6:55 Sandown
A small but competitive Class 4 handicap at Sandown over an extended 1m2f brings together five three-year-olds, most of them dropping in class after modest but largely consistent efforts this term. The KTB Fit Scores are tightly bunched at the top, with Hot And Cold leading on 63, Cyrano De Bergerac close behind on 59 and Knightsail on 52, suggesting little between the principals on known form. With all runners unproven on the ground and no course form on record, the race poses several fresh questions and the Prescott yard’s healthy 26% strike rate at the track from 170 runs adds extra interest.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is unclear with low confidence, as there is simply not enough run-style evidence across the field to form a firm view. Hot And Cold tends to make the running or race prominently though that judgement rests on limited evidence. How the race unfolds will therefore be difficult to read in advance, and the key question is whether the early leader can dictate matters or whether the race will fragment into a more tactical affair in which the closers gain an advantage.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Hot And Cold KTB Selection63/100Hot And Cold is a fair 3-year-old with solid recent form including two wins from his last three starts.
- 2Cyrano De Bergerac59/100Cyrano De Bergerac has shown consistent promise with form figures of 221 and is already a winner at today's trip.
- 3Knightsail52/100Knightsail is a fair 3-year-old who has shown ordinary form in three runs, finishing seventh on return this season.
- 4Blue Noon48/100Blue Noon is a fair 3-year-old who has shown consistent form, finishing in the first four on all five starts including two placed efforts at today's trip.
- 5Roker Roar42/100Modest performer who showed fair form when third on return at Newbury over 1m3f.
The contenders
Hot And Cold KTB Fit 63/100
Hot And Cold is a fair three-year-old with solid recent form that includes two wins from his last three starts. He steps up in trip today having shown promise at a mile, and this looks a fresh question rather than a negative. Sir Mark Prescott’s yard posts a 26% strike rate at Sandown from 170 runs with an A/E of 1.23, while Luke Morris, who has an 11% strike rate at the track from 212 rides with an A/E of 1.03, takes the ride. The trainer and jockey combination shows 467 wins from 2549 rides for an 18% strike rate and A/E of 0.89. Dropping in class from a front-running style that tends to see him make the running or race on the pace, he arrives with recent form figures of 561-12 and is the KTB Selection.
Cyrano De Bergerac KTB Fit 59/100
Cyrano De Bergerac has shown consistent promise with form figures of 221 and is already a winner at today’s trip. He is rated fair on his three runs and remains open to further improvement at this level. The John and Thady Gosden stable has a 21% strike rate at Sandown from 165 runs with an A/E of 0.83, while the 3 lb claimer Luke Catton, who has a 17% strike rate at the track from just 12 rides with an A/E of 1.19, is in the saddle. Their combined record reads 9 wins from 41 rides for a 22% strike rate and A/E of 0.98. Dropping in class, he is unproven on the ground and has no course form on record.
Knightsail KTB Fit 52/100
Knightsail is a fair three-year-old who has shown ordinary form in three runs, finishing seventh on his return this season. He has twice been tried over today’s trip without success and now sports first-time headgear. David Menuisier’s yard has a solid 19% strike rate at Sandown from 108 runs with an A/E of 1.44, while Jamie Spencer, who has a 12% strike rate at the track from 376 rides with an A/E of 0.81, takes the mount. Their combined record shows 9 wins from 66 rides for a 14% strike rate and A/E of 0.92. Dropping in class with recent form figures of 73-7, he remains unproven on the ground and has no course form on record.
The rest of the field
Blue NoonKTB Fit 48/100
Blue Noon is a fair three-year-old who has shown consistent form, finishing in the first four on all five starts including two placed efforts at today’s trip. He has the benefit of experience at Sandown and connections that know the track well, with trainer Richard Hannon holding a 12% strike rate from 551 runs here. Stepping up in class with recent form figures of 4-4363, the small sample on this ground leaves suitability unknown.
Roker RoarKTB Fit 42/100
Roker Roar is a modest performer who showed fair form when third on return at Newbury over 1m3f. He drops back in trip today to a distance he has never tried, which asks a fresh question of him. Andrew Balding has a 13% strike rate from 752 runs at Sandown while Jason Watson is aboard; their combined record reads 98 wins from 544 rides for an 18% strike rate and A/E of 0.98. Dropping in class with recent form figures of 74-3, he is unproven on the ground and has no course form on record.
KTB verdict
Hot And Cold looks to have the best blend of recent progress and yard strength at this venue. His two wins from the last three starts and the Prescott stable’s 26% strike rate at Sandown from 170 runs with a positive A/E of 1.23 make him the one to beat as he drops in class and steps up in trip. Cyrano De Bergerac is the obvious danger, given his consistent 221 form, a win at the trip already on his record and the continued promise of further improvement from the Gosden yard. Knightsail cannot be entirely dismissed with the first-time headgear and Menuisier’s solid record here, while the experience of Blue Noon and the longer-trip promise of Roker Roar add further depth to what should be an interesting small-field handicap.
KTB Selection Hot And Cold
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:00 UTC, 24 Jul. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Hot And Cold | 9/4 | 7Bet |
| Cyrano De Bergerac | 6/5 | William Hill |
| Knightsail | 7/1 | LiveScore Bet |
| Blue Noon | 12/1 | 7Bet |
| Roker Roar | 9/1 | Midnite |
This is the narrative read of the 6:55 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 is stepping up in trip having shown promise at a mile?
Hot And Cold
Which runner is already a winner at today’s trip?
Cyrano De Bergerac
Which horse is wearing first-time headgear?
Knightsail
Which runner has finished in the first four on all five career starts?
Blue Noon
Which horse showed fair form when third on return at Newbury over 1m3f?
Roker Roar
18+. Analysis and entertainment only — no guarantee of profit. KTB race previews are published for interest and are not betting advice. Only ever stake what you can comfortably afford to lose, and set your own limits. Free, confidential help: the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 (GamCare.org.uk); in Ireland, the GamblingCare.ie helpline on 1800 936 725. Self-exclude at any time via GAMSTOP.
More from Kickthebookies