The Star Sports Henry II Stakes at Sandown, run over two miles at 6.12pm, is shaping up as one of the card’s most compelling Group Three contests.
Last year’s winner Trawlerman used the race as a springboard to glory at the Ascot Gold Cup, underscoring just how significant this two-mile contest is as a pointer to the Royal Meeting.
This time around, however, Trawlerman is absent after taking longer than anticipated to come to hand this season, leaving him in a race against time to defend his Ascot crown.
John and Thady Gosden hold strong claims through Sweet William, a previous winner of this race who currently heads the betting market.
It is easy to understand his favouritism given his recent victory in the Group Three Sagaro Stakes, where he showed considerable resilience under pressure.
Sweet William battled on well in that race to get the better of Caballo De Mar, who has since gone on to win a Group One in France, giving the form a strong look.
On that running alone, Sweet William would appear to have the measure of his rivals here, but one runner at a bigger price catches the eye.
Epic Poet ran well when finishing third in the Yorkshire Cup last time out, travelling best before being outstayed by Rahiebb over the mile-and-three-quarters trip.
While that distance is probably his optimal trip, his stamina is considered capable of stretching to two miles, and he does not face an opponent of Rahiebb’s calibre on this occasion.
Epic Poet is expected to appreciate the better ground on offer at Sandown and looks likely to travel strongly enough to put Sweet William under real pressure throughout the race.
Whether he can see Sweet William off entirely remains open to debate, but he represents a rock solid each-way bet at 15/2 with Star Sports ahead of Thursday’s contest.
Given the difficulty in looking past Sweet William for the win, a straight forecast of him to beat Epic Poet is also considered worth playing as an additional option.