Sandown Highlights Coral-Eclipse, Sandown 3:35 — Constitution River has now confirmed himself as the outstanding three-year-old colt over this sort of trip. I was happy to be with him at evens or bigger and managed to take 2.11 on the exchange, which looked fair given the profile he brought into the race. What impressed most was not just that he won, but how smoothly he put the race to bed once Ryan Moore asked him to go forward. He travelled in midfield, moved into contention before the two-furlong pole, and despite being committed early enough in a strongly run race, he kept finding all the way to the line. A Boy Named Susie again advertised his own progression by staying on into second, while Hawk Mountain probably deserves extra credit for sitting closer to the strong pace and still keeping on for third. The older horses, Saddadd and Gethin, were well held, and the race very much felt like a statement from the Classic generation. The big question now is where Constitution River goes next, because on this evidence he looks ready for any of the major middle-distance tests still to come.

Coral Challenge Handicap, Sandown 2:25 — This looked a solid, informative handicap, though it was a frustrating watch for anyone like OutandOutStayer, with Tribal Chief on side. He missed the break badly and, in a race that unfolded at a strong pace, his chance was compromised almost immediately. To his credit, he still made late ground and finished better than the bare result suggests, but the slow starts are becoming a concern and make him a difficult betting proposition pre-race. Indalo was a deserving winner, travelling strongly in midfield before grinding his way to the front late, and he continues to look very well suited by strongly run, competitive handicaps. Hard Endeavor also came out of the race with plenty of credit, briefly looking like the winner and shaping like a horse still on the upgrade. Ebt’s Guard was typically reliable in third, while Popmaster once again picked up pieces late. For the notebook, Tribal Chief remains handicapped to win one of these, but he may be better suited to in-running players until he proves he can break cleanly.

Calico Blue Goes Close in Competitive Newmarket Sprint

Betway Handicap Review – Newmarket, 9 July 2026

Our Notebook horse CALICO BLUE produced an excellent performance in Thursday’s Betway Handicap at Newmarket, finishing strongly to take second and failing by only a neck to overhaul the 12/1 winner Jazl.

The result was particularly encouraging because the race did not unfold entirely in Calico Blue’s favour. The 13 runners split into separate groups across the July Course, with Jazl leading a small group of three on the stands side while Calico Blue raced with the larger contingent down the centre. The two horses therefore fought out their own respective races for much of the six furlongs, only coming together near the finish.

Calico Blue was settled in midfield by Ray Dawson before beginning to make progress around two furlongs from home. He moved through to lead the main group inside the final furlong and continued to respond generously under pressure, but Jazl had established sufficient momentum on the opposite side of the track and held on by a neck.

There can be no criticism of Calico Blue’s performance. He finished in front of every horse in his own group, recorded a clear career-best and came within a stride or two of winning one of the most competitive three-year-old sprint handicaps of the season. His starting price of 8/1 also represented reasonable support, having been available at slightly shorter prices earlier in the day.

The performance strongly supports our earlier view that the return to six furlongs would suit him. His two previous starts this season had come over the minimum trip, but he had shaped as though a longer distance was required, particularly when overcoming an unfavourable low draw to finish fourth at Royal Ascot.

Newmarket provided further evidence that six furlongs is now his optimum distance. He travelled comfortably enough within a strong race before sustaining his challenge all the way to the line, rather than relying on a brief burst of speed. He remains unexposed at the trip and there should be another valuable handicap within his reach.

Jazl Back on Track

Jazl was entitled to have his Royal Ascot performance disregarded. He had been poorly positioned by the draw in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes and was also dropping to five furlongs for the first time, conditions that failed to play to his strengths.

Returned to six furlongs at Newmarket, he looked much more like the progressive sprinter who had broken the course record at Leicester earlier in the season.

Jack Mitchell broke sharply aboard the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained colt and allowed him to stride forward at the head of the stands-side group. Jazl was already leading overall before halfway and maintained his advantage under pressure to defeat Calico Blue, with Thunder Call another three-quarters of a length away in third.

The winner deserves considerable credit, although his position on the stands side meant he was able to concentrate on his own race without becoming involved in the larger central group. The late-May Leicester handicap proved the decisive piece of form, producing the winner of this valuable Newmarket contest for the third consecutive year.

Thunder Call Remains One to Follow

Our top-rated runner THUNDER CALL was relatively weak in the market before the race but performed with plenty of credit in third.

Held up towards the rear of the central group, he came under pressure around halfway and initially appeared in danger of becoming outpaced. Once switched into the clear inside the final two furlongs, however, he began to finish strongly and was doing some of his best work as the line approached.

The speed test at six furlongs did not show him to maximum advantage. He again finished narrowly ahead of Red Spells Danger, confirming their York form, but he looks increasingly likely to improve when returned to seven furlongs.

Thunder Call remains a progressive colt and should not be judged harshly on this defeat. A strongly run seven-furlong handicap would allow him more time to find his rhythm and make better use of his stamina.

Sea Cookie Disappoints

SEA COOKIE, another prominent runner in our ratings, was unable to extend his recent sequence of good performances.

He had produced a convincing course-and-distance victory on his previous appearance, but this represented a substantial rise in quality. Held up in the central group, he came under pressure more than two furlongs out and weakened during the closing stages.

His task was not helped by his rider having to carry 2 lb overweight, although that alone would not explain the extent of the defeat. This may simply have been a stronger race than the one he had won previously, and it would be premature to conclude that he has stopped progressing.

A Strong Piece of Handicap Form

Although the way the field divided made the race slightly difficult to interpret, the result has the ingredients of strong and reliable form.

Several of the leading three-year-old sprint handicaps were represented. Calico Blue and Jazl had both been disadvantaged by their positions at Royal Ascot, while Thunder Call and Red Spells Danger brought high-quality York form into the race. The first three pulled clear enough to suggest that all are capable of remaining competitive in valuable handicaps.

For followers of our Notebook, the principal conclusion is straightforward: Calico Blue remains a horse to keep firmly onside.

He has now demonstrated that he is well suited by six furlongs, handled good-to-firm conditions and produced a career-best in a deep Class 2 handicap. Despite doing everything required to win the race within his own group, he was narrowly denied by a rival positioned on a different part of the course.

The handicapper will inevitably respond, but Calico Blue remains open to further improvement over this trip. There should be more opportunities for him before the end of the season—and, on this evidence, his turn should not be far away.

Result

1. Jazl – 12/1
2. Calico Blue – 8/1, beaten a neck
3. Thunder Call – 3¾ lengths behind the winner

Notebook verdict: Calico Blue stays firmly in the Notebook.