February 13 / 15.05 Sandown

15.05

Soft

Team Forces Royal Artillery Gold Cup (A Chase For Military Amateurs) (In Association With Boxxe)

  • Prize money: £7333.5
  • 3m 0f 37y
  • Class 3
  • 5 runners
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Team Forces Royal Artillery Gold Cup (A Chase For Military Amateurs) (In Association With Boxxe)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Chase Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

Form: 15-472 CD BF

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 5lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 125

Form & Verdict
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.
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

OUR TIP

Form: F4-6P1 CD

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 5lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 120

Form & Verdict
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.
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

Form: 1-1121 D

Last run: 81 days

W: 12st 5lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 127

Form & Verdict
9yo who is lightly raced for his age and made it four wins from his last five starts, and 2-3 over fences, when scoring at Uttoxeter (3m, soft) in November; has a progressive profile and could play another leading role.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3

13th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:05 Sandown

Roccovango

12st 5lb

J: Miss Brodie Hampson

T: Olly Murphy

9yo who is lightly raced for his age and made it four wins from his last five starts, and 2-3 over fences, when scoring at Uttoxeter (3m, soft) in November; has a progressive profile and could play another leading role.

2/1

Form: 2/2-2P

Last run: 54 days

W: 12st 0lb

10 yo Gelding

OR: 130

Form & Verdict
May have bounced when pulled up on heavy ground at Haydock in December on second start back from a long absence, and he's had wind surgery since; prior to that he reappeared with a good second at Ludlow (3m1f, good to soft) and is a major player if rediscovering that form; has won on soft.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

2

24th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

3m 0f 30y

Class 3

18:40 Bangor-on-Dee

Frenchy Du Large

12st 0lb

J: Ned Fox

T: Venetia Williams

pressed leader

9/2

7th

2

24th Apr 2025

Good To Soft

3m 0f 30y

Class 3

18:40 Bangor-on-Dee

Frenchy Du Large

12st 0lb

J: Ned Fox

T: Venetia Williams

pressed leader

9/2

4

13th Feb 2025

Soft

3m 0f 37y

Class 3

15:05 Sandown

Frenchy Du Large

12st 0lb

J: Sgt Nick Oliver

T: Venetia Williams

May have bounced when pulled up on heavy ground at Haydock in December on second start back from a long absence, and he's had wind surgery since; prior to that he reappeared with a good second at Ludlow (3m1f, good to soft) and is a major player if rediscovering that form; has won on soft.

11/4

Form: 3P/P-6

Last run: 20 days

W: 12st 0lb

9 yo Gelding

OR: 99

Form & Verdict
Two-time chase winner but he was well beaten in the Grand Military Gold Cup last time and a similar outcome can be expected today.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7th

5

10th May 2026

Good

2m 5f 55y

Class 5

17:10 Ludlow

Steady The Ship

10st 8lb

J: Tabitha Worsley

T: Steph Cameron

Pulled up in three successive chases before finishing tailed off back over hurdles; no appeal.

50/1

12th

9

27th Mar 2026

Good

3m 0f 26y

Class 5

16:50 Wetherby

Steady The Ship

10st 13lb

J: Ben Poste

T: Steph Cameron

0-7 over hurdles and has been pulled up in his last three races, all handicap chases; hard to recommend.

33/1

2

15th Feb 2026

Good To Soft

2m 4f 68y

Class 5

15:20 Musselburgh

Steady The Ship

11st 8lb

J: Ben Poste

T: Steph Cameron

Made all in small-field point last April (good ground) but pulled up in two handicap chases for new stable in the autumn and arrives here with a lot to prove.

25/1

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Roccovango

RP RATINGS:

Frenchy Du Large

POSTDATA:

Farceur Du Large

Daily Mail:

Roccovango

D Express:

Roccovango

Daily Mirror:

Roccovango

The Star:

Roccovango

Daily Record:

Roccovango

LAMBOURN:

Farceur Du Large

Telegraph:

Farceur Du Large

The Times:

Frenchy Du Large

The Guardian:

Frenchy Du Large

The Sun:

Frenchy Du Large