Sandown - 24th April 2010

[mowgli77]

Apartman 1.30 Sandown (5pts EW 13-2 Bet365) (1/4 odds 1st 2) Won 3 times in the Czech Republic before finishing 2nd here, well beaten in an Aintree Grade 1 and then dotted up by 15 lengths in a 4 runner novice hurdle.

He's a machine of a horse. He was running at a mile and a mile and a quarter over there, so it's taken time to teach him to settle. He's going to make one hell of a chaser - George Charlton, trainer

Quote from RP. Might have more of a future over fences but clearly well thought of and switched stables to Paul Nicholls. Any kind of positive write up in tomorrows Racing Post and 13-2 will look huge. It beat Giorgio Quercus at Ayr, if that horse sounds familiar it is because it won while we were at Musselburgh for a PL race day. That horse is rated 130 and it slammed it by that 15 lengths easily. It is rated 17lb inferior to Petit Robin and carries the same weight of 11-0 due to it being a listed race but I think it is probably 5lb-8lb better than its 138 rating anyway. It will have its work cut out to beat the odds on favourite which is why I am going each way but this horse will be one to follow and we might see a glimpse of its potential today.

[mowgli77]

Re: Sandown - 24th April 2010 Air Force One 3.05 Sandown (5pts EW 14-1 Bet365) (1/4 odds 1st 4) Out of form and struggling to even stay on its feet lately but class often shines through and if anywhere near its true form it would beat these with a ton in hand. I see the booking of Graeme Lee as a massive positive and the ground should be fine as it has won a Grade 1 race on good ground. It might be that the horse is past it and it might be a step away from retiring but they seem to be still persevering with the horse so it must have shown something. Its highest ever rating was 160, goes off 146 today and has a real each way chance off this rating. I am hoping it will get the trip, has 3 wins over 3m1f and a 2nd off 3m2f. 14-1 is a big price if everything falls right for it, three 8 year olds have won this race in the last 10 years, including last years winner and I give Air Force One a chance today.