Stats Guide: Sandringham Stakes

Last year’s race

Winner: Heredia
Jockey: Sean M Levey
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Owner: St Albans Bloodstock Limited
Age: 3
Weight: 9st 8lbs
Starting Price: 7/2
Season Form Figures: 1
Previous Best: 1st - Class 3 Fillies' Handicap, York (May 2022)

For the sixth year the Sandringham will be run as a standard handicap rather than a Listed handicap so to all intents and purposes, it is basically now the fillies’ Britannia Stakes.

It has been a good idea to look at later developers as 14 winners since 1995 started the season as a maiden. Agrotera became the first last-time-out maiden winner since 2000 when she justified favouritism five years ago but very much look to last-time-out winners as they have supplied the winner on 16 occasions in the last 28 runnings. Last season’s winner was unbeaten in three career starts upon entering the race.

Like so many handicaps at the Royal Meeting, the Johnston stable figures prominently but Charlie Fellowes and Hayley Turner have combined to win two of the last four runnings with a 33/1 outsider both times so watch out what they have lined up.

Richard Hannon has saddled two well-fancied winners in the last eight years after Heredia’s success last season. Mark Johnston mustered just one runner in the eight renewals prior to Muteela’s success nine years ago which is surprising considering that four of his previous five runners made the frame including the winner in 1998 so watch out for Charlie Johnston’s contenders.

Also note Michael Bell or Ed Dunlop given that they have both won this race twice and Dunlop went within a neck of making in three wins ten years ago when supplying the runner-up and he also supplied the close-up third in 2016.

The Irish have won on three occasions going back to 2005 including a 1-2 in 2021.

With only five of the last 28 winners not being sent off in the front half-dozen in the market, it has been one of the better handicaps at the meeting for punters. Twenty of those had visited the Winners’ Enclosure at some point earlier in the campaign and one of those not to score earlier in the campaign was having her seasonal debut.

The Classic trials of the Nell Gwyn and Pretty Polly have been worth noting. Four fairly recent winners ran creditably in the 1000 Guineas trial where they finished in the first five at Newmarket with. Osaila winning both races in 2015. Two recent Sandringham winners were also placed in the Oaks trial so were dropping back in distance.

Jamie Spencer has ridden the winner on four occasions going back to 2006 underlining the view held by many that he is the best exponent of how to ride a hold-up horse in big handicaps on the straight course at Ascot. However, he trails Frankie Dettori by three winners having won it seven times.

Five of the last 12 winners emerged from stalls 1-5 but, more interestingly, seven of the last 12 winners were drawn no more than four positions away from either rail.

At a glance summary

Positives:
Last-time out winner
Trained by Charlie Fellowes, Richard Hannon, Charlie Johnston, Ed Dunlop or Michael Bell
First six in the market
Drawn in the lowest or highest four stalls
Maiden at the start of the season
Finished in the first five in the Nell Gwyn Stakes or placed in the Pretty Polly Stakes
Ridden by Frankie Dettori or Jamie Spencer

Negatives:
None