Sandstormers: Jack My Boy a winner in waiting

Numerous additions have been made to the Sandstormers list.

Timeform's Matt Gardner returns with the latest update on the UK's all-weather racing scene and highlights a couple of horses worth following in the coming months...

Having posted somewhat sporadically since the beginning of December we have now settled down into a routine and can begin a more rigorous review of the most recent all-weather action, at the same time hopefully pinpointing some horses that may be ready to strike in the fairly immediate future. 

First let's deal with the couple of horses highlighted in an earlier article that have run since we last convened, namely Kaafel and Gung Ho Jack. The first mentioned was strongly fancied to follow his win last month from just a 4 lb higher mark at Lingfield on Saturday but the race turned into a messy one, with eventual winner Loyalty allowed to dictate at a steady pace. There is no denying that Kaafel was below-par, weakening over a furlong out, but it is much too soon to be writing off the Peter Hedger-trained four-year-old and he is readily granted another chance. 

Gung Ho Jack was also in action at Lingfield on Saturday, with the four-year-old attracting strong support in the market prior to race time. He could not oblige but ran creditable nonetheless, racing closer to the pace than the pair that finished in front of him before leading a furlong out and then being headed inside the final 100 yards. He definitely remains of interest from his new mark of 70, having being raised just 1 lb, and there is every chance he can be competitive on his next outing. 

Most of our attention will be focussed on last Thursday's action as, in truth, not a great deal happened in the remainder of the week! The Richard Fahey-trained Tanghan got himself off the mark at the third time of asking on his all-weather debut, having run at York and Warwick last year, and he could have hardly been more impressive in winning what was an admittedly weak race with little depth. However having had just the three starts it is not out of the question that he could prove capable of better still, particularly if finding the polytrack surface to his liking, and an opening handicap mark of 77 looks to be within his reach. 

Tanghan isn't really a get rich quick scheme unfortunately as he will have been clocked by many a punter and the suspicion is that both Stormbound and Grendisar, who also ran at Lingfield on Thursday, will be well supported on their next outings too. The first mentioned couldn't win on handicap debut but still managed to improve in first time blinkers, travelling well if a bit freely in the early stages before challenging early in the straight and flattening out in the final furlong. The Paul Cole-trained gelding is lightly raced and seems to be going the right way, so is one to bear in mind next time he takes to the track. 

Grendisar's various sales prices catch the eye, with the Marco Botti-trained colt having increased in price from a foal through to a yearling and a two-year-old, and his career to date has taken on a similarly steady ascendance as it has taken a while for him to get his act together. He was found a good opportunity to get off the mark but actually had circumstances transpire against him as he was unsuited by the emphasis on speed and would probably have won more handsomely but for idling. The 10 furlongs faced that day was barely enough of a test, with him almost certain to stay a mile and a half, and he strikes as the type to go on improving. 

A swift trip to Wolverhampton is now on the cards, where the William Knight-trained Saoi overcame unfavourable circumstances, in similar style to Grendisar, with the moderate tempo and shorter trip not playing to his strengths. The six-year-old will be suited by a return to a mile and a quarter or further and is very lightly-raced, having taken to the track just eight times, so could still be ahead of his revised mark of 83, a point he may prove in the 13:50 at Lingfield next Tuesday.  

One final horse to mention from the last week is Jack My Boy, who hails from the red-hot yard of David Evans. The six-year-old isn't the most resolute of characters and hasn't won since 2010 but he fared better than of late at Wolverhampton on Sunday and is interesting from marks around 65. He is fairly lightly raced on the all-weather and is one to bear in mind short-term, as he holds numerous entries at Kempton this on Sunday and Monday. 

Sandstormers 16/01/13

Of those to have been highlighted in past weeks two hold upcoming engagements, namely O'Gorman and Chookie Royale. The former has a yellow box next to his name on our Sandstormers spreadsheet but that isn't to warn against him, more to say that a race featuring a strong pace would enhance his chances. Both the 14:35 at Lingfield on Saturday and the 14:25 at the same track on Tuesday look to contain plenty of pace options at this stage and, were that trait to remain, O'Gorman would look to have an excellent chance of emerging triumphant. 

Chookie Royale holds an entry in the 15:20 at Kempton on Monday and, at first inspection, he would look to face a winnable task. The Lee Carter-trained Lowther would be a formidable opponent having won two of his last three and remaining with scope from his present handicap mark given his past exploits, but Chookie Royale is reliable, unbeaten in two starts on the all-weather and seems certain to give to a good go.

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