

National Stakes6.35 Sandown
Three Royal Ascot winners (last ten years)

The National Stakes, run over Sandown's stiff 5f track in the middle of the course, always provides an opportunity to watch some of the leading two-year-old speedsters before Royal Ascot.

However, only 2013 Queen Mary victor Rizeena has won this Listed prize and followed up at the royal meeting in the past decade.

Buratino: finished second in the National Stakes prior to his Coventry winCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Recent history reveals those finishing down the field at Sandown should not be discounted at Ascot, with Buratino landing the Coventry (2015) and Sound And Silence the Windsor Castle (2017) after being beaten in this race.

From the last six runnings of the National Stakes, at least one horse has been placed or won at the royal meeting, with four horses – Buratino included – finishing in the frame at Ascot after contesting the high-quality 2015 renewal.

Henry II Stakes7.05 Sandown
Two Royal Ascot winners

A qualifying leg for the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers' Million, this Group 3 over two miles has proved a valuable trial for the Ascot Gold Cup and a regular pointer for leading staying races later in the season, including the major handicaps.

The immensely popular Big Orange impressed when winning by five lengths in 2017 and outbattled Order Of St George to win the Gold Cup the following month, a path Brown Panther, Opinion Poll and Geordieland have tried in the last decade without quite pulling it off.

Trip To Paris: bounced back from Sandown defeat to win the Ascot Gold CupCredit: Mark Cranham

Trip To Paris could only finish second in this in 2015 but forged clear in the closing stages at Ascot a month later, while he also finished fourth in the Melbourne Cup.

It is not uncommon for the form of this race to be showcased in the top staying handicaps later in the year, with last year's third Weekender running a blinder in the Ebor, while Northumberland Plate, Cesarewitch and Melbourne Cup form have all had ties to this Sandown contest in the last ten years.

Brigadier Gerard Stakes7.35 Sandown
One Royal Ascot winner

Poet's Word won last year's Brigadier Gerard Stakes and subsequently became the first winner of the race in the last ten years to achieve further success at Royal Ascot.

Sir Michael Stoute, who has trained four of the last eight winners and saddles Regal Reality this year, watched his then five-year-old build on his Sandown run with wins in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes and the King George in July, while the trainer's Workforce finished second in the Eclipse and King George after skipping the royal meeting.

Poet's Word: warmed up for Royal Ascot with victory in the Brigadier Gerard last yearCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

Another of Stoute's recent winners, Carlton House, placed in the Prince of Wales's, with Western Hymm, Mukhadram and Tazeez all finishing in the first three of that 1m2f Group 1 at Ascot after running in the Brigadier Gerard.

Heron Stakes8.10 Sandown
One Royal Ascot winner

The Heron has arguably had the least impact of the big four Sandown contests at Royal Ascot, although Without Parole went against the general trend with success at both meetings last year.

The John Gosden-trained Frankel colt turned up at the Esher course with the 'could be anything' tag and after a workmanlike win in the Heron, he progressed to win the St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot.

Consort, the 2015 winner, finished third in the same Group 1 at the royal meeting, while Forge, Montiridge and Ashram all finished in the frame of the Jersey Stakes. Heron form has also played its part in the finishes of the Tercentary and Coronation (both 2012) and the Britannia (2010).

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