An odd sort of meeting, tucked in on a Friday without any real unique event to it. But then what can you expect from a track which lists six key personnel in the race card, one of whom is described as 'brand manager.' God forbid people like the head groundsman should be more important in the long term than an elite cabbage.

Going: Good (Good to firm patches on the chase course, good to soft patches on the hurdle course)

Race 1: Allied Irish Bank (GB) conditional jockeys Handicap Hurdle [2m ½f]

1: Noble Raider      2: Distiller     3: Cockatoo

Winner owned: Edward M Kirtland, trained: Pam Sly, ridden: Gerard Tumelty

Fourteen months  earlier, Noble Raider had exited the racing scene as a promising prospect, and on his comeback, he cruised through to join the long time leader two out and won fairly comfortably in the end. In the morning's Racing Post, Pam Sly said that she believed the run, which exposes the problem with handling trainers' information. Despite being close to the horse, they can not be expected to be right about everything all of the time, and we never know quite when to accept their opinion or not. Distiller was left second when Nomechecki tipped up at the last, very tired after setting the pace. He had run well up to then, top weight on his UK debut after winning his only French hurdle at Vire (not exactly the top track of the country), but it ended with a fairly unpleasant experience and it will be interesting to see how he responds. On this evidence, 115 seems about right as a handicap mark.

Race 2: Devine IAC Handicap Chase [2m]

1: King Louis      2: Fabulous Jet     3: Roznic

Winner owned: Capt A Pratt, trained: Richard Rowe, ridden: Dominic Elsworth

This was a pretty ordinary race and after winning two modest events odds-on Fabulous Jet faced a stiffer jumping test today. He ran far too freely and although mostly jumping well, guessed very inaccurately at one or two and that allowed King Louis to take advantage coming up the hill. The winner had won just one of fourteen before this, and taking a handicap hammering for it, and will not often find the race panning out so obviously in his favour in future. A minor sequence was broken by Roznic, whose record before today when Philip Hide was on board was F111. Perhaps he was distracted by bombing missions in Libya?

Race 3: Allied Irish Bank (GB) Novice Hurdle [2m ½f]

1: Isn't That Lucky      2: Schiehallion     3: Supreme Duke

Winner owned: Mrs Valda Burke, trained: Jonjo O'Neill, ridden: Richard McGrath

Some fairly promising types lined up with this, but not necessarily ones primed to scale the peaks of their abilities immediately. Several sources described odds-on favourite Hell's Bay as disappointing for finishing behind three decent rivals last time, but he did not put that result behind him, ending up fourth. His jumping could be better and his fade in the last quarter of a mile was a bit tame. Isn't That Lucky - a bumper winner and then 12th at the festival - really had flopped on his hurdle debut, but showed today that he enjoyed this more than heavy ground at Chepstow. The fact that the third from that race had won 24 hours earlier was not exactly a bad thing either. With all his three previous runs at Newbury on soft or heavy, Schiehallion acquitted himself quite well, holding the late surge of Supreme Duke, a horse whose indistinctive name (let's pick two words already horribly over used in jumping) will make him a challenge to keep casual tabs on.

Race 4: Durkan Group Novice Chase [2m]

1: Noland      2: My Petra     3: Keepthedreamalive

Winner owned: Mr J Hales, Miss L Hales, trained: Paul Nicholls, ridden: Ruby Walsh

The 1/4 favourite beat the second favourite and everything was straight forward? Not quite, as a mighty leap took Psychomodo from third to first at the Pond Fence, and going much better than the first two, but he took a heavy fall at the second last and handed the race back to Noland, who looked a very lucky winner - although his jumping was excellent. My Petra probably ran better than on her winning chase debut.

Race 5: Allied Irish Bank (GB) Handicap Hurdle [2m 4½f]

1: Pagano      2: Stellenbosch     3: Scots Dragoon     4: Hereditary

Winner owned: Mr & Mrs FD Bell, trained: Alan King, ridden: Wayne Hutchinson

A typical Sandown race, in which a better than average, but not exceptional, prize fund attracts an army of handicappers in search of the win with a touch more kudos than they usually get. From eighteen runners anything could have happened, but top weight Pagano was more than game enough to land the honours after Stellenbosch had a slight edge on him at the last hurdle. The first five, completed by Danse Macabre, ended up well clear of the pack when a field still well bunched two out, quickly scattered. The last flight  departies of Call Oscar and Treaty Flyer also caused some chaos in behind. 

Race 6: Foundation Developments Handicap Chase [3m ½f]

1: Mokum      2: Yann's     3: Arumun

Winner owned: Mr M Cooke & Theo Paphitis, trained: Tony Carroll, ridden: Wayne Hutchinson

The second last fence again decided the race, but in this case Oakfield Legend was even more certainly in control when it tripped him up. He had been fifteen lengths clear at the third, but crucially had not thereafter hurtled round the track any faster than his rivals, and even if fatigue was an issue in his fall, Mokum was a) the only one closing the gap and b) not doing it fast enough to catch the winner on pace alone. Having lost twenty lengths at the start, Arumun staged a fair recovery to end up third. In a season of little note for Jonjo O'Neill The King Of Angels had been consistent and on a modest upgrade. He came totally off the rails today, being nudged along before the first, and eventually pulling up. As this is untypical, it is harsh to write him off, but some caution is merited until he livens up again.

Race 7: Allied Irish Bank (GB) Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race [2m ½f]

1: Cockney Trucker      2: Cyborg     3: King Fontaine

Winner owned: Mrs Karola Vann, trained: Philip Hobbs, ridden: Richard Johnson

A bunch of nice types of horse lined up for this, but like the novice hurdle, they did not necessarily convince that they were ready the lay their entire hand on the table this early in their career  - three had run once, the other ten were newcomers. The form will probably work out well because Sandown bumpers often do and after a slow pace for a long way, Cockney Trucker and Cyborg both showed some vim in fighting out the finish. As well as the first three listed and Goodwill Phil below, fifth placed Bob 'n' You looked as if the run would do him good and he was not beaten that far.

Plus Points

Noble Raider (race 1): If his trainer was right about his lack of fitness, he is miles ahead of the handicapper

Regal Quote (race 3): Following his quiet run at Folkestone, this third hurdle race saw Regal Quote a spectacularly obvious non-trier. He poodled round in last, passed a few very tired rivals two out, and then the jockey dropped his hands, in case too much was apparent. We have no idea what his ground and distance may be, but he should be closely monitored in handicaps. The risk is that if followed blindly, the inevitable betting plunge when his day comes may not cover previous losses...

Hereditary (race 5): More evidence that he is on the way back, although what may have happened had he waited two days for a race at his beloved Fontwell.

Dance Macabre (race 5): Needs the mud and has two Sandown wins to his name. Defeated consistently since March 2006 and thus well treated, his last two runs have hinted that it may be coming back together.

King Fontaine (race 7): Did his best to lose this but still emerged with promise. He played up in the paddock, not disastrously but enough to acquire a second handler, and sat at the back in the race, never really travelling well at all. Up the hill he stayed on gamely but every time he got a reminder he veered dramatically away from the whip. A work in progress, but had he the vaguest idea of what was going on, he probably would have won.

Goodwill Phil (race 7): A surprise, possibly unique, bumper runner from Greg Chung's yard and he ran a blinder. He cruised through to lead going very well as they passed the wings of the second last and simply did not get home. If his stamina holds out, there seems to be no lack of ability.

Down Arrows

Jazz Dance (race 1): Ground to a halt rapidly, and the trainer could offer the officials no explanation. A disappointing run indeed, but not untypical of the sort of form the yard is in at the moment - all or nothing.

Bay Hawk / Khazar (race 1): Had the merits of their Folkestone 1-2 put in bleak perspective

Fabulous Jet (race 2): Now he is higher in the ratings, he needs to settle an jump better to add to his tally

Rowdy Yates (race 2): Had first time blinkers and they seemed to produce a negative reaction, although he fell last time, which could be another reason for a hesitant performance.

Noland (race 4): On good to soft/soft/heavy, he has looked a machine, with form of 111111. On good, his form is 631, but could easily have been 632. Clearly he is mortal on decent ground, but not slowed down at all by the mud. Given the tendency for good (or even faster) going at Cheltenham, the Arkle does not look the race for him at all. If we get a downpour, the goalposts move.

Psychomodo (race 4): Did not convince entirely with his mental approach over hurdles, and despite a very good first 1m 5f oon is chase debut, he is probably not the sort to put the crashing finish to it behind him easily.

Oakfield Legend (race 6): Was an unlucky loser, caught out totally after a solid round of jumping, but is not guaranteed such a soft lead in the future and before this had been raised 17lb for his only win, where the runner-up was very much in the doldrums.