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SKY BET SUNDAY SERIES DATE: Sunday 20th August 2023

LOCATION: Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, KT10 9AJ

Opening in 1875, Sandown Park was the first purpose-built racecourse for leisure, charging an attendance fee (of at least half a crown) to spectators. Sandown was also the first course in England to have a dedicated members’ enclosure. Flat or jumps, Sandown Park has been the backdrop to a whole host of legendary races featuring an array of household names – trainers, jockeys, and horses.

Close to the capital, Sandown has always been a hugely popular venue, and that is perfectly illustrated by the fact that the Queen Mother nominated Sandown as her favourite racecourse. Although briefly requisitioned by the War Department (1940-1945) during the Second World War, Sandown Park has functioned as a racecourse for fast-approaching 150 years. Notable Flat races include the Classic Trial (April), the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (May), the Eclipse Stakes (July) plus the Atalanta and the Solario Stakes (August).

Sandown Park is a right-handed galloping oval circuit of 1m5f, with a four-furlong uphill run-in. Down the centre resides a separate diagonal 5f sprint track which also features a steady rise to the finish. On soft ground on the round course, the jockeys often elect to tack over towards the stands’ side rail.

John & Thady Gosden (7-31; 23%, £-12.27) saddled most winners at Sandown Park last year, with the equally well-stocked Newmarket stables of Charlie Appleby (6-25; 24%, -£9.00), Sir Michael Stoute (5-13; 38%; +£35.75) and William Haggas (5-21; 24%, -£2.35) all in close proximity.

Devon-based Rod Millman (4-12; 33%, +£20.75) flew the flag for the smaller and less powerful stables. Safari Dream (x2) showed himself to be an upwardly mobile juvenile, while Cuban Mistress and Fast Steps also contributed to Millman’s solid Sandown strike-rate.

In the absence of three-time Champion Oisin Murphy, William Buick took the Flat Jockeys Championship for the first time in 2022 with a total of 157 winners. Buick, the retained rider for Godolphin, was also the leading jockey at Sandown Park (10-46; 22%, -£7.75), finishing two ahead of Tom Marquand (8-40; 20%, +£10.40).

Andrea Atzeni (5-10; +£15.25) and Jim Crowley (4-8; +£8.33) were infrequent Sandown visitors, although usually managed to make their presence felt, posting an impressive 50:50 winners-to-rides ratio. Furthermore Ryan Moore - the retained rider at Aidan O’Brien’s all-conquering Ballydoyle stable - posted a respectable tally of 5-21 (24%, +£7.50).

“I haven’t had a massive number of rides at Sandown, but I have ridden a couple of winners there. One of those was during my amateur days and the other was aboard Yorkshire Lady in the 2021 Sky Bet Sunday Series. They say that you want to be on, or close to, the inside rail. Sandown is a track which can produce stirring finishes, as we witnessed in a thrilling climax to last year’s Sunday Series.”

“Sandown has been such a lucky track for me over the years, what with Judicial winning a Group race in 2018, and of course Euchen Glen. With such a stiff finish you can take the opportunity to ride a bit of a waiting race, as I did with Euchen Glen in last year’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Even with such a small field there was a good gallop on in that race. As with Haydock, the ground conditions can sometimes become very testing, and that’s when the jockeys elect to shun the inside rail in favour of coming middle to stands’ side.”

Four horses – Golden Voice (William Haggas), Duke Of Verona (William Jarvis), Island Bandit (Heather Main) and Dance In The Grass (Charlie and Mark Johnston) – were unbeaten (2-2) at Sandown in 2022.

Rod Millman’s Safari Dream (2-3; 67%) also enjoyed a profitable season at the Esher venue, although he did have to wait for the outcome of a British Horseracing Authority appeal before being reinstated as the winner of the Sky Bet Sunday Series Nursery Handicap.

The Sky Bet Sunday Series came to a thrilling climax as Evaluation - seeking a £100,000 bonus for being the first horse to win three races during the series – wandered after hitting the front and was reeled-in close home by the fast-finishing Duke Of Verona (William Jarvis).

The Keith Dalgleish-trained runner, a 30,000gns recruit from Sir Michael Stoute (formerly owned by Her Majesty The Queen), had previously notched all-important Sunday Series victories at Musselburgh and York. It was to the immense credit of Dalgleish and owners Sir Ian and Ms Catriona Good that they took the bitter pill of defeat in such a gracious and sporting manner.

Earlier, Mokaatil – winner of the Dash at Epsom the previous year – had knuckled down to take the 5f sprint in the hands of the capable 7lb claimer Connor Planas, while an in-form Andaleep completed a hat-trick of summer wins for Daniel & Claire Kubler.

The other races on the seven-race card were taken by Safari Dream (Rod Millman), Knockhill (Kevin Philippart De Foy), Invigilate (Sir Michael Stoute) and Island Bandit (Heather Main).