Good Ground, Sharp Track — Sandown Means Business Even in June

Right, pull up a stool and let me tell you about Monday's card at Sandown Park. Six races of summer jumping on ground that'll put the brakes on any soft-ground plodder worth his oats. The going is Good to Firm, Good in places — which out at Sandown, with that undulating track and that stiff uphill finish, means you want horses that travel fluently, jump with confidence, and don't need an ounce of cut underfoot to show their best. Stamina still matters here, mind you. That run-in from the last is no joke, and many a punter has been burned watching a horse flatten out on the hill after looking like a certainty two out.

It's not the Cheltenham Festival, granted, but summer jumping has its own charm, and Sandown Park racecard today is a solid afternoon's entertainment with a few genuine puzzles to solve. Let's get into it.

The Feature Race: 16:10 Handicap Chase — Small Field, Big Questions

On prize money and class, the 16:10 Handicap Steeple Chase over 2m 6f 125y (£12k, Class 4) is where the serious money is, and with just four runners, it has the feel of a match with a couple of gate-crashers lurking. This is the one to focus on.

Bagheera Ginge (8yo, rated 122) heads the weights and carries the course-and-distance form that you simply cannot ignore on a track like this. The Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies yard know Sandown inside out, and Sam Twiston-Davies in the saddle — a man who could ride a winner on a rocking horse — gives this combination every chance. On Good to Firm ground, Bagheera Ginge wants to be positive from the front, and I'd expect Sam to set sail early and make it a test of jumping and stamina rather than a sprint. At the top of the handicap, he's got to give weight away, but his course-and-distance record is the trump card here.

Nickelforce (7yo, rated 119) for Ben Case is the one most likely to give him a race. Also with course-and-distance form, Harry Bannister rides, and at 7 years old this horse is right in the prime of his jumping career. Three pounds below the favourite in the ratings, and if Bagheera Ginge makes any kind of jumping error on the good-to-firm ground — which does tighten up the margins — Nickelforce has the class to pounce. This is a proper contest between two well-matched chasers, and I wouldn't be shocked if it went to the wire.

She Is For Me Boys (7yo, rated 111) is 11 pounds off the top and Gavin Sheehan is a capable pilot, but without the course-and-distance experience of the top two, I'll leave her to the each-way merchants.

Ones to Watch: The Skelton Machine Rolls On

You cannot preview a Monday card in 2026 without tipping your hat — reluctantly or otherwise — to the Skelton operation. Dan Skelton has runners in three of today's six races, and Harry Skelton takes the reins on two of them. The man is simply relentless, and on a track like Sandown where precision jumping matters, you want the best jockey-trainer partnerships available.

In the 14:40 Handicap Hurdle, Harry partners Playful Fox (4yo, rated 99) — the youngest in the field and the lowest-rated of the six, but don't let that fool you. Four-year-olds with Skelton's polish behind them can be deceptively well-handicapped, and on ground this quick, a young horse with a good cruising speed can outrun his mark. No course-and-distance form to speak of, but the booking of Harry Skelton for a horse in this company tells you something.

Then there's Back To Cali (6yo, rated 96) in the 15:40 Novices' Handicap Hurdle over 2m 6f 7y. Top-rated in the field, Harry Skelton up, and a trip that suits a stayer. On Good to Firm ground over that distance, you need horses that travel well through their races rather than grinding it out, and Back To Cali ticks that box. Slack Alice (rated 96, Sean Bowen up for Mickey Bowen) shares the top weight and is the obvious danger — the Bowen family don't send horses on long journeys without a plan — but I'm siding with Skelton here on the basis that Back To Cali looks the more likely improver.

The Opener and the Big Field Closer

The 14:10 Juvenile Hurdle is a tricky one to call with all six runners unrated and several of them likely making their hurdling debuts or close to it. Josh Williamson takes the ride on Sudbury Hill for Harry Derham — a yard that has been quietly making waves — and the course-and-distance form on the card gives Sudbury Hill a meaningful edge over rivals without that experience. On quick ground, juveniles can be fragile things, and experience over the course matters enormously. Jonathan Burke on Lucky Sevens for James Owen is worth a mention — Burke is a sharp operator and Owen's horses often run well fresh. Ben Poste on Serragasso and Richie McLernon on Wicksey complete the picture, but this looks like a two-horse race between Sudbury Hill and Lucky Sevens on what we know.

The 16:40 Mares' Handicap Hurdle is a fourteen-runner cavalry charge that'll give your eyes a workout. Basilette (7yo, rated 100) has course-and-distance form and Daniel Sansom has been riding with growing confidence for Seamus Mullins. Best Night (5yo, rated 99) for David Pipe has the distance form and Rian Corcoran is a tidy pilot. With fourteen runners on Good to Firm ground, draw and pace will matter, and I'd be watching the market closely before committing. Lucy The Wire (4yo, rated 100) for James Owen catches the eye as the youngest in the field — Jonathan Burke's booking again suggests connections are sweet on her chances.

Going Conditions: The Ground is the Story

Let me be straight with you — Good to Firm, Good in places at Sandown in late June is as quick as you'll get for jump racing in this country without the stewards getting nervous. This ground will find out any horse that needs cut, and it will reward those with a clean action, a confident jumping style, and the fitness to sustain their effort up that punishing hill. Horses that have previously run well on this type of surface — particularly those with course-and-distance form — deserve serious respect today. Conversely, anything that's shown a preference for soft or heavy ground in its form figures should be treated with the utmost suspicion. The ground today is quick, and it will not forgive a horse that's not built for it.

Tom's Best Bets Summary

  • Best Bet: Bagheera Ginge (16:10) — Course-and-distance form, top yard, Sam Twiston-Davies. The obvious selection but obvious for good reason.
  • Each-Way: Nickelforce (16:10) — Only four runners, so each-way terms may be limited, but the course-and-distance form makes him a serious threat to the favourite.
  • Banker in the Multiples: Back To Cali (15:40) — Top-rated, Harry Skelton up, trip suits. Hard to leave out of any combination bet.
  • Speculative Punt: Lucky Sevens (14:10) — Jonathan Burke doesn't travel to Sandown for the scenery. Keep an eye on the market.
  • Watch Carefully: Lucy The Wire (16:40) — Young mare, big field, but Burke's booking in a race with prize money attached is always worth noting.

That's your lot from me. Enjoy the racing, back the ones you fancy, and remember — the ground is quick, so leave the soft-ground specialists well alone today. Good luck out there.