Sandrine set for Lowther spin ahead of Cheveley Park aim

Unbeaten filly has York trip on her agenda.

Sandrine is set put her unbeaten record on the line in the Sky Bet Lowther Stakes at York on August 19.

Andrew Balding’s filly has been thoroughly impressive in winning each of her three starts to date – progressing from a Kempton maiden success to landing the Albany at Royal Ascot and the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

A step up to Group One level for next month’s Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes is firmly on the agenda, but Balding is keen to first give her another outing in Group Two company on the Knavesmire.

“Sandrine looks very good and I’ve been thrilled with her last two runs. She will probably run in the Lowther next, then all eyes will be on the Cheveley Park,” said the Kingsclere handler.

“She will carry a penalty (at York), but we didn’t want to wait until Newmarket to run her again.

“She seems to be very versatile ground-wise. She is a very smart filly and is an absolute pleasure to train.

“I think her two Group wins were equally as impressive as they were under very different conditions. It was nice to see her do it on the quick ground in the Duchess of Cambridge Stakes and prove she is not a one-trick pony.”

Berkshire Shadow winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot
Berkshire Shadow winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)

Two other horses Balding hopes will contest some of the major juvenile races during the Gold Season on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile this autumn are Berkshire Shadow and Majestic Glory.

Berkshire Shadow, who won the Coventry Stakes at the Royal meeting before finishing second in Goodwood’s Vintage Stakes, is under consideration for both the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes on September 25 and the Darley Dewhurst on October 9.

Last weekend’s Sweet Solera heroine Majestic Glory, meanwhile, looks a likely candidate for the bet365 Fillies’ Mile on October 8.

Balding added: “Berkshire Shadow got a little bit lost in the ground in the Vintage before he got his act together in the last half a furlong.

“We might drop him back to six furlongs and look at the Gimcrack at York before looking at options like the Middle Park or the Dewhurst in the autumn.

“He is a very talented horse and if he encountered soft ground again, I imagine he would perform better on it now having raced on it.

“It was a very good performance that Majestic Glory put up in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday and her breeding suggests she should stay further than seven furlongs.

“She showed there she has a great attitude and she is very likeable.”

Follow us on Twitter racing365dotcom and like our Facebook page.

Latest