Last week saw the stars of the National Hunt campaign crowned at Sandown’s Jumps Finale fixture. In a big couple of days at the Esher venue, Sandown also provided the stage for an impeccably bred colt to enter the Epsom Derby picture. Moving north to Perth, the Scottish track made the news courtesy of two unusual photo finishes in the space of as many days.
Regally Bred Raaheeb Claims Classic Trial
The two-day meeting at Sandown began with an all-flat fixture on Friday, 24th April. One of three Group class contests on the card, the bet365 Classic Trial saw a field of Epsom Derby hopefuls do battle over 1m2f. Making the trip over from Ireland, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Action started as the odds-on favourite. However, he was overshadowed by the horse with the most eye-catching pedigree in the field.
Sired by Sea The Stars and out of the Listed-winning mare, Aghareed, the Owen Burrows-trained Raaheeb is a full brother to both Hukum and Baeed. Also representing Burrows, Hukum won 11 of 18 starts, including Group 1 successes in the Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Baeed, meanwhile, tasted defeat only once in 11 outings, winning six times at the highest level, and reaching a lofty rating of 135.
Hukum and Baeed set a high bar for Raaheeb, but the early evidence suggests he may have what it takes to join his siblings as a Group 1 winner. Raced only once in his juvenile campaign, when winning easily over seven furlongs at Ascot, he stepped right up in class for his seasonal return at Sandown. With Rossa Ryan stepping in for the injured Jim Crowley, the 5/1 chance stamped his class all over the field. Travelling supremely well throughout, Raaheeb quickened smartly to open up a lead of three and a quarter lengths at the line.
The bookmakers liked what they saw, with Raaheeb shortening from a general 25/1 to 8/1 for the Epsom Derby. However, it remains to be seen whether he is ready to tackle the demands of Epsom. Reflecting on this display, his trainer stated:
“He’s in the Dante, but we always felt the Derby might come a fraction too soon for him mentally. He’s pleasantly surprised me there, but we’ll have to see how he comes out of this, and I wouldn’t want to commit either way at the moment.”
Photo Finish Chaos at Perth
Always a big player on the summer jumping scene, last week saw Perth Racecourse stage its season-opening three-day fixture. While the racing was as competitive as ever at this well-attended event, it was a pair of photo finishes that grabbed the headlines.
The first of the wafer-thin finishes came in the Join Racing TV Now Handicap Chase on Day 2. American Mike and Statuario were the duo who crossed the line in unison, and, after much deliberation, the judge could not split them. While dead heats are not unheard of in National Hunt racing, what made this one particularly unusual is that the two jockeys involved were sibling rivals, James and Sean Bowen. Adding to the family theme, Statuario is trained by another of the Bowen brothers, Mickey.
A fabulous finish to the Join @RacingTV Now Handicap Chase as the Bowen brothers share the spoils in a dead-heat
American Mike & Statuario (registering his seventh win at the track) the winners! pic.twitter.com/vKPn97IAzL
— perthracecourse (@PerthRacecourse) April 23, 2026
Some might think this was the first dead heat between two brothers in a jumps race. However, it wasn’t even the first dead heat between Sean and James Bowen. Summing up the unusual result, Sean stated:
“It’s the second time we’ve had a dead-heat, which is incredible, because you hardly ever get dead-heats and for us to ride two is mental.”
While the first of the Perth Festival photo finishes produced an interesting racing stat, the second unfolded in farcical circumstances. Once again, the Bowen clan were involved, as the Mickey Bowen-trained duo of Fiskardo and Ksar d’Oudairies crossed the line together, with James Bowen aboard the latter.
Having examined the photo, Judge William Fraser Perratt declared Ksar d’Oudairies the winner, despite the released photo clearly showing Fiskardo a nose clear of his stablemate. Concerns were duly raised, but it was only around an hour after the race – long after the runners had officially weighed in – that Perth officials conceded their error. The result was duly amended, with Fiskardo awarded the race by a nose. A report on the incident has been forwarded to the head office of the British Horseracing Authority.
Champions Crowned at Sandown
Saturday 25th April saw the champions of the 2025/26 National Hunt season crowned as part of Sandown’s Jumps Finale celebrations. Dan Skelton was the man on top of the trainer’s table following an utterly dominant campaign. Having been reeled in by Willie Mullins in each of the past two seasons, Skelton left no room for doubt in a record-setting campaign.
| Pos | Trainer | Wins | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dan Skelton | 194 | £5.04m |
| 2nd | Willie Mullins | 16 | £2.69m |
| 3rd | Nicky Henderson | 87 | £2.40m |
| 4th | Paul Nicholls | 94 | £2.16m |
| 5th | Olly Murphy | 144 | £1.83m |
Already the first trainer in history to amass £4 million in prize money in a single season, he surged past the £5 million mark thanks to the success of Doyen Quest in the Oaksey Chase on the final day. His closing tally of £5,044,586 was over £2.3 million more than Mullins, who filled the runners-up position.
Switching focus to the men and women in the saddle, Sean Bowen turned the race for the Champion Jockey title into a similarly one-sided affair. One of the hardest-working riders in the sport, Bowen racked up 241 winners, 114 more than runner-up Harry Skelton. Now a two-time Champion Jockey, Bowen may be the man to challenge Sir AP McCoy’s record of 289 winners in a season.
Based at the yard of Dan Skelton, 24-year-old Tristan Durrell claimed the Champion Conditional title with 51 wins.
