Lucky 15 Tips: Glittering evening in store at Sandown on Thursday

Thursday sees a sizzling seven-race early-evening card from Sandown, with the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes as arguably the centrepiece.

Two Listed contests and another G3 are also in there for good measure, and it's a great vehicle for our Lucky 15 tips. The list of jockeys engaged here tonight reads like a weighing room who's-who, and all that's left is to find a comfy spot and enjoy.

Our headline horse yesterday, advised at 11/4, duly kicked us off beautifully at Pontefract so after out little sojourn away from the coalface we're nicely back among the winners in successive days. Marvellous ... 

Horse Racing odds

17:42 - Napa @ 13/8

5f Listed action for two-year-olds, and all but one of the scheduled eight to face the starter have won previously.

Our selection is Napa, a Naval Crown colt out of a Galileo mare, trained by Kevin Philippart De Foy. He races in the familiar silks of Amo Racing, and David Egan has the riding assignment.

Two nice runs in his fledgling career to date; a promising intro in a mid-April Newbury maiden, beaten 2.5l, then a made-all success again at today's trip at Newmarket in a warm-looking novice (the third and fifth have both won next time out).

Solid form then, a Racing Post rating comfortably in excess of any of his rivals, and I'm guessing he'll look to blast out from the two box, as drawn. On an evening full of them, a terrific-looking contest.

18:12 - Lazy Griff @ 4/1

The seven-year-old stalwart Sweet William is likely to be all the rage for this G3 but he had a tough task disposing of Caballo De Mar at the beginning of the month at Ascot, and another would-be pretender lines up to worry him today in the shape of Lazy Griff.

The four-year-old Protectionist colt out of a Rock Of Gibraltar mare is reappearing after an absence of some 333 days, when he ran Lambourn to 3l in the Irish Derby at the Curragh.

That's over 12f, and this step up to 2m is bold - but let's not forget his sire won a Melbourne Gold Cup no less, at the trip.

I hope Charlie Johnston has him where he wants him, and the booking of Will Buick, on board in Ireland, is most encouraging. Another epic clash to savour, and they polish 'em up tough on Middleham Moor.

He's entered in the Ascot Gold Cup, going a further 4f, so connections must be very hopeful.

18:42 - Yazin @ 5/2

Three-year-olds go a mile in this Listed heat, and two rather dominate the early betting.

Talk Of New York heads the market as I write, but not too far away is a New Bay colt out of a Frankel mare called Yazin. Sporting the iconic Shadwell silks he's regally bred for the job and after a satisfactory mid-div start to his career at Kempton in September, he's unbeaten in three subsequent spins.

The last of those was a Southwell conditions stakes event five weeks ago, a good one for the track worth £16k, that he took cosily at this mile distance under today's pilot Ryan Moore.

John & Thady Gosden train, and he's entered up in the St James's Palace at the Royal meeting (as is Talk Of New York)! Cracking match-up; with talented onlookers at big-ish prices waiting to pick up any crumbs, should the principals falter.

19:12 - Gethin @ 5/2

The big one - the G3 Brigadier Gerard, commemorating the horse that in the early 1970s ran eighteen times, winning on seventeen occasions, and ending up ranked only below Frankel and Sea-Bird by industry giant Timeform in the pantheon of all-time greats on the level.

We should have another hotpot in the form of Ombudsman here, but I'm opposing him with a lightly-raced four-year-old colt by an Eclipse and Juddmonte winner; namely Gethin.

Owen Burrows trains, and owner Wathnan Racing's main man James Doyle is doing the steering. Big step up in class, this, having taken a Kempton Listed contest comfortably last time 52 days ago.

He's in the Eclipse and if he wants to emulate his sire and take a race held at this very track don't forget, a win here would be a cracking start. Last time was a meaty career-best, and getting 7lb from Ombudsman could be key.

Brilliant way to bring the curtain down on today's L15.

If all four of our selections won, today's notional 50p win Lucky 15, at the prices indicated (they can of course fluctuate), would return around £219 for a £7.50 total stake. If you can improve upon our selections (of course you can) - then go for it!

NAPS table with Betfred Insights.