18+ • Bet Responsibly • Racing Alpha does not accept betsBeGambleAware.org
RacingAlpha

18:55 Sandown

Close Brothers Handicap Stakes

1m2f · Flat · Class 4 · Good To Firm · 5 runners · £6,019 · Friday, 24 July 2026

Result

Race report

AI top pick wonat SP 15/8·2.88
  1. 1st
    Cyrano De Bergerac (IRE)AI top pick · 73.3
    Luke Catton·John & Thady Gosden
    15/8·2.88
    SP
  2. 2nd
    Blue Noon (IRE)
    Sean Levey·Richard Hannon·beaten 4.5 lengths
    10/1·11.00
    SP
  3. 3rd
    Roker Roar (IRE)
    Jason Watson·Andrew Balding·beaten 3.25 lengths
    22/1·23.00
    SP
Race time
2m 9.02s

Race time recorded.

In-running (Cyrano De Bergerac (IRE))

“Tracked the front rank early - driven into second 2f out - hit the front and drifted right approaching the final furlong - found more to prevail comfortably”

Settled · 1pt level stake = 1.88 pt return on the winnerTipping P&L →

Furlong's verdict

Reading the form…

AI-written, grounded in our data on this race. May be wrong. Verify before staking. Opinion, not advice.

Pundit corner

Racing Post · third-party
Pundit pick: Hot And Cold

Hot And Cold stands out on our figures at 90, a clear eight pounds better than anything else in this five-runner field. That kind of margin makes it the clear selection, with Knightsail, Blue Noon and Cyrano De Bergerac the closest on paper but all rated some way behind. Roker Roar brings up the rear and looks up against it on these figures. Confidence in Hot And Cold is high.

Editorial from Racing Post analysts via the Racing API — not generated by Racing Alpha. Formbook forecast prices are estimates, not market prices.

Why the model rates this top

Cyrano De Bergerac

Luke Catton(3) · John & Thady Gosden · 3yo

Top-rated of 5
score 73.3 · +12.3 clear of next best (61.0)
Scores compare runners within this race only

The Racing Alpha rating combines four signals. Below is the breakdown — components driving this pick first.

  • Trainer20% weight
    100very strong
    John & Thady Gosden: 8/19 winners last 14d (42%)
  • Form20% weight
    89very strong
    Last 6: 2-2-1
  • Freshness10% weight
    85very strong
    34d since last run (fresh)
  • Ratings50% weight
    54average
    OR 81 — highest combined rating in the field
MarketBest price 3.35 (Betfair Exchange) · 2nd in the market of 5.

v1.3 rating — a field-relative score, not a win probability; for market-derived value see the Fair column in the runners table. Weights and method on /about. Tips are opinions, not advice.

Draw bias — Sandown 1m2f

full course data →

Strong: high (outside) favoured (IV 1.35).

Low (1–2)
IV 0.91
Mid (3–4)
IV 0.73
High (5–5)
IV 1.35

Today: Blue Noon (draw 5) gets the bias; Cyrano De Bergerac (draw 4) is in the least-favoured band.

IV = impact value: 1.00 is neutral, above it a stall band wins more often than its share of runners predicts. 72 qualifying races at this course and trip, 3-year window.

Runners · sorted by finishing position

PosNo.HorseFormORAISP
11
Cyrano De Bergerac
J: Luke Catton(3) · T: John & Thady Gosden · draw 4
3yo · C · ch
221
8173.3
15/8·2.88
SP
24
Blue Noon
J: Sean Levey · T: Richard Hannon · draw 5
3yo · F · b
44363
7649.6
10/1·11.00
SP
35
Roker Roar
J: Jason Watson · T: Andrew Balding · draw 1
3yo · G · b
743
7250.0
22/1·23.00
SP
43
Knightsail
J: Jamie Spencer · T: David Menuisier · draw 2
3yo · G · bhFT H
737
7637.8
11/1·12.00
SP
52
Hot And Cold
J: Luke Morris · T: Sir Mark Prescott Bt · draw 3
3yo · F · b
56112
8161.0
5/6F·1.83
SP

OR = official rating · AI = model score (0–100) · form reads oldest → latest

Frequently asked questions

Who won the 18:55 Sandown on 24 July 2026?

Cyrano De Bergerac (IRE) won the 18:55 Sandown at SP 2.88. Ridden by Luke Catton. Trained by John & Thady Gosden.

Did the Racing Alpha AI tip win the 18:55 Sandown?

Yes — the AI top-rated horse, Cyrano De Bergerac, won the race (AI score 73.3).

What were the placings in the 18:55 Sandown?

Top finishers: 1. Cyrano De Bergerac (IRE) (2.88), 2. Blue Noon (IRE) (11.00), 3. Roker Roar (IRE) (23.00).

What was the winning time for the 18:55 Sandown?

The winning time was 2m 9.02s.

Best price shown is the highest decimal price across bookmakers we track. Odds update every few minutes; settle at SP if unavailable. 18+ only · Bet responsibly · BeGambleAware.org