July 30 / 18.15 Sandown

18.15

Good

Orbital Veterinary Services Nursery Handicap (Jockey Club Grassroots Nursery Qualifier)

  • Prize money: £6019.1
  • 0m 5f 10y
  • Class 4
  • 5 runners
RTV
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Orbital Veterinary Services Nursery Handicap (Jockey Club Grassroots Nursery Qualifier)

Runners: 5 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Mostly cloudy

Form: 105

Last run: 12 days

W: 9st 9lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 84

Form & Verdict
All three starts over 6f on good to firm; impressive when making a winning debut at Hamilton in May, before finishing down the field in the Coventry at Royal Ascot and suffering a slipping saddle when last of five in a Newbury Listed contest; drop in trip may suit and respected on nursery debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

8th

1

(5)

28th May 2026

Good

0m 5f 10y

Class 4

17:10 Sandown

Kolkata Knight

9st 11lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Tom Dascombe

Landed Hamilton maiden (6f, good to firm) on debut but better form after wind surgery when bagging Haydock handicap (5f, good to soft) in September; subsequently gelded and ran well for second (5f, AW; winner on the middle leg of a hat-trick) on his reappearance, while latest start from a wide stall at Chester can be written off; needs considering.

9/2

11th

3

(12)

8th May 2026

Good

0m 5f 15y

Class 3

16:45 Chester

Kolkata Knight

9st 6lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Tom Dascombe

Won twice as a 2yo, notably a 5f nursery (good to soft) at Haydock in September; gelded afterwards; made a promising seasonal return at Wolverhampton in March, narrowly failing to reel in one who has since boosted the form; appeals as being ahead of his mark, despite a 2lb rise for Wolverhampton, but stall 12 isn't ideal.

10/1

2nd

1

(3)

31st Mar 2026

Standard

0m 5f 21y

Class 4

19:30 Wolverhampton (AW)

Kolkata Knight

9st 9lb

J: Pierre-Louis Jamin

T: Tom Dascombe

Won for the second time, following wind surgery, in a nursery at Haydock (5f, good to soft) in September; has been gelded since and makes AW debut; any market move should be noted.

7/2

OUR TIP

Form: 210 D

Last run: 41 days

W: 9st 6lb

2 yo Colt

OR: 81

Form & Verdict
Promising in first two starts, going down narrowly on Bath debut (5f, firm) before going one better at Nottingham (5f, good), but found things tougher in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot (5f, good to firm); still open to improvement and not dismissed on nursery debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

3

(11)

10th Oct 2025

Good

0m 5f 0y

Class 3

15:50 York

Lil Brother

9st 6lb

J: Ashley Lewis

T: Paul Attwater

Consistent colt who can boast 5f wins at Nottingham (novice) and Windsor (nursery off 4lb lower) this season; finished behind two of today's rivals at Haydock two weeks ago but he raced further away from the stands' rail than either Clear Force or Concert and it was also his first run on slower than good; apprentice takes off a handy 5lb; contender.

11/2

4th

3

(1)

26th Sep 2025

Good To Soft

0m 5f 0y

Class 3

15:25 Haydock

Lil Brother

9st 8lb

J: Hollie Doyle

T: Paul Attwater

Won a Nottingham novice (5f, good) in June; disappointed on his nursery debut here (6f) last month but put that right dropped back to 5f at Windsor (good to firm; Army Bugler fourth) just eight days later; respected.

9/2

1st

1

(9)

18th Aug 2025

Good To Firm

0m 5f 21y

Class 4

18:00 Windsor

Lil Brother

9st 9lb

J: Trevor Whelan

T: Paul Attwater

Moving up to 6f did not work out on his latest outing but he'd shown plenty (without improving much) over 5f before that, including when second of five in a Sandown nursery on penultimate start; back to 5f today but could be vulnerable against less exposed rivals.

10/1

Form: 156021 D

Last run: 16 days

W: 9st 4lb

2 yo Gelding

OR: 79

Form & Verdict
Rather lost his way after winning a Brighton maiden (5f, good to firm) in April, but has bounced back in nurseries as when dead-heating in a four-runner event at Windsor (5f, good to firm) 16 days ago; only 2lb higher, but he is more exposed than his four rivals.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11th

1

(9)

23rd May 2026

Good To Firm

0m 6f 12y

Class 4

19:00 Windsor

Kesta

9st 9lb

J: Kaiya Fraser

T: Eve Johnson Houghton

Busy spell as a juvenile included wins in Brighton maiden (5.5f) and course nursery (5f, again good to firm); also stays 6f and landed series final at Nottingham (good to soft) in October; more exposed than most of these and finished last on his reappearance, however; drops back down in grade.

8/1

11th

12

(2)

2nd May 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 2

16:10 Newmarket

Kesta

8st 8lb

J: Hollie Doyle

T: Eve Johnson Houghton

Ran 12 times as a 2yo, winning three times; the ground may have been too soft when down the field at Newbury on his final run last year but likely a few of these will have his measure.

33/1

3

(7)

25th Oct 2025

Good To Soft

0m 6f 0y

Class 4

13:25 Newbury

Kesta

9st 6lb

J: Charles Bishop

T: Eve Johnson Houghton

Admirably consistent gelding who is thriving on his racing, proving better than ever when seeing off five rivals in 6f Nottingham nursery (good to soft) 23 days ago; should give another good account.

3/1

Form: 722

Last run: 20 days

W: 9st 3lb

2 yo Filly

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Runner-up in her last two starts over 6f on good to firm, albeit 4l behind the winner at Newmarket last time; should win races, but this looks a warm contest in which to make her nursery debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

7

(11)

28th May 2026

Good

0m 6f 0y

Class 5

15:07 Ripon

Country Artiste

9st 5lb

J: Sam James

T: Craig Lidster

Started off for Craig Lidster with two very underwhelming AW runs in January (6f/5f) and is now 0-9 overall; difficult to enthuse over on first start for four months.

14/1

7th

6

(4)

20th Jan 2026

Standard

0m 5f 0y

Class 4

13:43 Newcastle (AW)

Country Artiste

8st 10lb

J: Joanna Mason

T: Craig Lidster

Eight-race maiden; left Clive Cox in October for 19,000gns; weakened from outside the furlong pole when sixth of seven on stable debut at Southwell (6f; 50-1) a fortnight ago; others less exposed.

14/1

Form: 321 D

Last run: 21 days

W: 9st 3lb

2 yo Filly

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Steadily improving and did it well when making it third time lucky in a first-time hood at Yarmouth (5f, good) three weeks ago; stable won this last year with a useful filly who had also won her previous start at Yarmouth; interesting.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

4

(5)

31st May 2026

Good

0m 5f 8y

Class 4

15:55 Nottingham

Novelette

9st 9lb

J: Saffie Osborne

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

Improved with each of her first four 2yo runs, following a Yarmouth novice win with a cosy success at Sandown last July; flopped on soft ground wn last seen but that isn't the run to judge her on; absent for 275 days but likely there is more in the tank.

7/2

1

(2)

29th Aug 2025

Good

0m 5f 10y

Class 4

14:15 Sandown

Novelette

9st 9lb

J: Callum Shepherd

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

Has raced only on good ground; 2-2 since wearing a hood, latest performance in C&D nursery when beating a subsequent scorer and taking overall form figures to 3211; respected in the retained headgear.

13/8

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £12.10
Straight Forecast £10.06
Trifecta £42.10

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Novelette

RP RATINGS:

Kesta

D Express:

Lil Brother

TOPSPEED:

Kolkata Knight

Daily Mail:

Country Artiste

POSTDATA:

Novelette

The Times:

Novelette

Telegraph:

Novelette

The Guardian:

Novelette

Daily Record:

Novelette

Daily Mirror:

Kesta

The Sun:

Kesta

The Star:

Kesta