BRITISH 2yo RACING 2008 - Horse Summary
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Saunton Sands  (CH C, Jan 25) [Picture]
TRAINER
OWNER
SIRE
DAM
GRANDSIRE
SALES PRICE
A. G. Newcombe D Bramhill Best Of The BestsVictoriet (Pedigree)Hamas [TB]

Racing Summary
DATE PROFILE/COMMENTS
12 Apr Which brings us to the pleasant surprise in the group with Saunton Sands. Now, when you get a horse bred by the trainer and he has very few 2yo runners and even rarer winners you don't expect much. You suspect you are going to see a rabbit like Percy's C. or a bits-and-pieces stodgy mover like Sharp D. or some other combinations of disappointments. The piece below that headline says the dam never won in 4 seasons (she ended her 5yo season on January 1st to add some meaningless 'to be fair') and has produced a half brother who didn't achieve a worthwhile rating in three runs in two seasons. At which point the expectation levels don't shift the needle at all.
  • But the horse is much better than that and in a brief summary if this thing can't win at 2yo it's the trainer who's cocked it up and not the paddock reviewer. He came into the pre-parade in a full rug and was jig-jogging away. He has four white socks which can make any horse look more athletic than they are but you satisfy yourself he can actually move ok and it's isn't just go-faster-stripes. He's close to the tallest in the field and is more heavily built than most and more so than Dazzling Dust and is deeper bodied. The picture shows him unrugged and when he had settled down and carrying his head down and doesn't show him to his best. You might well say he looks a little stodgy although his overall shape, balance & maturity is fine. For comparison the lass leading him is probably close to 5' 8'' and much taller than the girl with Percy's Corismatic.
  • It's at this point you hope he doesn't finish a promising third or reveal his promise more widely. He starts at 33/1 and you hope for a run well buried away that looks dreadful in the form book so he's be at least that next time. His trainer's lack of preparation helps and he runs a un-noticed race. Slow out of the stalls he shows some promise in getting to the front of the outpaced group at halfway before being allowed to drift back and be eased later on. The jockey gives him a quiet and educational ride. When he got a bit tired he showed a more reaching, galloping stride, rather than a quick-snap sprinter and this along with his strong build suggest he might need time and a 6f+.
  • If you go back and look at his pedigree you can convince yourself it is a bit more usable than it looks. His dam cost 20,000 guineas although by a middling (at best) stallion so presumably she had some positives. She made her debut on March 31st at 2yo and almost made the first three in some minor races. Her first foal was by the poor sire Zaha and this one is by Best Of The Bests who would rate a better bet. He had a good enough start with his first 2yos in 2006 and four different 5f winners. 2007 was less good but he wouldn't be a real negative.
  • To make the point try looking at these pictures 2yos by Best Of The Bests and compare them to Saunton Sands. Here's a small and no good one - Princess Zada = well he must be better than her. This one is Langham House who would have a similar profile - an owner bred for a trainer who doesn't have much of a record with 2yos. Well, more like him, a bigger type but less well built and not as neatly put together as Saunton Sands. He managed 4th places in 7-8f maidens at minor courses and got an OR70 and you would think Saunton Sands could do better. The best 2yo by the sire so far is probably Resplendent Alpha who was a very strongly built, bull, of a shorter juvenile. He won a couple of races and finished on an OR86 rating. Well, he's a bigger frame and perhaps as strong although we don't know if the parts add up to a whole that can shift itself adequately.
  • Anyway, definitely one to track and see how he develops because he's much better than his pedigree, trainer and 9th on debut at 33/1 make him sound.
  • ~Comm~
    2008 SEASON RUN DETAILS
    Run Rc # Date Course Dist Gng RcCls RcTyp SP Postn [Est] [Prf] RnSty RcPc Notes Hdgr
    113Apr 9BATH5GGS5M339-1012 B7AvQtRd, B-2 Inx, SResp+2f, -4.5Hf, Esd-1f+
    279May 14BATH5G6M6611-12-424 B12OkBBmp-1 Held, QtRd, -7.5Hf, SRespLt, NPIR
    3450Aug 2GDWD7GF2Mcg10016-16-3724 Unbal bend+2f,
    ~END~
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    Saunton Sands:-  Pedigree Details
    DAM Name Previous Foals and their Racing Performances Foal Years General Notes
    Victoriet 2 previous foals.
    Half to :-
    • +unp 6f 2yo/unp 6f 3yo Pedlar Of Luck (TB, rtd 0)
    dam unp 5-7f 2yo/unp 7-9f 3yo/unp 9-11f 4-5yo (20k, rtd 32/48/39), made Mar 31st debut at 2yo,
    half to 1 winner
    DAM 97 =
    • 03 POL
     

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