In the 5.05 at Sandown on Friday, Jacob Cats had done all his previous winning on a sound surface, but won in good style over 1 mile 5 furlongs on good to soft going at Newmarket two weeks ago and may be capable of completing a hat-trick. The Newmarket form has been franked by the third, Always Resolute, who won in this grade at Chester last Saturday and his previous win, over two furlongs shorter at Goodwood, has also been franked by the runner-up, Vale Of Iron.
He’s gone up 5lb in the weights, but is still only 2lb higher than when winning, in this grade, on the Polytrack at Kempton last spring and may have been underestimated by the handicapper. It’s fair to say that West Sussex trainer William Knight has a fairly dismal record at Sandown, but that shouldn’t be held against Jacob Cats, who is 2-2 on the course and seems on good terms with himself at present. Jockey Andrea Atzeni has a healthy 5-22 (23%) strike rate on older horses for the yard over the last five seasons.
Selection: Sandown 5.05 Jacob Cats to win