Last year’s race Winner: Going The Distance Jockey: Rossa Ryan Trainer: Ralph M Beckett Owner: Mr Marc Chan Age: 3 Weight: 9st 2lbs Starting Price: 9/1 Season Form Figures: 1 Previous Best: 1st - Class 4 Handicap, Kempton (April 2024) By Paul Jones A competitive handicap for three-year-olds over 1m4f. Regarding the draw, high numbers fared best last year, with Going The Distance in stall 18 beating Neski Sherelski in stall 19 (out of 20), meaning 11 of the last 14 winners have emerged from a double-digit stall since the revised numbering took place in 2011. We had a royal winner two years ago when Desert Hero managed to get up late to win at 18/1, having previously finished eighth on his seasonal debut as favourite for the London Gold Cup at Newbury, with just seven of the last 16 winners found in the top three in the betting. He carried 8st 13lb to success and it’s not been a great race for the top weights, with just four winners carrying over 9st since 2001 (one of those was when they were responsible for 16 of the 19 runners in a much more compressed handicap than usual), and when Elite Army managed that he was carrying only 1lb above that threshold. Aidan O’Brien saddled the 1-2-3 in 2019, which was a nice way for him to break his duck in the race. However, it is the Johnston stable that leads the way with six successes, and they have also supplied six close-up placed runners, the latest being their subsequent Gold Cup winner Subjectivist. Can Charlie Johnston carry on the good work from his father? The Middleham-based outfit like to tackle this race multiple-handed, whereas Godolphin have been more circumspect regarding their runners, yet they owned the winner in 2014, supplied the 1-2 in 2015, and then Secret State scored for them three years ago. Harry Charlton’s contenders also deserve a second look, as Roger Charlton’s 2017 winner Atty Persse added to Source Of Light's victory in 1992, whilst in between three of his other six runners hit the frame. With 18 of the last 32 winners failing to win as a two-year-old, we should be looking towards the later-developing types in here. The 2022 winner was even unraced at two. The more lightly-raced the individual, the more interested we should be, and also respect the value of a good run last time out, with 33 of the last 36 winners either winning or finishing placed on their most recent start. Five of the last 19 winners had also previously won a handicap at Sandown. Nine of the last 11 winners had struck earlier in the season (one of those not to being in Covid year when Royal Ascot was just two weeks into the turf season) but don’t be put off by maidens. The 66/1 winner Cosmic Sun 16 years ago was a maiden, as was Heron Bay when scoring on his handicap debut in 2007 after three defeats in maidens, while the 1999 winner Elmutabaki was beaten in four maidens before winning what was his first start in a handicap. At a glance summary Positives Drawn in a double-figure stall The more lightly-raced the better A maiden at the start of the campaign The first three in the betting Won a Sandown handicap Owned by Godolphin Trained by the Charlie Johnston or Harry Charlton Negatives Carrying over 9st Finished outside the first three last time out Failed to win earlier in the season