3:00 Sandown
This Class 5 handicap over the minimum trip at Sandown features a field of nine modest performers on good ground. The KTB Fit ratings identify Good Earth as the clear top pick on 73, with South Shore, Duskaura and Cameley Days forming the principal quartet; the remainder sit between 49 and 37. Course experience is limited for several runners, while the strong pace anticipated should play to those who come from off the pace.
How the race shapes up
With two confirmed front-runners in So Smart and Level Up, allied to several others who race prominently, the pace shape is strongly positive and a collapse in the latter stages is a distinct possibility. Most of the field, including the top four in the KTB rankings, are habitual hold-up performers who will look to conserve energy early and pounce late. The key question is whether the leaders can ration their speed sufficiently to see out the race or whether the hold-up brigade will be handed the advantage when the pace folds.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Good Earth KTB Selection73/100Modest performer who has won twice at this track from six runs and also has a solid record at today's trip with five wins from 31 starts.
- 2South Shore61/100Modest performer with a solid recent record of 311222 and three wins at today's trip from 20 attempts.
- 3Duskaura58/100Modest performer with a mixed record and a recent win at this trip before a below-par effort back at 6f last time.
- 4Cameley Days53/100Modest performer who has won twice at this trip from five attempts and has placed twice from three starts on good ground.
- 5Maharajas Express49/100Modest performer who has dropped in the weights after a patchy recent spell.
- 6Hint Of Humour49/100Modest performer with a solid recent record of placed efforts yet no win since last year.
- 7So Smart45/100Modest performer who has been placed on both previous visits to Sandown and arrives in decent nick judged on recent form figures of 343137.
- 8Level Up43/100Modest performer who has been consistent this year and ran to form when finishing second twice recently.
- 9Jenny Jerome37/100Modest performer who has shown bits of ability without winning.
The contenders
Good Earth KTB Fit 73/100
Good Earth is a modest performer who has won twice at this track from six runs and also has a solid record at today's trip with five wins from 31 starts. He has shown consistent form on good ground with two wins and three places from ten runs and his recent efforts include a second and two fourths. The yard has a strong 27% strike rate here from 11 runs. Trainer Michael Herrington and jockey Connor Planas combine with a 7/58 (12%) record and A/E 1.11, while both have excellent Sandown figures of 27% and 31% strike rates respectively with A/E 1.95. Usually held up and producing its effort late, the nine-year-old is drawn in stall seven and arrives with recent form figures of 542056.
South Shore KTB Fit 61/100
South Shore is a modest performer with a solid recent record of 311222 and three wins at today's trip from 20 attempts. Has only run once at Sandown, finishing fifth, while the yard posts a 10% strike rate here from 124 runs. Goes well on good ground with one win and three places from eight starts. Trainer Robert Cowell and jockey Marco Ghiani have a 21/128 (16%) record together with A/E 1.07. Usually held up and producing its effort late with high confidence, the five-year-old is drawn in stall two and makes its second appearance at the track.
Duskaura KTB Fit 58/100
Duskaura is a modest performer with a mixed record and a recent win at this trip before a below-par effort back at 6f last time. Drops back to 5f which should suit, and the horse has shown ability on good ground with a win and two places from four starts. Trainer's modest 7% strike rate at Sandown from a large sample is a negative. Tony Carroll and William Carson combine with a 79/834 (9%) record and A/E 0.88. Usually held up and producing its effort late with medium confidence, the three-year-old is dropping in class, drawn in stall eight, with recent form figures of 664718 and no previous course form.
Cameley Days KTB Fit 53/100
Cameley Days is a modest performer who has won twice at this trip from five attempts and has placed twice from three starts on good ground. Recent form of 124305 shows ability but also inconsistency, while the first-time headgear is now added. Trainer has a 9% strike rate at Sandown from 33 runs. Chris Dwyer and Lewis Edmunds have an 18/90 (20%) record with A/E 1.53. Usually held up and producing its effort late with high confidence, the four-year-old is drawn in stall three and has no previous course form.
The rest of the field
Maharajas ExpressKTB Fit 49/100
Maharajas Express is a modest performer who has dropped in the weights after a patchy recent spell. He has won six times at this trip but looked stretched by 6f last time and now returns to his optimum distance. The yard's modest record at Sandown adds a note of caution. Usually held up and producing its effort late with high confidence, the six-year-old is drawn in stall six with recent form figures of 479618.
Hint Of HumourKTB Fit 49/100
Hint Of Humour is a modest performer with a solid recent record of placed efforts yet no win since last year. Has won at this trip but has failed to place in five runs on good ground and makes his first appearance at Sandown. Trainer's modest 7% strike-rate here from a large sample adds a note of caution. Usually held up and producing its effort late with high confidence, the four-year-old has recent form figures of 272253.
So SmartKTB Fit 45/100
So Smart is a modest performer who has been placed on both previous visits to Sandown and arrives in decent nick judged on recent form figures of 343137. Only one win from nine runs on good ground so that surface is no gimme, while the yard's 0-11 record at the track is another negative. Drawn in stall one and has won at this trip in the past. Tends to make the running or race on the pace with medium confidence, the seven-year-old is ridden by Laura Coughlan.
Level UpKTB Fit 43/100
Level Up is a modest performer who has been consistent this year and ran to form when finishing second twice recently. Has won at today's trip but his record around here is ordinary and the trainer's strike-rate at Sandown is low. Placed on good ground without winning so the surface should be fine. Tends to make the running or race on the pace with high confidence, the seven-year-old is dropping in class, drawn in stall nine, with recent form figures of 522216 and is ridden by Oisin Murphy.
Jenny JeromeKTB Fit 37/100
Jenny Jerome is a modest performer who has shown bits of ability without winning. She has been placed once in three starts at this trip and now drops back from 6f, which poses a fresh question. The yard has a 0% strike-rate from nine runs at Sandown. Usually held up and producing its effort late with high confidence, the three-year-old is drawn in stall five with recent form figures of 303-28.
KTB verdict
Good Earth stands out as the KTB Selection. A modest performer with two wins from six runs at Sandown and a strong record at the minimum trip, he has shown consistent form on good ground and his recent efforts include a second and two fourths. The yard's excellent 27% strike rate at the track from a small sample is another positive, as is the hold-up style that should be favoured if the strong pace collapses late. South Shore, Duskaura and Cameley Days are the main dangers, while the likes of So Smart and Level Up may set the early fractions that could unravel in the closing stages.
KTB Selection Good Earth
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:24 UTC, 28 Aug. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Good Earth | 9/2 | Bet365 |
| South Shore | 9/4 | Bet Victor |
| Duskaura | 18/1 | Bet365 |
| Cameley Days | 12/1 | Bet365 |
| Maharajas Express | 13/2 | BetMGM |
| Hint Of Humour | 6/1 | Bet365 |
| So Smart | 12/1 | 7Bet |
| Level Up | 13/2 | Bet Victor |
| Jenny Jerome | 20/1 | 7Bet |
This is the narrative read of the 3:00 Sandown. For the live card — runner-by-runner stats, the full Fit Score breakdown and current odds — see the Sandown racecard. New here? How KTB works explains the Fit Score and why we publish both.
Questions about this race
Which horse has the strongest course record at Sandown?
Good Earth, who has won twice from six runs at the track.
How many of the field are habitual hold-up performers?
Seven of the nine runners are usually held up and produce their effort late.
Which trainer has the best strike rate at Sandown among those represented?
Michael Herrington with a 27% strike rate from 11 runs.
Which runners are confirmed front-runners likely to contest the early lead?
So Smart and Level Up both tend to make the running or race on the pace.
Which horse is making its first appearance at Sandown?
Hint Of Humour has no course form on record.
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About the A/E figures in this preview. They are the data supplier’s: the winners a trainer or jockey had, divided by the winners the starting prices implied, over the runs in that record. Above 1.0 means more wins than the prices suggested. It is not KTB’s fair A/E, which allows for the bookmakers’ margin and the favourite–longshot bias, and the two are not comparable.
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