Sandown: Dick Turpin and Music Show starting year

Two Group 1-winning milers, Dick Turpin and Music Show, are set to make their 4-year-old debut in the Group 2 Sandown Mile on Saturday.

Dick Turpin, last seen finishing third to Goldikova and Paco Boy in the Prix de la Foret in October at Longchamp, could prove to be a major player in the European mile division this year. His only sub-par 2010 performance came in the Juddmonte International, at 10 1/2 furlongs longer than Dick Turpin’s best, and in July he won the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat by four lengths. Trained by Richard Hannon, Dick Turpin beat high-class Canford Cliffs in his first start of 2010, and has held form over various course conditions.

The filly Music Show finished her 2010 campaign with a fourth in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, but earlier in the year won the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes by two lengths, and finished second behind Goldikova in the Prix Rothschild. Trained by Mick Channon, Music Show faces males for the first time on Saturday.

Also on the Sandown program Saturday is the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes, which with six horses drew one more entrant than the Mile. Contested over one mile, two furlongs, and 70 yards, the Gordon Richards is headed by Aidan O’Brian-trained Viscount Nelson, who failed to win in five starts last year, but finished his campaign with a decent third behind Twice Over in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes. Nouriya appears to have improvement potential for trainer Michael Stoute, while twice-started Afsare, conditioned by Luca Cumani, is even less exposed.