Pick of the Pundits – Chain Lightning to cause Sandown storm
Published:Garry Owen absolutely nailed it yesterday when napping Street Secret at Epsom yesterday.
Roger Varian’s three-year-old kept on gamely to keep 7/2 favourite Ramona Chase at bay and punters who follow Owen’s naps would have been very impressed with the 6/1 winner.
Today Owen is one of five writers napping Chain Lightning in the 4.35 at Sandown and the 2/1 favourite has plenty of positives for punters to focus on.
16:45 Sandown: Chain Lightening – 2/1
This Class 3 handicap is a step back in class for Richard Hannon’s three-year-old who started the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot as the 6/1 favourite on his last start.
Chain Lightning failed to justify his favouritism finishing eighth, but he was only three lengths off the leader and his middle draw was more of a hindrance than a help as Richard Hughes failed to settle Chain Lightning.
He was the subject of a huge gamble pre-race at Ascot and while the eighth place looks a blot on his form, finishing just three lengths off the winner in a 29 runner-field isn’t disgraceful.
Chain Lightning returns to the course where he produced a run that led to him becoming the subject of a huge gamble at Ascot, and his Sandown win in April is good enough form to land this race.
That form has been enhanced with wins for runner-up Dominant and fourth-placed Samurai Sorwd in that Sandown race, and punters should remember why they took the gamble on Chain Lightning at Ascot rather than the subsequent run.
The dangers in the race are The Only Key who looks a huge each-way price at 10/1 considering his win over course and distance 20 days ago, while the filly Oceanway and Barry Hill’s Gunner Lindley should also be respected.
Sweet Origin is the subject of an early morning gamble, being supported in to 7/1 from 9/1, but Chain Lightning should do the business.
