Sandown Review

Hukum produced a smart performance when defying an absence of 356 days to win the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening. The six year old hadn't been seen since winning the Group 1 Coronation Cup at Epsom in June last year before suffering an injury which once threatened his career. However, Owen Burrows and his team did a tremendous job to bring him back and lower the colours of the 2022 Epsom Derby winner Desert Crown in the process. Leading inside the final furlong, he wore down Sir Michael Stoute's runner to score by half a length with four and a half lengths back to the third. Entered in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, connections have the option of supplementing him for the Prince of Wales's Stakes earlier the same week. There appeared to be no excuses for the runner-up who struck the front under Richard Kingscote with over a furlong to run. The four year old is bound to improve for the outing though and his next performance will tell us whether he can recapture his best form of last term.

Indeed, the ten times champion trainer isn't having much luck at present - Sir Michael Stoute began the campaign in blistering form in April and the first half of May but his runners have been knocking on the door during the last fortnight. His bad luck was compounded on Thursday evening when the promising Assessment pulled up in the Whitsun Cup.

Karl Burke won the Listed National Stakes with Havana Grey in 2017 and six years later one of his progeny Elite Status looked a juvenile of huge potential when blitzing his opponents in the same contest by upwards of five lengths. A 325,000gns purchase, he had scored by three lengths on his debut at Doncaster and looked even better at the Esher track pulling clear inside the final furlong. His father could only finish tenth in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot but it will take a very good two year old to lower Elite Status's colours next month.

Despite racing keenly, Top 40 entry Greek Order (2/1) won the concluding one mile three year old handicap. Tackling the trip for the first time, the well bred son of Kingman stayed on strongly to prevail by half a length. It wasn't the strongest of races but it was a good performance nevertheless given the fact Ryan Moore's mount had raced so enthusiastically early on. Rated 80, he will be suited by a strongly run mile and wouldn't be out of place in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot, if sneaking in at the foot of the weights. The fact the former champion has been keen to partner him on all four starts tells its own tale. The Roger and Harry Charlton trained colt is capable of landing a decent prize this summer.

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