Writer Could Make Fairytale Start At Sandown

This is my first blog post since the final day of the York Ebor Festival which ended on a frustrating note. My strongest fancy of the day, and probably the whole week, was First Flight in the last race but he got trapped out wide, didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs and when he did find daylight he flew home. However, he just left it too late and he could only manage 6th, beaten less than a length for 4th. What made it even worse was that I was waiting on him for the placepot (for £2.50) and it paid over £900. If he had been placed at 25s God knows what it would have paid, and I wasn’t a happy bunny on Saturday evening.

 

David Menuisier's 2yos have gone well this season.

I am sure regular readers know by now the high regard in which I hold David Menuisier, and indeed I tipped up Make Time in the Strensall Stakes last Saturday. The horse ran a stinker but it subsequently emerged post race that he sustained an injury that severely curtailed his performance. He is still a horse to keep onside, as is Contrapposto once he returns from injury. Vintager was an impressive winner of a 2yo maiden a couple of weeks ago and he goes in the Solario on Saturday at Sandown. It would be no surprise to see him produce a big run at odds of 9/1.

Menuisier has another interesting debutant at Sandown on Friday and I think History Writer could be worth a small e/w bet in the 7f maiden at 14.45. This 2yo son of Canford Cliffs has a lovely pedigree, out of a Hawk Wing half sister to Group 3 12f winner Sub Rose and Listed 12f winner Astonishing. Her grand dam Magic Gleam was a Group 2 mile winner and History Writer should have no issues starting out over a trip of 7f.

His sire Canford Cliffs is a good source of speed and though he perhaps hasn’t become the sire that some may have expected, he still has a more than respectable strike rate with his 2yo runners, 40 winning from 112 runners (36%). He also has a 33% strike rate with his runners at 7f-9f so History Writer’s pedigree suggests that a good run could be on the cards on debut. Menuisier has had 3 2yo runners so far this season with one winner and one runner up. He also has a fine record at Sandown, and from 5 runners he has had 1 winner with a couple of 2nds and a couple of 4ths.

The booking of Richard Kingscote catches the eye as it will be only his second ride for this yard. However, it has to be viewed as a positive given his uncanny knack of riding winning 2yos for his boss Tom Dascombe. There are soft ground winners on the dam side of History Writer’s pedigree so the good to soft ground is not a worry, and he has entries in the Group 2 Royal Lodge and the Group 1 Dewhurst. He must have been showing Menuisier plenty at home for him to give him those lofty entries and at odds of 16/1 History Writer could be worth chancing each way.

STEVOS’ SELECTION: 14.45 SANDOWN-HISTORY WRITER E/W @ 16/1 He