Sandown Tips: Fortune to shine on Skellet

Sandown Park stages an afternoon of Flat racing on Wednesday, September 18, with seven races at the Esher venue headlined by the Listed Fortune Stakes over a mile. They race from 13:50-17:00, with the feature due off at 15:23, and conditions are forecast to be 'good to soft-good in places'.

Below are three fancies on the card, including a three-year-old filly with more to offer for trainer Ralph Beckett in the Juddmonte silks going for the feature race.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

13:50 Sandown – Soul Seeker @ 4/1

Recent Brighton scorer Secret Handsheikh is likely to prove popular under a 5lb penalty given the ease with which he won at the seaside venue nine days ago, but he was allowed to dictate in front and never saw another runner there. This is a stronger race and his rivals will be wary of allowing him too much leeway.

David O'Meara's SOUL SEEKER could be the alternative. The gelded son of Oasis Dream is an eight-time winner on turf in his career and gained the latest of those wins off a mark of 75 at Haydock in this month last year.

He went close at York (5f, good to firm) in July and comes here after a close-up third at Beverley (5f, good to firm) on the final day of August.

Granted a clear run, he might have landed that prize and he might well be primed to win now with Jason Watson taking over in the plate from an unchanged mark.

15:23 Sandown – Skellet @ 11/4

The feature race is over a mile and a field of eight were declared for the Listed Fortune Stakes.

Kingman filly SKELLET could be ready to take advantage of her three-year-old allowance here for Ralph Beckett and Hector Crouch.

She ended last season by winning a Salisbury maiden a year ago and then went down only narrowly in a 7f Newmarket Group 3 on her final juvenile start.

She was pitched in deep on her comeback in the Irish 1000 Guineas and again in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Sights were lowered in July at Chantilly as she sported first-time blinkers and was denied by a head in Group 3 company against her peers, denied a run at a crucial stage and then foiled by Blush, flashing home on the outside.

Cheekpieces are tried now and she looks to retain scope for further improvement.

15:55 Sandown – Windcrack @ 5/2

WINDCRACK scored impressively over course and distance 19 days ago for Andrew Balding and went in the notebook as one to follow.

The Cracksman filly was only having her second start on grass and her first at this mile trip that afternoon and she readily put away five rivals in the hands of former champ Oisin Murphy.

She has gone up 5lb in the ratings and will move into Class 4 company now, but she should take it in her stride and make it 2-2 over C&D, with any drying of conditions in her favour.

Horse Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.