Four Sandown races form the bulk of ITV Racing coverage on Saturday, 30 August with the Group 3 Atalanta Stakes for fillies and mares over a mile, plus the juveniles only Solario Stakes acting as co-features. The latter event from the Esher venue produced this season’s leading miler Field Of Gold 12 months ago.
Seven two-year-olds seeking Solario success have a long way to go to match his exploits, but Godolphin, Juddmonte and Wathnan Racing all have runners in the contest. Supporting the Pattern races are a couple of decent handicaps over seven furlongs and a mile-and-a-quarter. With autumn on the way, faster ground horses may not have optimum conditions much longer.
The Atalanta Stakes attracts 14 fillies and mares to Sandown races, meanwhile, including four previous course winners. Alongside a couple of races from Chester, the Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes gives fans of speedy horses their fix. That’s a bonus we’ve added in to our preview with so many old favourites facing the flying five furlongs in Yorkshire.
Guiding you through the best of the action on ITV are our experts. They take a look through the form book, so you don’t have to. Spotting some value odds on horse racing betting sites is their weekly task. Read their thoughts and analysis on our five featured races on terrestrial television below as we reveal their Saturday selections…
Sandown Races Preview for Saturday, 31 August
1:50 Sandown – 7f Class 3 Handicap (0-95)
There are some more lightly-raced three-year-olds who haven’t had the volume of racing Kodi Lion has this season, however, as he prepares for an eighth start of the campaign. Ed Walker saddles handicap debutant Woroodd, who has won his last two and now receives an opening mark of 85. It’s hard to say whether that reflects his ability, though, based on the meagre opposition encountered so far.
Instead, it could be worth forgiving HEADMASTER his own handicap bow at Goodwood. He raced very wide under an unfamiliar rider and lost all chance on rain-softened ground. Now with Tom Marquand back aboard, dropped 1lb and provided the showers stay away from Greater London, Headmaster is one to consider each-way here on just his fifth career start.
Tom Clover has been in good form during the second half of this month, meanwhile, so God Of War could also go well. Last year’s winner Glenfinnan is 11lb lower than when landing this by a neck for Michael Dods. He’s shown nothing since, however. Ollie Sangster has Ellaria Sand making her handicap debut off 95 and, if rain comes, Oisin Murphy’s mount would have claims at Sandown races with her Listed form franked from Newbury.
2:05 Beverley – Listed 6f Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes
David O’Meara brings Star Of Lady M back to the track after more than 300 days off for her reappearance. On adjusted figures, she comes out the same as Regional but, although she progressed to win this grade last autumn, there’s no substitute for race fitness. Last year’s winner Clarendon House has refused to race more than once since and concedes weight all-round.
It’s tempting to suggest three-year-old fillies Adrestia, so unlucky to miss out on a big handicap at Goodwood, and First Instinct as they both look capable of going in at this level. Clive Cox has a strong hand, however, so hedging on REDORANGE, also unfortunate in recent races, and KERDOS should the rain come. Like Regional, the latter has spent a lot of the last couple of seasons in Group races, but landed this in 2023.
Cox, who has three wins in the last four editions of the Beverley Bullet, books Paul Mulrennan for the ride on Kerdos. Oisin Orr gets the leg-up on Redorange, meanwhile, so their handler relies on northern jockeys to do the business. Any of the remainder winning would be something of an upset with Shagraan stuck between handicaps and Pattern company.
2:25 Sandown – 1m Group 3 Atalanta Stakes (Fillies & Mares)
Classy performance
The Andrew Balding-trained Blue Bolt captures the Listed @Coral Distaff 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/PadVFiYntT
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) July 5, 2025
Coral Distaff heroine BLUE BOLT looks to have been laid out for a return to Sandown races ever since the Eclipse card. Andrew Balding and Juddmonte combine with this Blue Point filly, who brings an unbeaten record on turd and progressive profile to the table. Blue Bolt held re-opposing runner-up Cajole by a length over course and distance here in July, so can follow-up and continue her upward curve.
William Haggas pitches the once-raced Alobayyah in here off a break of more than 300 days. Her prominent place in the betting puzzles somewhat as she concedes race-fitness to the entire field and the form hasn’t worked out well. Bigger threats to Blue Bolt could emerge from other three-year-olds in Amo Racing’s Cathedral and Sangster runner Flight.
The former has left Ralph Beckett and joined Kevin Philippart de Foy, but a repeat of her Coronation Stakes fourth when home in front of Flight is Group 1 form. As for Sangster’s filly with Murphy on board, if she could reproduce the 1000 Guineas second from Newmarket, then that would be good enough to win this.
American Gal finished in front of Cajole when a narrow second in this grade at Ascot last time, and that ties her in with the Coronation form as she also beat Chantilly Lace. For the older generation, Spiritual sets a clear standard, but John & Thady Gosden’s four-year-old concedes 9lb to the youngsters. For all she likes the track, she ran no race at all in France last time.
3:00 Sandown – 1m 2f Class 2 Handicap (0-105)
A @godolphin 1-2 in the UP Handicap as Dangerman fends off Desert Shadow for John & Thady Gosden 🔵 pic.twitter.com/U6LY8qB65I
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) August 7, 2025
Going up in Class demands further improvement, so there are dangers. Chief among them is London Gold Cup winner Saddadd for Roger Varian. We haven’t seen him since Newbury, however, and while third home Quai De Bethune has franked the form by landing the Golden Gates during Royal Ascot, his absence from the track is a slight concern. Saddadd is also up 6lb for a cosy neck victory, but has a break of 105 days to overcome.
Other past course and distance winners in the line-up to consider, meanwhile, are Brioni and Flying Frontier. The former, trained by Alan King, wouldn’t mind some more cut in the ground. Flying Frontier represents James Tate and has only received a 1lb nudge from the assessor for beating Sir Busker by a neck here on the Eclipse card. He also won this race 12 months ago off a 3lb lower mark, so looks a good each-way bet to go in again.
Of those coming on to Esher from the Chesterfield Cup at Goodwood, Castle Cove fared best as the sixth home. He is also 2lb better off with Grey Cuban from Chester for Marquand and Haggas here. If something from the top of the weights is going to oblige, then it might be Jeff Koons who, despite a welter burden now, hit the frame over course and distance in Listed company in July.
3:35 Sandown – 7f Group 3 Solario Stakes
TIME TO TURN takes the Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes, giving Charlie Appleby a fifth win in seven years, with @WilliamBuickX in the saddle. pic.twitter.com/NmP7OdHY3A
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 25, 2025
Publish saw the horse who beat him here on racecourse debut defeated in turn. His own victory has seen the second and eighth come out and win, but others fail to advertise it. Publish is very short in the circumstances, but clearly runs well here. Godolphin’s Pacific Avenue has done nothing wrong in just landing a Newmarket novice over the trip, meanwhile.
Similar comments apply to He’s Waliim, who bolted up at Beverley but doesn’t appear to have beaten much in the process. Chesham winner Humidity looked like a juvenile going places after Royal Ascot, but the wheels fell off at Goodwood and he now needs to bounce back. So does A BIT OF SPIRIT but, if he runs up to his mark of 107, it will take a good horse to beat him.
Cox’s horse was unlucky in the Pat Eddery at Ascot and nearly got back up to win when headed. While the mile seemed to stretch him at this stage of his career down at Salisbury last time, A Bit Of Spirit looks each-way value and brings more experience than the market principals to the table. Although the other two in the field are last time out winners, this is a big step up for them.
