Sandown Blackbookers September 5 – Horses to Follow from Moir Stakes Day

Here are our blackbookers and horses to follow from the action.

Lepolo might not have beaten the strongest field in Race 1, but there was plenty to like about the way the lightly raced colt put them away and he looks capable of progressing quickly through the grades. The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained three-year-old botched the start and lost around two lengths before settling at the rear in a slowly run race, leaving him with plenty to do turning for home. Despite that, he quickly gathered them up in the straight and raced away to score by almost four lengths. The son of Written Tycoon had won his only previous start on the Ballarat Synthetic and remains raw, but the manner of Saturday's victory suggests there is considerable upside. The McEvoys are considering the Group 2 Stutt Stakes next, while keeping a potential Derby path open, and his relaxed racing style and ability to finish strongly suggest he should continue to improve as he gets out over further.

Fundamental Nature had excuses in Race 4 and produced some of the best closing sectionals of the entire meeting, suggesting she can make amends in similar company. The lightly raced mare began awkwardly when the intention had been to settle prominently, forcing her much further back than planned, before racing keenly when the tempo steadied and then being held up from around the 400m until nearing the 300m. Once into clear running she finished strongly into third, recording the fastest final 200m of the race and the fourth-fastest final 200m of the entire Sandown meeting, with only three runners from the Group 1 Moir Stakes going home quicker. Fundamental Nature has now won three of her six starts and resumed this campaign with a victory over Educated and Behaviour, with the latter subsequently winning earlier on Saturday's card. Her autumn form around the likes of Getta Good Feeling and Point Barrow also reads well and she looks capable of winning again shortly with a cleaner run.

Wolf Gap produced an excellent return in the Listed McKenzie Stakes and looks a three-year-old worth following into some better races this spring. The colt was slow to begin and raced keenly through the early stages before settling towards the rear, but finished strongly to grab second and recorded the fastest final 200m of the race. That performance backed up the promise he showed during a brief two-start autumn campaign, winning on debut at Warwick Farm before stepping immediately into Group company and finishing third in the Todman Stakes behind Paradoxium and Strethan Ruler. With only three career starts under his belt there should be significant improvement to come, particularly if he can sharpen up his racing manners, and he is one to keep in mind in the markets for the Caulfield Guineas as he progresses through the spring.

Extragalactic produced one of the runs of the meeting when resuming with an eye-catching fourth in the Group 1 Moir Stakes and looks ideally placed when she gets back to 1200m. The four-year-old was checked when tightened for room shortly after the start and settled in the second half of the field, with the 1000m proving a touch sharp against some of Australia's fastest sprinters. She continued to build through the line, however, producing the fastest final 400m and 200m of the entire Sandown meeting. Ethan Brown felt she would improve significantly from the outing and be much better suited at 1200m, which is supported by her form from last campaign. Extragalactic progressed from a Benchmark 62 victory over 1000m at Pakenham to win a 1200m handicap at Caulfield before finishing runner-up in the Tobin Bronze Stakes and then the Group 1 Goodwood over the same trip. Still only four and lightly raced, she looks to have returned in excellent order and appears capable of breaking through at Group level this preparation.