August 08 / 17.45 Sandown

17.45

Good

Aston Martin Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap

  • Prize money: £5712.05
  • 1m 1f 209y
  • Class 4
  • 8 runners
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Aston Martin Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap

Runners: 8 runners

Type: Flat Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Cloudy

4/1 (Won)

  • Win: £3.50
  • Place: £1.30

Form: 7539-4 C

Last run: 13 days

W: 10st 8lb

7 yo Gelding

OR: 72

Form & Verdict
Five-time Flat winner who, fit from hurdling, made a sound return to the level when 1l fourth over C&D (good) 13 days ago, sticking on once headed; respected from the same mark.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2nd

2

4th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

1m 7f 169y

Class 4

12:58 Ludlow

Global Esteem

11st 8lb

J: Fern O’Brien

T: Fergal O’Brien

Recorded his sixth Flat win when scoring at Sandown in August and he's won twice over hurdles since then, with his latest success in a Huntingdon handicap (2m, good) last month; open to more progress in this sphere and he's strongly respected on this switch to a claimer.

5/2

2nd

2

4th Dec 2024

Good To Soft

1m 7f 169y

Class 4

12:58 Ludlow

Global Esteem

11st 8lb

J: Fern O’Brien

T: Fergal O’Brien

Recorded his sixth Flat win when scoring at Sandown in August and he's won twice over hurdles since then, with his latest success in a Huntingdon handicap (2m, good) last month; open to more progress in this sphere and he's strongly respected on this switch to a claimer.

5/2

1st

2

12th Nov 2024

Good

1m 7f 171y

Class 5

12:50 Huntingdon

Global Esteem

11st 8lb

J: Fern O’Brien

T: Fergal O’Brien

took keen hold, raced in second, jumped slightly right 2nd, led after 3rd, pestered home turn, good jump 2 out, ridden out run-in, always doing enough

11/8

OUR TIP

11/4

  • Place: £1.40

Form: 236415 CD

Last run: 24 days

W: 11st 2lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 80

Form & Verdict
Won this race in 2022 and third last year; has enjoyed a solid 2024 campaign, notably with his 1m2f win at Newbury (good to firm) last month; respectable fifth of 12 at Windsor since; has to enter the reckoning.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3rd

9

(8)

1st Jun 2026

Good To Firm

1m 2f 0y

Class 5

20:45 Windsor

Fast Steps

9st 1lb

J: Silvestre De Sousa

T: Rod Millman

C&D winner whose losing run is up to 17 but he had dropped 14lb below his last winning mark when beaten less than a length into third of seven here four weeks ago; respected if building on that.

11/2

3rd

4

(6)

4th May 2026

Good To Firm

1m 2f 0y

Class 6

17:53 Windsor

Fast Steps

9st 6lb

J: George Wood

T: Rod Millman

C&D winner who is versatile ground-wise; well handicapped on best form last season but he was out of sorts in the autumn and needs a major revival after six months off.

6/1

7th

2

(5)

29th Oct 2025

Soft

1m 2f 50y

Class 6

16:22 Nottingham

Fast Steps

11st 9lb

J: Mr Patrick Millman

T: Rod Millman

Three handicap wins (one on soft) at 1m2f, the latest in July 2024; 11lb lower today but he's basically gone off the boil this season.

7/1

16/1

  • Place: £6.20

Form: 1/359/

Last run: 680 days

W: 10st 1lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 65

Form & Verdict
Hurdle winner in May 2022; close third on Flat the following month but below par on the Flat and over hurdles in autumn 2022 and a watching brief is the percentage call after an absence, unless the betting hints otherwise.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

1st

7

28th Sep 2024

Good

2m 0f 125y

Class 2

16:35 Market Rasen

Saint Riquier

10st 8lb

J: Charlie Todd

T: Ian Williams

A fairly useful 2m3f hurdles winner in May, 2022, who has been in excellent form since returning on the Flat this summer, bagging a third win at Chelmsford (1m6f) nine days ago; he's not taken lightly back in this sphere.

5/1

1st

3

(2)

19th Sep 2024

Standard

1m 6f 0y

Class 5

17:30 Chelmsford (AW)

Saint Riquier

9st 11lb

J: Ryan Kavanagh

T: Ian Williams

Has returned from nearly two years off in terrific form on the Flat, winning a slowly run race at Lingfield (1m4f, AW) and coming right away at Leicester (1m2f, good to soft) ten days later; good second at Brighton (1m4f) on Tuesday; well handicapped under a penalty if he can keep up the good work after just a two-day break.

7/4

2nd

1

(2)

17th Sep 2024

Good

1m 3f 198y

Class 6

15:50 Brighton

Saint Riquier

10st 4lb

J: Joe Leavy

T: Ian Williams

Mostly hurdling since trained in Britain but he's returned from nearly two years off in terrific form on the Flat, winning on AW (1m4f) on second run back and coming right away at Leicester (1m2f, good to soft) last week; a big rise looms so his claims are very obvious with no penalty.

4/7

Form: 5-4514 D

Last run: 49 days

W: 9st 12lb

3 yo Colt

OR: 70

Form & Verdict
Much improved with a hood fitted when a wide-margin winner at Chepstow (1m2f, good to soft) in June; didn't appear to stay 1m4f at Ripon since; interesting back down in trip and taking on his elders but his peak RPRs have been achieved on going softer than good, so drying ground is a slight worry.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4th

2

4th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 0y

Class 4

17:00 Warwick

Continuance

12st 2lb

J: James Best

T: Martin Keighley

Three-time winner over hurdles and nothing wrong with his most recent efforts in handicaps at top tracks; every chance provided he's straight enough after a lengthy break.

5/1

1

20th Oct 2025

Good

1m 7f 195y

Class 4

16:10 Plumpton

Continuance

12st 1lb

J: Freddie Keighley

T: Martin Keighley

Fair Flat racer who was 3-6 during first season over hurdles, the last two wins gained from the front in handicaps (2m/2m1f); well beaten when upped in grade at Cheltenham in April and absent since but may still have more to offer.

13/2

15th

13

16th Apr 2025

Good

2m 0f 179y

Class 3

17:00 Cheltenham

Continuance

10st 8lb

J: Freddie Keighley

T: Martin Keighley

Raised in grade after dominating single-figure fields at Ludlow (good to soft) and Fontwell (good), making most on both occasions; a collective rise of 17lb (Freddie Keighley claimed the 10lb last time) could spell danger but hard to dismiss.

9/2

Form: 3567-7

Last run: 36 days

W: 10st 9lb

4 yo Gelding

OR: 73

Form & Verdict
0-9 on the Flat but went down by only a short head off 5lb higher at Haydock (1m2f, good to firm) last summer; successful over hurdles last autumn and shaped as if needing the run when fading into seventh on his Epsom reappearance five weeks ago; cheekpieces return now and he's not discounted with that outing under his belt.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9

24th May 2026

Good

2m 0f 51y

Class 4

17:22 Kelso

Gozo

10st 2lb

J: William Maggs

T: Andrew Hamilton

A fair hurdles winner (also fair on Flat) for Ben Brookhouse; pulled up on his first two runs for current yard at Catterick and here this year though and he also came in last of eight on the Flat for R Mike Smith three weeks ago; very hard to warm to.

33/1

8th

2

(3)

3rd May 2026

Good

1m 3f 15y

Class 5

17:35 Hamilton

Gozo

9st 9lb

J: Jamie Gormley

T: R Mike Smith

Well handicapped on Flat form for Ben Brookhouse in early part of 2025, but pulled up in two handicap hurdles when owner-trained this year; now in the care of Mike Smith for Flat return; others have much less to prove.

20/1

8

20th Apr 2026

Good

2m 2f 25y

Class 5

16:00 Kelso

Gozo

10st 13lb

J: Conor Rabbitt

T: Andrew Hamilton

Fair Flat racer who won a juvenile event on hurdling debut in 2023 but was not seen again over jumps until pulled up in Catterick handicap on stable debut in January; current ability in this sphere remains hard to gauge.

16/1

Form: 089095

Last run: 14 days

W: 10st 9lb

5 yo Gelding

OR: 73

Form & Verdict
Has struggled for form this year; did fare a bit better back from wind surgery when fifth of 12 at Newbury (1m2f, good to firm) a fortnight ago but he needs to build on that now.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5th

7

(5)

31st May 2026

Good

1m 0f 75y

Class 5

17:25 Nottingham

Bass Player

8st 9lb

J: William Pyle

T: Kevin & Lauren Frost

Ended 2025 with two good runs but he has been well short of that level in two runs this year, a wind op before the latest making no difference; tongue tie returns; risky despite his reduced mark.

20/1

11th

9

(8)

8th May 2026

Good To Soft

1m 1f 170y

Class 5

19:45 Ripon

Bass Player

8st 11lb

J: William Pyle

T: Kevin Frost

First win was on turf (7f) and last two have been on Tapeta (8.6f); reached the frame in two starts at Wolverhampton in December but he had a major blip there the following month; had another wind operation since and needs a major revival after four months off.

12/1

Form: 341768 D

Last run: 67 days

W: 10st 6lb

6 yo Gelding

OR: 70

Form & Verdict
Highly productive start for this stable, winning six times (AW/turf) between January and April; running only respectably when last seen at the start of the summer but freshened up and he's back to only 1lb above his last successful mark.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

3

(4)

13th Sep 2025

Standard

1m 4f 0y

Class 5

13:25 Lingfield (AW)

Destinado

9st 10lb

J: Pat Cosgrave

T: James Owen

Prolific last year, whereas his only win this season was in March; below par twice on turf since a respectable third on AW at Southwell (1m6f) in July but is well handicapped again.

7/2

9

(11)

4th Sep 2025

Good

1m 3f 140y

Class 5

14:00 Haydock

Destinado

10st 13lb

J: Miss Teagan Padgett

T: James Owen

Prolific last year, whereas his only win this season was in March; ran respectably penultimate start (AW) but not well enough in his other recent races and his record for amateur rider is discouraging; his three turf wins have all been on soft or good to soft.

12/1

Form: 500910 D

Last run: 14 days

W: 10st 10lb

4 yo Colt

OR: 74

Form & Verdict
Down the field over 7f first four runs for Archie Watson but back to form with a bang returned to a more suitable trip when scoring over 1m2f at Newbury (good to firm) under Brodie Hampson in June; well held in a similar race back there since and now sports first-time cheekpieces.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

7

(3)

25th Aug 2025

Good

1m 2f 190y

Class 6

17:33 Ripon

Blue Yonder

10st 11lb

J: Miss Brodie Hampson

T: Archie Watson

Won on Jersey and Chepstow (both 1m2f, good) under Brodie Hampson earlier in the year, but finished behind three of these at Beverley (1m2f, good to firm) last month; needs to bounce back from that.

7/1

4

(5)

29th Jul 2025

Good

1m 1f 207y

Class 6

14:10 Beverley

Blue Yonder

10st 13lb

J: Miss Brodie Hampson

T: Archie Watson

Won in Jersey in April and followed up with a last-gasp verdict at Chepstow (1m2f, good); just 2lb higher here.

4/1

1st

4

(4)

16th Jun 2025

Good To Soft

1m 2f 0y

Class 6

14:30 Chepstow

Blue Yonder

11st 0lb

J: Miss Brodie Hampson

T: Archie Watson

Back on the mainland after game win under Brodie Hampson in Jersey (1m2f, good) in April; this race is almost certainly stronger but he's still on a workable mark and probably won't be far away; cheekpieces refitted.

5/2

+o+e Accumulators

Payout
Exacta £13.10
Straight Forecast £12.75
Tricast £213.95
Trifecta £222.60

Selections

SPOTLIGHT:

Fast Steps

POSTDATA:

Global Esteem

Daily Mirror:

Continuance

RP RATINGS:

Gozo

D Express:

Bass Player

The Star:

Continuance

Daily Record:

Continuance

WEST COUNTRY:

Fast Steps

Telegraph:

Fast Steps

Daily Mail:

Fast Steps

The Times:

Global Esteem

The Guardian:

Global Esteem

The Sun:

Global Esteem