Almost as soon as the flat season begins, racing fans are met with a consistent stream of evening fixtures. With the exception of Sundays, barely a day passes by without at least one evening fixture to sink our teeth into.
Whilst competitive, the bulk of the evening meetings consist of little more than handicapping, novice, and maiden fare – fine for punting but lacking a little in the class department. However, that isn’t always the case. There are several quality evening meetings spread over the British flat campaign, the best of which took place at Sandown on Thursday evening.
Whilst a Class 4 Maiden and Class 3 Handicap bookended the card at the Esher venue, the four races in between were all rated at Listed level or above, headlined by the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Here, we take a look at who came out on top at a meeting which regularly provides pointers ahead of the significant events to come.
Image by Judith, via flickr.
Star Sports National Stakes – 25/1 Shock as Anthelia Extends Unbeaten Record
| Position | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Anthelia | 25/1 | Lewis Edmunds | Rod Millman |
| 2nd | First Legion | 9/4 | Shane Foley | Richard Hannon |
| 3rd | Eskimo Pie | 10/1 | Hollie Doyle | Jane Chapple-Hyam |
Boasting the names of Lowther Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Tiggy Wiggy and successful stallion Havana Grey on the recent roll of honour, this 5f event for the youngsters regularly provides a glimpse of a future Group 1 contender.
Ahead of the 2025 edition, the Karl Burk colt Clear Force was the horse deemed most likely to take this next step up the ladder on the back of an impressive success at Ripon. Richard Hannon’s First Legion came next in the market, followed by Dylan Cunha’s Doncaster scorer Kamakameleon.
As likeable as that trio were, the Rod Millman filly Anthelia was the only runner who arrived with more than one win to her name. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but a starting price of 25/1 in a seven-runner field was pretty big for a filly who had won each of her two starts to date. Those who kept faith with the daughter of Supremacy were richly rewarded as the mount of Lewis Edmunds came with a storming late run up the far rail to score by a widening length.
Purchased for a bargain 6,000 Guineas, Anthelia is likely to skip Royal Ascot in favour of a tilt at Newmarket’s Empress Fillies Stakes on June 26th.
Star Sports Henry II Stakes – Trawlerman Advertises Gold Cup Claims
| Position | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Trawlerman | 4/5 | William Buick | John & Thady Gosden |
| 2nd | Coltrane | 7/1 | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding |
| 3rd | Al Nayyir | 11/2 | Silvestre De Sousa | Tom Clover |
The unexpected retirement of Kyprios has blown the 2025 staying division wide open, with a whole host of challengers lining up to take their shot at the vacated throne. Included in that number is the John & Thady Gosden-trained Trawlerman, who made his seasonal return in this 2m Group 3 affair.
Only three rivals turned up to take on Trawlerman, who started as the 4/5f, but all three brought strong form to the table. Coltrane had four Group class wins to his name, Al Nayyir had twice finished a close second in Group 2 company, and Graded winning hurdler, Burdett Road, had hinted that he may be up to this level on the flat.
Whilst off the mark in the previous event, the market got this spot on. Sent straight into the lead by William Buick, Trawlerman didn’t see another rival on his way to an ever-so-easy 5L success. Second to Kyprios in the 2024 Gold Cup, he is now no bigger than 5/1 to go one place better in 2025.
Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes – Ombudsman Beaten for The First Time
| Position | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Almaqam | 7/4 | Oisin Murphy | Ed Walker |
| 2nd | Ombudsman | 5/4 | Ryan Moore | John & Thady Gosden |
| 3rd | Phantom Flight | 22/1 | Callum Shepherd | George Scott |
Named in honour of the racing legend who won 17 of 18 starts between 1970 and 1972, including the 2000 Guineas, St. James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Champion Stakes (twice), this 1m2f contest invariably attracts a field of talented older runners.
Seven went to post in 2025, headed by the unbeaten Night Of Thunder colt, Ombudsman. Only making his debut in June of last year, this John & Thady Gosden runner made rapid strides to win all four starts, including the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange at Longchamp. Given that eye-catching profile, it was no surprise to see the mount of Ryan Moore start as the 5/4f.
In the end, Ombudsman ran well, just not well enough to master a horse who had lost all four stats since winning at this meeting in 2024. Something in the Sandown air seems to bring out the best in Ed Walker’s Almaqam, who made all under a confident Oisin Murphy to score by 1¾l.
Whether Almaqam retains his form a little better than in 2024 remains to be seen. With his trainer keen to avoid quick ground, he seems likely to bypass the major summer festivals but is a horse to bear in mind for the significant autumn events, with a shot at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remaining a possibility.
Star Sports Heron Stakes – Ballo Back to Best for Godolphin
| Position | Horse | Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Opera Ballo | 5/4 | William Buick | Charlie Appleby |
| 2nd | Bay City Roller | 9/2 | Callum Shepherd | George Scott |
| 3rd | Jackknife | 9/2 | Oisin Murphy | Roger Varian |
Team Godolphin must have been a little disappointed to see Ombudsman taste defeat for the first time. However they didn’t have to wait long to re-enter the winner’s enclosure.
Sired by one of the most promising new stallions in Ghaiyyath and kicking off with back-to-back wins at Kempton, Opera Ballo was touted as a potential 1000 Guineas contender ahead of the Craven Stakes. A sixth of seven effort at Newmarket put an end to that plan, but on this evidence, we may yet see the three-year-old in Group 1 company.
Settled in behind the leaders turning for home, Opera Ballo appeared full of running despite showing signs of greenness throughout. However, once asked to quicken by William Buick, the response was electric. 2½l clear at the line, this effort went some way towards restoring his reputation. Like Almaqam, he needs some ease in the ground to be seen to best effect, suggesting he may only take up his St. James’ Palace Stakes engagement if the word soft appears in the going description.