The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections for 5th July 2025

The Mandarin’s Saturday Selections from Sandown Park, Haydock Park & Naas

Sandown Park

Coral Charge (Group 3) 1.50
Kerdos
It could pay to stick with Kerdos for this Group 3 charge, and it’s certainly a lot easier that the King Charles III Stakes when he was last seen at Royal Ascot. He played up a bit in the preliminaries there, so has every chance in this grade if settling better. Christophe Soumillon is booked for Clive Cox, and I’m pretty sure Kerdos is going to be in the mix. Jack Davison’s She’s Quality is one going the right way, so rates the danger, while George Scott’s West Acre is my tempting each-way angle, for those that like to hedge their bets.

Coral Distaff (Listed) (Fillies) 3.00
Blue Bolt
Andrew Balding holds the key to this Listed Fillies’ race with Blue Bolt, who, er, rather bolted up at Newbury last time out. There was enough on show in that Novice contest to make her favourite for this, but with John & Thady Gosden on such red hot form, Cajole has to be noted for a yard that’s won two of the last three renewals, while William Haggas’s Supermodel is one also on my shortlist. Blue Bolt to go in with Supermodel the one to make her work for it.

Coral-Eclipse (Group 1) 3.35
Ombudsman (nap)
An absolute cracker of a race, possibly just losing a little of it’s edge with some withdrawals due to fast ground. Despite that, this is a field with quality right through, from Ombudsman who has just taken the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Ascot’s Royal meeting, to dual Group One winner, the French raider Sosie, who’s topping the ante-post markets for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the 2,000 Guineas winner, Ruling Court and the French Derby victor, Camille Pissarro. Although Jessica Harrington’s Hotazhell looks a big outsider in the betting, he’s no donkey having won a Group One at two, and showed all the ability is still there when third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas. As Jaysella said in this week’s Podcast, it’s a clash of the generations, as a select group of Classic season colts take on their elders for the first time at this level. However, it’s just very hard to get away from Ombudsman for this, he showed some turn of foot to land the Princes Of Wales, even with a troubled passage, but Charlie Appleby’s Ruling Court looks one that will relish this trip, while Sosie and Hotazhell might be caught too far back on ground this quick. Ombudsman to justify favouritism, with Camille Pissarro and Ruling Court to keep him honest.

Coral Golden Rewards Shaker Handicap 5.15
Nebras
I’ll take a chance on Hollie Doyle and Nebras for the last race on Coral-Eclipse day. I’m finding it easy to look past his last run here, over an inadequate mile in the Listed Heron Stakes, and now dropped into a handicap, Nebras has to be respected. Charlie Appleby’s Arabian Light is the highest rated of these, but it’s an awful lot of weight to give to Nebras, so Andrew Balding’s Best Adventure may be the next best. Nebras to score for the in-form Gosden yard, with Hollie Doyle just the girl to bring him home.

Haydock Park

bet365 Lancashire Oaks (Group 2) (Fillies & Mares) 2.40
Estrange
It’s a pity that it is such a small field for the Lancashire Oaks, but there has been so much money down on David O’Meara’s Estrange it’s beginning to look like a one-horse race. No such thing as a racing certainty though, as Jaysella is fond of reminding us, so Ed Walker’s Scenic has to be noted for the burgeoning Wathnan Racing stable. Henry de Bromhead’s Nuit and Grant Tuer’s Love Talk look up against it, so I’ll have Estrange and Scenic as my one-two.

bet365 Old Newton Cup Handicap 3.15
City Of Delight (nb)
As ever, a really good renewal of the Old Newton Cup, with plenty of likely types, but I’m going to go with David Menuisier’s City Of Delight. He’s been moving through the ranks this term, and seems to have got into a winning habit, and judged on last season’s efforts, this is City Of Light’s time of year. Ed Walker’s Sir Lowry’s Pass is another progressive sort, while Iain Jardine’s Paddy The Squire is a Golden Horn so won’t be lacking for stamina in a race that’s going to go off at a frenetic pace. That’s my three, but I’ll be chancing my arm on City Of Light under the excellent Harry Davies.

Naas

Irish EBF Pat Smullen Stakes (Listed) 4.17
North Coast
I think that the Pat Smullen is going to go to Joseph O’Brien’s North Coast. Looking back at his debut under rules at The Curragh, over 6 furlongs, his third to Aidan O’Brien’s Flushing Meadows is form that has now been franked at Group 3 level, when that rival was second to Suzie Songs last Sunday in the Anglesey. Next time out, in a Maiden at Down Royal, North Coast was pretty impressive, coming home by over 5 lengths, so this step up to a mile could be just the ticket. North Coast’s stablemate Green Soul is likely to make a race of it, but North Coast is easy enough to back.

The Mandarin