By Tony Calvin - 23 August 2026
There is a small risk of flooding and disruption from thunderstorms at Sandown on Wednesday.
Impact: Medium
Likelihood: Very low
I can’t see much point in betting at Sandown ante-post with that rain weather forecast below.
Or Goodwood in fact.
I certainly don’t see any pointing in backing Constitution Hill as it just been announced he won’t be running at Windsor.
The circus rolls on to Kempton next.
There are currently 40 entries in the Group 2 Celebration Mile at Goodwood (17 now).
Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t see any ante-post betting on the race.
Rain is currently forecast for Goodwood and Sandown from Wednesday onwards (see below), so watering is on hold at both tracks.
Very sensible from both clerks.
With a dry Monday/Tuesday, Sandown have decided to water “5mm selectively on quicker ground on both Sprint and Round Courses” today.
It gets decidedly wetter from Wednesday onwards though, as per the current forecast below.
Those forecasts can change wildly though, and often do.
Goodwood are applying 5mm to the Field Side (1m6f start to Oak Tree Corner) & 5f to 4f today
Potentially the best race on Saturday isn’t on the box – it is the 19-strong 1m3f99yd Listed race at Windsor at 6.30pm.
Constitution Hill is the 7/2 favourite despite having a fair job on with several 110+-rated horses in the five-day field.
The ground is currently good to firm, good in places, and they have been watering, but not telling punters how much.
And that really isn’t on.
The current forecast is for rain Wednesday to Saturday, with Thursday set to be the wettest day by far (14mm).
One bookmaking outfit go the first eight in their 19-strong market: 3s, 3s, 7/2, 4s , 5s, 7s, 7s and 7s.
The other firms aren’t much better.
If you are betting ante-post, please take note of the weather forecasts below.
Quite how much rain lands, I have no idea, but some looks sure to arrive.
And connections of Constitution Hill are not hanging around to see how much, announcing he won’t run.
There are a couple of moderate fillers on ITV’s Goodwood offering – and maybe one from Sandown – and this 1m 2yo filles’ novice is the first.
Moderate may be harsh – and there are 24 entries, if a lot could go elsewhere (see below) – but it is clearly not a race bookmakers would price up ante-post.
And they haven’t.
Four of these are set to run on Thursday (see below); obviously don’t back them ante-post.
This isn’t priced up either. No surprise as it is a 2yo fillies’ maiden, in which eight of the 17 are newcomers.
Remember to monitor the weather forecast. Thursday is now showing 19mm.
This 7f handicap, which has attracted 24 five-day entries, is much more like it for bookmakers.
There are a fair few double-entries (see below), so I wouldn’t touch them myself (mind you, it is amazing that some tipsters recommend these horses ante-post regardless, but each to their own).
And I wouldn’t go near the current ante-post offering either, as only four outfits have priced this up – and have done so to a very defensive level.
One mob have two 7/2 joint favourites (Forty Years On and Completely Random) and five others priced up between priced up between 5s and 9s.
Hardly come and have a bet, stuff – unless you know of an intended runner who handles some cut and is a half-decent price.
Six of the 20 in this 1m2f handicap could be elsewhere.
Only one outfit (three firms; one set of prices) have priced this up as at 7.01am on Tuesday.
Kokbastau is the 3/1 favourite, but the problem is the same horse is also in the 2.35pm at Goodwood, for which the lightly-raced big improver is the jolly at 9/4 and 5/2.
Too many options for horses innit, as is evidenced by the double-entry lists below (they will change at 10am).
As I said above, Kokbastau – who went up 14lb for his wide-margin win at Kempton earlier in the month – is also the 5/2 favourite for this 1m4f handicap.
The doubts about his participation means the few bookmakers who have priced this race up as at 7.08am on Tuesday (four) are betting very defensively once again.
For example, one of those firms offer 9/4, 11/4 and 3s about the first three in the betting – and there are also 12 others in the race at this stage.
You’d have to have a very good reason for getting involved here – indeed, on the weekend’s ante-post racing as a whole.
The 1m Group 3 Atalanta Stakes has attracted a very strong field, in numerical terms, with 18 five-day entries, though eight of those are double-entered.
This has meant that firms are treading carefully here, with only six pricing this up as at 7.27am on Tuesday.
One of those double entries, Secret Of Life, ranges from 10/3 to 5s, so I couldn’t back her myself until I see if connections are leaving her in Curragh’s early-closer on Saturday later today (wasn’t left in at the Curragh).
But she and the other three market leaders (priced between 11/4 and 5s at best prices) – Kon Tiki, Moon Target and Calendar Girl – are all currently jocked up for what is worth (I’d argue little , especially with that uncertain rain forecast).
Calendar Girl would make most appeal at 5s if pushed as she has form with dig and was impressive on her return.
This will be the best race on the ITV card.
This Group 2 Celebration Mile saw a very healthy 17 confirmed for this early-closer on Monday and it is potentially a very strong renewal, with only two currently entered elsewhere this week (see below).
The forecast rain, particularly on Thursday, makes this tricky though and, again, the bookmakers who have priced this up (10 on the Oddschecker grid as of 7.16am on Tuesday) aren’t falling over themselves with generosity.
They make Distant Storm their favourite ranging from 7/4 to 9/4 . The Guineas third and Irish Guineas runner-up got back to winning ways at Deauville after a break early in the month, and clearly holds strong claims if running here.
But the rain is a worry for any potential ante-post punters.
Timeform have Distant Storm racing on good to firm in all his starts bar his disappointing third in the Acomb last year, which came on good.
Not a bad five-day turn-out of 14 for the 2yo 7f Solario Stakes , with four currently entered elsewhere this week.
Just the five firms have priced this up as I write, with Rock Montreal the early 7/4 favourite at best odds.
He is as low as evens!
He is a rare Godolphin runner for Roger Varian – I can’t readily recall any others to be honest, though I am probably missing some glaring examples – and he must have known what he potentially had as the Dewhurst entry went off at 2/5 when winning easily at Yarmouth on his debut.
But this could be a deep race, with three other unbeaten horses in here and Alfred Wallace setting the form standard if he makes a quick turnaround from his Acomb fourth last week and Aidan O’Brien’s Sergei Diaghilev an obvious threat, too.
The ITV team will probably be better off having a review chat after the 3.30pm at Sandown instead of broadcasting this race.
Even at the five-day stage , this 3yo 1m2f fillies’ has attracted just 11 entries and it could cut up a fair bit.
None in here have shown much so far but we do have newcomers from the Gosdens, Balding and Boughey yards, so it could hold some interest for viewers.
Little from a betting perspective though I’d have though, and this hasn’t been priced up.
GOING – Round Course: Good to firm, good in places; Going Stick 7.4 on Wed 7.45am); Sprint Course: Good to firm, good in places; (Going Stick 7.0 Wed 7.45am)
WEDNESDAY COURSE UPDATE: 2mm rain last Wednesday morning. Dry since, until light drizzle early Wednesday. Still great uncertainty as to rainfall volumes in next 72 hours. Showers possible Wednesday pm, before a band of rain passes through early Thursday, with most forecasts suggesting 5mm or so. Further showery rain possible Friday afternoon and Saturday.
WATERING: 7.5mm applied 5 days a week for last fortnight. No watering over the weekend. 5mm selectively on quicker ground on both Sprint and Round Courses Monday. No watering Tuesday. Likely to be some selective watering this afternoon and evening if no showers during the day – volume tbc.
Weather (as at 9.18am Wed- very changeable/hard to call) –Dry Wednesday now; 13mm Thursday; 9.5mm Friday; 3.8mm Saturday
GOING: Good to firm, good in places
GOING STICK: 7.7, Wed 8am
34% soil moisture
WEDNESDAY COURSE UPDATE: 6.8mm rain over Wednesday 19th & Thursday 20th Dry overnight. A dry day today. Rain 5-15mm from midnight to 6am tonight. Potential for a shower on Thursday and overnight. Some light rain on Friday afternoon 0-4mm. Further rain on Saturday 3-8mm. Potential for showers on Sunday.
WATERING: Applying 5mm to the Field Side (1m6f start to Oak Tree Corner) & 5f to 4f on Monday
Weather (as at 9.18am Wed; very changeable/hard to call) – Dry Wednesday; 12mm Thursday (starting 5am); 6.4mm Friday; 7.4mm Saturday
1.25pm Goodwood: Alidoolally, Aphra Behn, Greta Tintin, Hidden Beyond, Kanzi (due to run at Carlisle on Thursday), Kiah (due to run at Lingfield on Thursday), Lily Pink, Necromancer, Saffron Bay, Scrappetelene (due to run at Lingfield on Thursday), Thuritha (due to run at Lingfield on Thursday)
2pm Goodwood: Desert Shadow, Galeron, Garfield Shadow, Hungarian, Invictus Gold, Kisskodi, Leadman, Palmar Bay, Rhoscolyn, Wiltshire
2.15pm Sandown: Rathgar, The Glen Rovers, Tony Montana, Alcarath, Alpha Crucis, Swing Vote
2.35pm Goodwood: Francis Ethel, Green Sky, Kokbastau, Rathgar, The Glen Rovers, Tiger, Tony Montana
2.50pm Sandown: Arisaig, Pina Sonata, Alobayyah, Maeva, Meriden, Pacific Mission, Thalara
3,10pm Goodwood: Arisaig, Pina Sonata
3.30pm Sandown: Celestia, Dover Street, Sonny Parvenue, Waasil
3.45pm Goodwood: Queen Of Scotland, Shangri La
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