Today's Timeform Horse Racing Tips at Sandown

The Ratings Choice

HAND OF GOD – 13:50 Sandown

The Esher Cup is always a very useful three-year-old handicap and this looks no exception with some promising types lining up. Heading the Timeform weight-adjusted ratings is Hand of God for Harry Charlton.

He needed the experience in his first two starts last year but the second of those was a novice at Salisbury whose form worked out well and Hand of God showed plenty of improvement on his third and final outing last year when winning a maiden at Newmarket in October in good style. Always handy, he ran green in the Dip but kept on to win by two and a half lengths from Classic Encounter who in turn finished clear of the rest.

An opening mark of 88 looks manageable with further improvement to come from Hand of God, while the booking of Ryan Moore looks significant too.

The Big Improver

SECRET SATIRE – 16:10 Sandown

Some of the fillies in this novice that was won two years ago by Oaks runner-up Emily Upjohn hold Epsom entries themselves, including Secret Satire for Andrew Balding.

She had a couple of runs last October and showed plenty of improvement from her debut when winning a novice at Lingfield. Clearly having learned a lot from her first start, she raced prominently before leading in the final hundred yards and was going away at the finish in beating Climate Action by a length and a quarter.

Out of a useful listed winner over a mile and a quarter, and a half-sister to another useful filly who has won at up to a mile and three quarters, Secret Satire should be suited by stepping up a couple of furlongs here and can defy her penalty before perhaps taking in an Oaks trial next time.

The Timeform Flag

OKEECHOBEE - 14:25 Sandown

Flag: Horse In Focus

St Leger third Desert Hero has a much shorter trip to contend with, while Israr disappointed in Qatar last time, but while that pair have achieved the most among the seven runners in the Gordon Richards Stakes, there are reasons for opposing them with Harry Charlton’s colt Okeechobee.

He rapidly developed into a smart three-year-old in 2022 when winning three of his four starts, culminating in a win in a handicap at Salisbury which suggested he had potential in pattern company.

However, the half-brother to St Leger winner Logician had to miss all of last season but posted a very encouraging effort after a lengthy absence when returning in a listed race at Kempton earlier this month which earned him the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag. Soon settling after being a bit keen early on, Okeechobee was gradually left behind by Dubai Honour in the final furlong but wasn’t given a hard race once held and looked very much at home up in grade. With that run under his belt, Okeechobee can start making up for lost time.

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