By Peter Moore at Sandown Park September 11th 2026
Picture: Huscal at Sandown by Peter Moore
Former jockey Adam Kirby returned back to his roots to take part in the Leger Legends race at Doncaster where he finished third on his own runner Caragio, but Cieren Fallon delivered for the trainer instead at Sandown when holding off Cilician to win by a neck in the 1m nursery handicap on Saturday.
“He’s taken a big step forward from Lingfield,” Fallon told Racing TV. “He jumped, he settled and he found a really nice rhythm. He’s a little bit raw and green off the bridle but he stuck to it late on and I think the stiff extra furlong definitely helped today. He battled really well and stayed on up the hill nicely.
“The ground’s gone a little bit sticky and it’s hard work, but he didn’t really mind that at all. He’s got stamina, natural speed, he could be a nice horse.”
Perfect Strike caused an upset in the 5f novice stakes after pulling away from the long odds on shot Ivory Moon to score by five and a half lengths under Cieren Fallon for William Haggas.
The colt was winless in two starts but the drop to the minimum distance paid dividends and continued the fine form of Fallon.
Christopher Mason is closing in on his best-ever season after On Edge struck in the 5f handicap. The 9-1 success marked Mason’s 13th win for the year, taking him one away from matching his career-high tally from 2024.
The eight-year-old didn’t seem to handle Epsom on his return from seven weeks off but looked more at home at Sandown with today’s cut in the ground.
Ralph Beckett’s Haldon Pier marked her debut on a racecourse after getting up on the line to deny Cloud Chorus by a short head in the 1m maiden fillies stakes.
Huscal ended a long losing run when making all at Lingfield on the AW last month. Returning back to the turf the same tactics were employed with Marco Ghiani aboard.
The four-year-old travelled well and when asked to kick on did so to win by three quarters of a length in the 7f Class 3 handicap.
Consistency has been the key for Allegrino this season who made it three wins in her last four runs after landing the 7f fillies handicap with Callum Hutchinson in the plate for the Andrew Balding yard.
Despite being very keen early on, Dancing Tiger settled well and went on to win the finale on the card for Owen Lewis in the 1m 2f apprentice handicap for Lambourn handler Roger Teal, who mentioned afterwards the gelding may well go over hurdles this autumn.