We’re in for a midweek treat as Sandown hosts a cracking evening card with two listed and two Group 3 contests up for grabs.
Only five line up here for this staying contest, but it has the makings of a well-contested Group 3.
Get the best Henry II Stakes odds from the online horse racing betting sites here.
Group 3 Henry II Stakes runner by runner betting guide – 2m
🏇 5 Trawlerman (4)
- Age: 7
- Weight: 9st 4lb
- Form: /323-5
- Rating: 118
- Jockey: William Buick
- Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
- Odds: 10/11
He may not have won since October 2023, when getting the better of the recently retired Kyprios in the Group 2 Long Distance Cup at Champions Day at Ascot, but Trawlerman looks a cut about his rivals here.
In his last four runs, Trawlerman has chased home Tower Of London and a peak Kyprios twice, and even though he was turned over as the favourite on his comeback at Meydan, it was a more than satisfactory return to the track. Should Trawlerman run to anywhere near the level that saw him chase home Kyprios in the Ascot Gold Cup and Long Distance Cup, he will prove very hard to beat.
Star rating: ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️
🐎 Bet on Trawlerman with Betfred 🐎
🏇 1 Al Nayyir (1)
- Age: 7
- Weight: 9st 4lb
- Form: 21D5-58
- Rating: 113
- Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa
- Trainer: Tom Clover
- Odds: 7/2
When arriving at Tom Clovers from France, Al Nayyir looked as if he was going to be a force to be reckoned with in the staying division when narrowly denied by Vauban on his first start for his new yard. That run was followed by an impressive win on the bridle in the Listed Rose Bowl Stakes, but the victory was soon taken away from connections as Al Nayyir was found to have taken a banned substance.
Al Nayyir never really kicked on from that and found the Long Distance Cup too much for him at the end of the season. He made an early start to his season with a fifth in a Group 2 handicap at Riyadh in February and then finished eighth in a Group 2 at Maydan, where he was over three lengths off Trawlerman. He needs to find something like the form that saw him burst onto the scene last season to get the better of the Trawlerman.
Star rating: ⭐️⭐⭐️
🐎 Bet on Al Nayyir with SBK 🐎
🏇 3 Coltrane (2)
- Age: 8
- Weight: 9st 4lb
- Form: 5643-2
- Rating: 112
- Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- Trainer: Andrew Balding
- Odds: 11/2
Coltrane is another of today’s runners who has seen the backside of Kyprios more times than he cares to remember, and connections will be delighted that they don’t need to deal with the staying superstar anymore.
However, Coltrane needs to find his spark again if he is to have a serious chance of winning here. His comeback run was disappointing when turned over at odds-on by Yashin in the Group 2 Sagaro Stakes, and it didn’t help that he started hanging under pressure inside the final furlong.
Having a course and distance win to his name is a plus, but it is hard to be confident that he can show his old self on the back of his last run, even if he does come on for the run fitness-wise.
Star rating: ⭐️⭐
🐎 Bet on Coltrane with talkSPORT BET 🐎
🏇 2 Burdett Road (3)
- Age: 8
- Weight: 9st 4lb
- Form: 50416
- Rating: 111
- Jockey: Hector Crouch
- Trainer: James Owen
- Odds: 13/2
It’s always interesting when a high-class hurdler reverts back to the flat, and the same goes for Burdett Road, who ran a career-best over hurdles when finishing second in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Yes, it was a very fortuitous second-place finish in what was one of the most dramatic Champion Hurdles in living memory.
Still, he showed that he had improved as a hurdle this season, finishing third in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton behind Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth. The last time we saw him on the flat, he was sixth behind, you guessed it, Kyprios, but only a head behind Al Nayyir and a further three lengths behind Trawlerman.
If they adopt his usual front-running tactics, he will be the one that will take on Trawlerman for the lead, and given that he should have more to come back on the level being a five-year-old, he may prove the biggest threat to Trawlerman.
Star rating: ⭐️⭐⭐️⭐
🐎 Bet on Burdett Road with bet365 🐎
🏇 4 Tashkan (5)
- Age: 7
- Weight: 9st 4lb
- Form: 05930-
- Rating: 106
- Jockey: Jim Crowley
- Trainer: Brian Ellison
- Odds: 40/1
This is a huge ask for Tashkan on his first start of the season, and it would be a massive early-season shock if Tashkan suddenly found 12lb improvement out of the blue here. He’s easy to overlook here.
Star rating: ⭐️
🐎 Bet on Tashkan with Paddy Power 🐎
Group 3 Henry II Stakes verdict
All being well, this should go the way of TRAWLERMAN. His form is far superior to his rivals, and with race fitness on his side, this should be a straightforward task for the son of Golden Horn before going on to take another crack at winning the Ascot Gold Cup next month.
About the author
Andrew Halligan
My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube’s The Finishing Line Podcast. Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you’re a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.
You can follow Andrew on X (@Halligan88).
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