Welcome to the Madhouse — Summer Jumps at Sandown

Right then. Pull up a stool and let me tell you about Sunday's card at Sandown Park, because there's plenty to get the teeth into even if the calendar says July and half of racing's gone to the beach. Seven races of National Hunt action in Surrey, and the ground is riding Good to Firm — which, let me be straight with you, is the kind of going that sorts the men from the boys in jump racing. Horses with any tenderness in their legs, any doubt about their constitution, will find this surface unforgiving. Stamina pedigrees matter less today than soundness and a horse that actually wants to be out there. Keep that in mind as we work through the Sandown Park racecard.

The Skelton yard is all over this card like a rash — Dan has runners in nearly every race, and Harry Skelton will be spending more time in the saddle than out of it today. When a yard sends that kind of firepower to a midweek summer meeting, you pay attention. They don't do that for the fresh air.

The Feature Race: Handicap Hurdle for the Stratford Summer Salver (16:45)

The richest race on the card — £13,700 on offer — is the Try Our Picnic Package Handicap Hurdle over 2m 2f 148y, and it's a cracking little heat with only five runners but a serious spread of class. This is your feature, no question about it.

War Correspondent heads the weights on a mark of 121 and carries the John Joseph Hanlon colours, with Paddy Hanlon in the irons. Hanlon is a rider I've a lot of time for — he's quietly effective and doesn't panic, which suits a horse at the top of the weights on quick ground. War Correspondent is a proper hurdler and the Hanlon yard travel with purpose; they don't haul horses to Sandown in July for a day out.

Edelak (rated 118) is four years old and already operating at this level — that's a serious horse in the making. He gets the tongue-tie of Harry Skelton aboard and has course form to his name marked with a [C]. On Good to Firm, a young, lightly-raced horse like Edelak could have plenty left in the tank. The concern is whether a four-year-old wants to be doing this in the height of summer, but Dan Skelton doesn't run horses to make up numbers.

Donnie Azoff is the one I'd be watching each-way at double-figure odds. Ten years old, yes, but he's a course-and-distance winner [C,D] — that's the magic combination at Sandown, a track that punishes horses who don't stay or don't handle the undulations. Jamie Snowden's gelding knows every blade of grass on this track and Isabelle Ryder is an underrated pilot. At his age he needs everything to go right, but on a sound surface with that course knowledge, he's not without a shout.

The Skelton Machine: Runners to Watch Across the Card

I said it before and I'll say it again — Harry Skelton is the man to follow today. Let's look at where the Skelton yard could land a few punches.

In the opener at 13:50, the Juvenile Hurdle, Tiny Riot carries the [D] flag — that's a distance winner, and in a four-runner race that's no small thing. These juvenile hurdles in summer are notoriously tricky to assess, but when you've got a horse that's already shown it can get the trip, trained by one of the sharpest outfits in the country, you don't need to overcomplicate it. Jonathan Burke rides Lucky Sevens for James Owen — Burke is a solid jockey who can produce a big performance on the right day, but he'll need his horse to be significantly better than its rivals here.

Keep an eye on Miss Jess Stewart aboard Just Call Me Mo for Sarah-Jayne Davies. Amateur and conditional riders can be underestimated in small fields, and Stewart has been making a name for herself. I wouldn't rule her out of a place at least.

In the 15:00 Novices' Handicap Chase, Laffer Curve tops the weights at 100 and — you guessed it — Harry Skelton is on board for Dan. A five-year-old novice chaser on Good to Firm at Sandown in July is a horse that needs to be right mentally and physically. If the Skeltons have brought him here confident, that's enough for me to take notice. Royal Time at 94 for Christian Williams and Jack Tudor is the main danger — Tudor is flying at the moment and Williams knows how to place a horse.

Going Analysis: Good to Firm and What It Means Today

Let me be blunt — Good to Firm ground in July is no place for a horse that needs cut. The summer jumping game attracts horses that are either genuine all-weather types, horses being readied for the autumn, or — let's be honest — horses whose trainers fancy a day out in Surrey. The going will find out the latter category quickly enough.

At Sandown specifically, the track has a stiff finish and the ground on the chase course can get quite quick on the run to the line. Horses with any jumping hesitancy will be exposed. In the 16:10 Course Handicap Chase, Boom Boom [C,D] is a course-and-distance specialist at a mark of 83 — on Good to Firm he might find it a touch quicker than ideal, but that course knowledge is worth its weight in gold. Definite Dream is top-rated at 99 and Brendan Powell is an experienced hand. Person of Interest at 98 for Harry Cobden and Faye Bramley is interesting — Cobden doesn't take many summer jumping rides and when he does, there's usually a reason.

In the mares' handicap hurdle at 17:20, Basilette [C,D] is another course-and-distance winner who has to be respected. The seven-year-old is rated 99 and Daniel Sansom rides for Seamus Mullins. On quick ground, proven course form is your friend. Miss Kassiopi heads the ratings at 102 with Harry Skelton — another Skelton runner, another horse to respect.

In the 14:25 Novices' Hurdle, Brionywells tops the handicap at 91 with Nick Slatter in the saddle for the McPherson yard. Slatter is a capable claimer and McPherson has been in decent form. With Stavanger Rose a non-runner, the field is down to seven and Brionywells has a clear ratings advantage. The Good to Firm ground shouldn't inconvenience a horse operating at this level in summer.

Best Bets and Ones to Watch

Here's where I land after a good hard look at the card. Take these with the usual pinch of salt — it's summer jumping, and anything can happen when the ground is quick and the fields are small.

  • Best Bet: Edelak (16:45) — Young, classy, course form, Harry Skelton. The combination is hard to ignore in the feature race.
  • Each-Way Punt: Donnie Azoff (16:45) — Course and distance winner, knows Sandown inside out. Older horse but one that genuinely loves this track.
  • Interesting Outsider: Boom Boom (16:10) — Course and distance form [C,D] in a competitive handicap chase. Each-way value if the market drifts.
  • One to Watch: Tiny Riot (13:50) — Distance winner in a four-runner juvenile hurdle. Skelton yard in form. Simple as that.
  • Dark Horse: Basilette (17:20) — Course and distance winner in the mares' handicap. Proven on this track, and that counts for a lot on Good to Firm at Sandown.

It's a fine Sunday afternoon's racing, and if you're heading to Sandown Park in person, you'll have a grand time of it. The ground will ride fair, the jumps will be jumping, and Harry Skelton will be earning his riding fee several times over. Get yourself a full look at the Sandown Park racecard before you part with your money, and remember — in summer jumping, the horse that wants to be there usually wins. Back the willing ones. Good luck to you all.