7:23 Sandown
This Class 4 handicap over 7f at Sandown on good to firm ground features a compact but competitive field of six. The KTB Fit scores are tightly bunched between 62 and 48, reflecting a race where several runners arrive in consistent form and have shown an affinity for the track. With Desert Shadow heading the KTB rankings and several first-time headgear applications, the contest looks open yet shaped by the strong pace anticipated.
How the race shapes up
The pace shape is strong with high confidence, driven by two or more habitual front-runners. Ascending Star and Thursday Girl are both inclined to make the running or race prominently, setting a searching gallop that could cause the leaders to fold late. This scenario would play into the hands of the hold-up performers, with three of the four principals — Desert Shadow, Lunario and Sunny Smile — all typically coming from off the pace to deliver their efforts late.
The KTB Fit ranking
- 1Desert Shadow KTB Selection62/100Desert Shadow is a fair performer who has been consistent this year with form figures of 2-0521 and showed his liking for this track when finishing second here…
- 2Lunario59/100Modest performer who won over this trip on his only previous visit to Sandown.
- 3Sunny Smile50/100Sunny Smile is a fair 3-year-old who has shown consistent placed form this year, including a second-place finish over this course and trip on his only visit to…
- 4Ascending Star49/100Fair performer who has shown consistent placed form and a win over today's trip.
- 5Tavana49/100Tavana is a fair 3-year-old who has shown his best form when second at this trip on his latest start.
- 6Thursday Girl48/100Fair performer who has been consistent this year with form figures of 5-2221 and showed she handles this track when finishing second here on her only previous v…
The contenders
Desert Shadow KTB Fit 62/100
Desert Shadow is a fair performer who has been consistent this year with form figures of 2-0521 and showed his liking for this track when finishing second here on his only previous visit. He drops back to 7f having won at the trip before and acts on good to firm ground with a win and four places from six starts. The first-time headgear is an unknown but the yard and jockey both have solid records at Sandown. Saeed bin Suroor and Oisin Murphy combine with a 28% strike rate from 365 rides and an A/E of 1.00, while the trainer's 19% strike rate at the track from 284 runs adds further encouragement. Usually held up, this 4-year-old should be ideally placed to capitalise if the strong pace collapses.
Lunario KTB Fit 59/100
Lunario is a modest performer who won over this trip on his only previous visit to Sandown. He has a solid record on good to firm ground with four wins from 11 starts and six places, and the first-time headgear is a possible plus after a recent win on his latest start. Both trainer and jockey have respectable strike rates at the track, with Luke Dace recording 9% from 66 runs and Marco Ghiani posting 17% from 54 rides. The combination of trainer and jockey shows a 22% strike rate from 27 runs together with an A/E of 1.32. Usually held up, this 6-year-old will be looking to come from off the pace in a race where the strong gallop could play to his strengths.
Sunny Smile KTB Fit 50/100
Sunny Smile is a fair 3-year-old who has shown consistent placed form this year, including a second-place finish over this course and trip on his only visit to Sandown. He acts on good to firm ground where he has been placed once from two starts and has been placed twice at this distance, though he is yet to win at either. First-time headgear is now applied and both trainer and jockey have modest strike rates at the track, with Hugo Palmer on 12% from 97 runs and David Probert on 9% from 272 rides. The trainer and jockey combination shows a 13% strike rate from 125 runs with an A/E of 1.13. Usually held up, he drops in class and could be suited by the strong pace.
Ascending Star KTB Fit 49/100
Ascending Star is a fair performer who has shown consistent placed form and a win over today's trip. He has already run well at Sandown, finishing third here on his only visit, and now drops back from a mile which looks a sensible move given his record at this distance. Trainer Owen Burrows has a solid 17% strike rate at the track from 63 runs while jockey Callum Rodriguez sits on a 7% record from 14 rides here. The trainer and jockey combination shows an 28% strike rate from 64 runs with an A/E of 1.24. A front-runner who tends to make the running or race on the pace, this 3-year-old will set the tempo in what is expected to be a strongly run race, though he remains unproven on good to firm ground.
The rest of the field
TavanaKTB Fit 49/100
Tavana is a fair 3-year-old who has shown his best form when second at this trip on his latest start. He has run twice at Sandown without placing and is only 1 from 3 on good to firm, so the track and ground both look no better than acceptable. The yard's small-sample record here adds little confidence while Sean Levey's 10% strike rate from 222 rides at the course is solid but unspectacular.
Thursday GirlKTB Fit 48/100
Thursday Girl is a fair performer who has been consistent this year with form figures of 5-2221 and showed she handles this track when finishing second here on her only previous visit. She drops back from 1m to a trip where she has already been placed twice, while the good-to-firm ground looks ideal given her sole run on it produced a win. Trainer Ed Walker has a solid 12% strike rate from 141 runs at Sandown and Kieran Shoemark is aboard.
KTB verdict
Desert Shadow is the KTB Selection. A fair and consistent performer with a placed effort at this track already to his name, he drops in class and back to a trip where he has won before, while the first-time headgear could sharpen him further. Usually held up, he is well suited by the anticipated strong pace. His main dangers are Lunario, who won over the course and distance on his only previous visit and arrives off a recent success, and Sunny Smile, who has shown consistent placed form and was second over this course and trip. Ascending Star is likely to make the running but remains unproven on the ground.
KTB Selection Desert Shadow
Morning odds
Best available price per runner, captured 00:01 UTC, 6 Aug. These are a morning snapshot and will have moved — see the live racecard for current prices.
| Runner | Morning price | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Shadow | 5/2 | 7Bet |
| Lunario | 11/2 | 7Bet |
| Sunny Smile | 18/1 | Bet365 |
| Ascending Star | 2/1 | Virgin Bet |
| Tavana | 11/1 | Bet365 |
| Thursday Girl | 4/1 | Bet365 |
This is the narrative read of the 7:23 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 the KTB Selection?
Desert Shadow
How many runners are wearing first-time headgear?
Four runners are wearing first-time headgear: Desert Shadow, Lunario, Sunny Smile and Tavana is not listed with it while the others are.
Which horses are likely to set a strong pace?
Ascending Star and Thursday Girl are the front-runners in a race where the pace shape is strong.
Which horse has won over course and distance?
Lunario won over this trip on his only previous visit to Sandown.
Which horses have course form at Sandown?
All six runners have run at Sandown: Desert Shadow (2nd), Lunario (won), Sunny Smile (2nd), Ascending Star (3rd), Tavana (8th and 4th), and Thursday Girl (2nd).
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