Sandown & Goodwood selections Saturday 29th August
An unseasonably wet day today means that the going is likely to be a good bit softer at both Sandown and Goodwood than was advertised overnight. As such I am looking at horses that will be capable of handling a bit of cut and therefore in a position to run much better than they have been doing of late on fast summer going. We came close in the big sprint handicap at York last Saturday with Far Above Dream (advised 18/1) beaten a nose and Coul Angel (advised 18/1) third but collecting for the each-way wagers.
Goodwood 2.00: Fondo Blanco
This season has been something of a write-off for FONDO BLANCO as yet. A belated return at Royal Ascot saw him well down the field (though he was second of the six that stayed on the unfavoured far side). He was then last in the Shergar Cup Mile under an unfamiliar jockey. However both those runs came on very fast ground which I don’t think is ideal.
He finished 2025 in great form when second on soft over this 7f trip at Ascot, before cruising home by 4l over a mile at Haydock on ground that will be similar to today. He then did well enough to finish fourth in a listed race at Nottingham at the very end of the campaign. A strongly run contest over 7f might be ideal for him and hopefully the softer going today will see him leave his recent form behind.
Sandown 2.15: Alcarath & Stem
Two horses who have been running well this summer, but shape as if they will prefer some cut today are fancied here.
ALCARATH has run with credit in three decent handicaps this season, but goes into this race relatively fresh, and I suspect trainer Alan King has been keeping him back with an autumn campaign on softer ground in mind. His last run was over this course and distance where he was beaten just a head by Dangerman.
He carried his head high in the closing stages as if he was not in love with the faster ground and I suspect he will be able to let himself down in the closing stages more easily today. A wide margin winner of a novice at Epsom last autumn, a rating of 90 looks very workable and with King’s string in such great form he looks the one to beat.
STEM won here last month over this 10f trip despite the fast ground, but is profile is all about softer ground and we can see an even stronger performance from him today.
You can ignore his last run in the Shergar Cup where 12f seemed too far and he was ridden by an unfamiliar jockey with no experience of horse or track. His win here showed he could cope with faster ground and that he remains well handicapped. On his first racecourse appearance he hacked up by 10l at Newbury on heavy, so every drop of rain will be in his favour and last season he finished 2025 with successive second places at Ascot and Newbury on good-to-soft.
Goodwood 2.35: Oneforthegutter
A few of these horses have something to prove stamina wise stepping up to 12f on softening ground and a value option might be ONEFORTHEGUTTER who will have no problem with staying the distance, nor with some cut in the ground.
In truth he has shown very little since winning a valuable handicap over 14f at Newmarket last July off a mark of 92. This season he has been running without the usual cheekpieces and the best he has done is to beat four horses home at Ayr in June. He did shape quite well though that day, the one occasion he has faced soft ground this season.
He also ran well in the Shergar Cup last time when beaten less than 3l over 2m. It looked as if he did not quite stay the distance that day and whilst a f4 drop in distance is quite dramatic, at least the softening ground will ensure a stamina test. Crucially the cheekpieces are restored for the first time in 2026.
Goodwood 3.10: Ebt’s Guard
A fascinating Group 2 can go to a horse who has generally plied his trade in top handicaps in EBT’S GUARD.
His one foray into pattern company came when he finished a highly creditable second to Ice Max in a listed contest at Nottingham last autumn. He has run some absolute crackers in defeat in handicaps this season, highlighted by a fourth in the Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot and a third on the Coral Challenge at Sandown.
He has been forced to run on fast ground pretty much all season, which he handles fine, but I feel he is at his absolute best with some cut. That includes a second at the Glorious meeting of 2025 on soft to Rhoscolyn over this mile before a third place on soft at Ascot. What he does enjoy is a strong end-to-end gallop which sometimes doesn’t happen in class 1 contests. However the presence of Boiling Point and Seagulls Eleven should ensure no hanging about and I can definitely see this 5yo at least running into a place as a result.
Recommended bets:
0.5pts each-way – Fondo Blanco – 2.0 Goodwood – 25/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
1pt win – Alcarath – 2.15 Sandown – 7/2 general
1pt each-way – Stem – 2.15 Sandown – 7/1 general (most bookies 1/5 odds 1st 4)
0.5pts each-way – Oneforthegutter – 2.35 Goodwood – 18/1 general (1/5 odds 1st 3)
0.5pts each-way – Ebt’s Guard – 3.10 Goodwood – 12/1 William Hill (1/5 odds 1st 3)
