Nestled in the picturesque Surrey countryside, Sandown Park will stage a competitive seven-race Flat meeting on Friday, 3 July, bringing together established performers, progressive handicappers and promising juveniles. The programme will begin at 1:50pm and conclude at 5:15pm, with more than £250,000 in total prize money on offer across handicaps, novice contests and three Listed races that will provide quality competition throughout the afternoon.
Sandown Park Race Cards 3 July
Proceedings will get underway with the Battaash Handicap Stakes (Class 2) at 1:50pm. The opening contest will be run over 5f 10y, offering £25,000 in prize money for three-year-olds. A compact field of five runners is expected, including Havana Hurricane, Comical Point, Westport, Exclamation and One And Gone, with the sprint set to provide an early test of speed.
The spotlight will then shift to the Dragon Stakes (Class 1) (Listed Race) at 2:25pm. Run over 5f 10y, the Listed contest will carry a purse of £45,000 and is open to two-year-olds. The eight-runner field is set to feature A Bear Affair, Bill The Bull, It Dunt Marra, Ronson, Underdog and Bint Archange, with several promising juveniles continuing their early-season campaigns.
Attention will next turn to the Tattersalls £40,000 EBF Novice Stakes (Class 2) (GBB Race) at 3:00pm. The novice event will be contested over 7f 12y, with 12 runners competing for £40,000. Restricted to two-year-olds, the race is expected to showcase emerging talent, including Collateral Damage, Gymbaazy, My A’Ali Baba, Beach Noir, Cilician and Dontlookbackinanga.
The feature middle-distance contest will follow with the Davies Insurance Solutions Gala Stakes (Class 1) (Listed Race) at 3:35pm. The 1m 2f 1y event will offer £60,000 in prize money and is open to three-year-olds and older. The six-runner field is expected to include Boiling Point, Dividend, Persica, Royal Rhyme, Sallaal and Glacius in one of the strongest races on the card.
Stayers will then come into focus in the Marathon (Class 1) (Listed Race) at 4:10pm. The five-runner contest over 2m 62y will carry £60,000 in prize money for horses aged four years and upwards. Duke Of Oxford, Furthur, Lazy Griff, Paradias and Lady Vivian are scheduled to contest the afternoon’s longest race.
The supporting programme will continue with the JRA Handicap Stakes (Class 4) (GBBPLUS Race) at 4:42pm. The race will be run over 1m 6f 12y offering £12,000 to a field of eight runners for three-year-olds and older. Arqoob, Minhad, Marnier, Galactic Jack, Macari and Aggagio are among the declared contenders.
The curtain will fall with the Debenhams Handicap Stakes (Class 4) at 5:15pm. Run over 1m 12y, the concluding handicap will feature 11 runners competing for £12,000 and is open to three-year-olds and upwards. Epictetus, Triple Double A, Dovey Moon, Silca Bay, Cristo and Special Ghaiyyath are among those expected to close the meeting.
Friday’s fixture will offer a balanced programme combining high-quality Listed races with informative novice contests and competitive handicaps. The varied schedule will test speed, stamina and versatility across seven races, ensuring an informative afternoon for participants and racing enthusiasts alike.
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