February 15 / 15.05 Sandown

15.05

Soft

Castel Royal Artillery Gold Cup (A Chase For Military Amateur Jockeys)

  • Prize money: £8555.75
  • 3m 0f 37y
  • Class 3
  • 5 runners
RTV
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Castel Royal Artillery Gold Cup (A Chase For Military Amateur Jockeys)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Partly cloudy

OUR TIP

5/4 (Won)

  • Win: £2.63
  • Place: £1.40

Form: UP-P81 CD

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 10lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
Ex-Noel Meade; £16,000 buy last August and surged back to his best form at the first time of asking for his new connections, winning the Grand Military Gold Cup over C&D (soft) three weeks ago under Major Will Kellard, a race in which Fil D'Ariane was about 15l back in third (same weights as today) and Broken Halo unseated before push came to shove; solid chance.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1

13th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:05 Sandown

Farceur Du Large

12st 5lb

J: Maj Will Kellard

T: Jamie Snowden

Won the Grand Military Gold Cup over C&D last January and followed up in this race (also soft), both under Major Will Kellard; beaten just over 1l when second to Fil d'Ariane in the Grand Military Gold Cup three weeks ago but he's 5lb better off with the selection today and has solid claims.

5/2

2nd

1

24th Jan 2025

Good

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:00 Sandown

Farceur Du Large

12st 5lb

J: Maj Will Kellard

T: Jamie Snowden

disputed lead, prominent after 2nd, lost ground before 16th, not fluent 17th, hit 18th, not fluent 3 out

6/4

2nd

1

24th Jan 2025

Good

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:00 Sandown

Farceur Du Large

12st 5lb

J: Maj Will Kellard

T: Jamie Snowden

Ex-Irish gelding who won this quite comfortably 12 months ago on his first start for Jamie Snowden and followed up in February's Royal Artillery Gold Cup (again under Major Will Kellard); the horses he beat in both those races went on to win handicaps and he too ran well to be fifth in the Midlands National; the glaring concern is the very laboured return he made in a Newbury handicap, yet none of his rivals offered a lot more on their final starts.

6/4

15/8

  • Place: £1.60

Form: 10-FPU CD

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 5lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
Won the Royal Artillery and Grand Military Gold Cups over C&D last term; still travelling with purpose when falling two out in the London National back here (3m4f, heavy) in December; struggled in Warwick's Classic Chase, but was in contention when blundering here three weeks ago in the Grand Military (race won by Farceur Du Large); that's three non-completions in a row but he'd have a big shout on last season's form.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

7th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

3m 4f 146y

Class 2

15:35 Sandown

Broken Halo

11st 4lb

J: Harry Cobden

T: Paul Nicholls

Had wind surgery (his second) since last run; scored over 3m4f at Taunton (soft) in March and was still going well (4l down, disputing third) when falling two out in this contest last year; shortlisted.

7/1

Form: 416P4- C

Last run: 378 days

W: 12st 5lb

11 yo Gelding

OR: 123

Form & Verdict
Acts on soft; had a mixed record over fences last term but seemed finally to prove his stamina for 3m; absent 378 days and although he has a good first-time-out record in recent seasons, winning at today's weights may require a little more.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

23rd May 2025

Good

3m 4f 165y

19:37 Downpatrick

Champagne Court

12st 0lb

J: Mr A P Kennedy

T: A J Kennedy

Veteran won six races between 2018 and 2022 when trained by Jeremy Scott; still has an appetite for racing, twice runner-up in points for this rider in April; one length in front of Grange Soldier at Dromahane last time.

20/1

2

23rd May 2025

Good

3m 4f 165y

19:37 Downpatrick

Champagne Court

12st 0lb

J: Mr A P Kennedy

T: A J Kennedy

Veteran won six races between 2018 and 2022 when trained by Jeremy Scott; still has an appetite for racing, twice runner-up in points for this rider in April; one length in front of Grange Soldier at Dromahane last time.

20/1

7th

2

31st Aug 2024

Good

2m 4f 216y

Class 4

16:30 Newton Abbot

Champagne Court

11st 13lb

J: Lorcan Williams

T: Jeremy Scott

in touch with leaders

10/1

Form: P-6564 D

Last run: 25 days

W: 12st 5lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 122

Form & Verdict
Goes well on heavy; runner-up over C&D last February on his only appearance at Sandown but he's not been in the same form since; needs to raise his game but at least his latest effort was his best this term.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

6

10th Mar 2025

Good To Soft

3m 4f 85y

Class 3

15:40 Taunton

Laskalin

11st 5lb

J: Miss Lucy Turner

T: Venetia Williams

Bounced back to form in first-time blinkers at Bangor (3m5f, soft) last month, winning North Wales National under Lucy Turner; it's hard to tell whether the new headgear will continue to have a positive effect, and the forecast quicker ground here is probably not ideal, but he's still 5lb lower than when second in this race a year ago.

3/1

1st

13

7th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 5f 142y

Class 4

14:12 Bangor-on-Dee

Laskalin

11st 2lb

J: Miss Lucy Turner

T: Venetia Williams

Has a similar profile to stablemate Valleres in that he's lost his way but now tries new headgear off a much reduced mark; couldn't put a line through him.

25/1

1st

13

7th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 5f 142y

Class 4

14:12 Bangor-on-Dee

Laskalin

11st 2lb

J: Miss Lucy Turner

T: Venetia Williams

Has a similar profile to stablemate Valleres in that he's lost his way but now tries new headgear off a much reduced mark; couldn't put a line through him.

25/1

Form: /33P/3

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 0lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 105

Form & Verdict
645 days off before his third in a point in December; 80-1 for the Grand Military over C&D (soft) three weeks ago and put up a bold show up front, unable to keep tabs on Farceur Du Large from two out, however, and he now has about 15l to find with that rival on the same terms.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6th

1

20th Mar 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 91y

Class 5

17:16 Newbury

Fil DAriane

12st 6lb

J: Mr Douglas White

T: Douglas White

Quite closely matched with Java Point on their Ludlow form in January (3m, good to soft) and this 11yo has held his form in points; he still looks vulnerable from a win perspective.

12/1

2nd

1

15th Jan 2026

Good To Soft

2m 7f 171y

Class 5

15:27 Ludlow

Fil DAriane

12st 6lb

J: Mr Douglas White

T: Douglas White

First and second in Sandown's military races last term (soft, good to soft) before converting an easy task in his members race at Didmarton; all rules and point wins have been gained around more testing tracks than Ludlow, and it's five years since his one winning seasonal reappearance.

20/1

2

13th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:05 Sandown

Fil DAriane

12st 5lb

J: Capt Douglas White

T: Douglas White

Inconsistent but ran well in the military races over C&D early last year and he beat Farceur Du Large by just over 1l in the Grand Military Gold Cup over C&D (soft) three weeks ago; now 5lb worse off with the runner-up but can give another good account under regular rider Captain Douglas White.

4/1

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £5.70
Straight Forecast £5.70
Trifecta £5.60

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Farceur Du Large

WEST COUNTRY:

Broken Halo

RP RATINGS:

Laskalin

The Times:

Broken Halo

The Guardian:

Broken Halo

The Star:

Broken Halo

POSTDATA:

Farceur Du Large

LAMBOURN:

Farceur Du Large

Telegraph:

Farceur Du Large

Daily Mail:

Farceur Du Large

D Express:

Farceur Du Large

Daily Mirror:

Farceur Du Large

The Sun:

Farceur Du Large

Daily Record:

Farceur Du Large