4:25 All in all a nice afternoons racing with a reasonable crowd.
Tomorrow it will be packed for a mixed meeting as the curtain comes down on what has been an exciting jump season.
4:20 A tasty little handicap to end proceedings this afternoon.
Mark Johnston's unbeaten Captain Webb was sent off the 5/4 favourite. It has to be said the favourite never looked like winning, indeed I had to check it wasn't the horses first run as it was running very green two furlongs out.
Amanda Perret's grey Midships set the pace and looked to be booked for a pillar to post victory.
However Sir Michael Stout's Colony, which had been settled near the rear by Kerrin McEvoy began making relentless progress in the centre of the course and as the colt progressed thriough the field there was a certain inevitability and sure enough he went on to win by 1 3/4 lengths from Midships, who deserved something for his run, and who managed to hold of the advancing field led by Sir Michael Stout's apparent first string Conduit.
3:50 Well the Gosden favourite may have been a drifter in the last, the opposite happened in this race with his Dar Re Mi being backed from 11/8 into even money.
Punters obviously knew something as the filly led from stalls to the finish and never looked to be in any danger in a field of potentially classy three year old fillies.
Of the newconers the runner up Icon Project looked to have plenty in the locker taking second place and is bound to come on for the experience, as is the third Albarouche.
Disappointment of the race was Star Of Gibraltar who had been backed from eights into 9/2 but showed nothing after briefly taking third place at the end of the back straight.
3:10 Who says you need big fields to have an exciting race? Only five went to post for the Casino At bet365.com Stakes over a mile but the finish was brilliant.
John Gosden, king of last weeks Craven meeting, trained the favourite Charm School - however it drifted like the Marie Celeste in the betting, opening at evens and eventually going off at 7/4.
Against the drifting favourite, two were backed, Mark Johnston's Zakhaaref 9/4 from 7/2 and Paul Cole's General Elliot 7/2 in to 11/4.
As often happens with the Johnston runners, Zakhaaref set the early pace, whilst the favourite missed the break and was settled last.
Once again it was as they turned for home that the action started with first of all Manassas challenging then Steele Tango. However the most devastating turn of foot came from General Elliot who went from fourth to first in a matter of strides.
The Cole horse crossed the line first but Charm School, Zakhaaref and Steele Tango crossed the line together.
It took judge Dave Smith an age to call a dead heat for second between teh running on favourite and the outsider Steele Tango.
2:35 A nifty five furlong sprint this time with Henry Cand'y Corrybrough under Ryan Moore the 5/4 favourite.
Unlike Ask in the previous race the favourites backers had no concerns at all as the colt swept to a convincing two length victory from Richard Hannon's Chartist in second place and the very well backed Rash Judgement taking third.
The latter had been backed from 9/1 into 13/2 at the off.
The winner won with ease and I cannot believe he will not go on to better things even over six.
1:55 It is unusual for the feature race to be the second on the card but with terrestial television coverage it happens.
The Gordon Richards Stakes over a mile and a quarter only had five runners and teh Sir Michels Stout trained Ask was sent off the 8/13 favourite.
The eraly pace was set by Championship point, employing his usual front running tactics, with the other four runners happy to follow two by two.
Turning for home the hare was caught as first Phiatelist, then Ask and second favourite Hatton launched their challnges.
For a while it looked as though Philitelist's first bid may hav ebeen the successful one.
However both Ask and Hattan came on for pressure and the final battle was between these two. At one point Hattan did appera to get his head in front but the odds on favourite battled back to take the spoils by half a length.
The odds were landed but not in the style one would expect from an 8/13 shot.
1:25 A nice little one mile handicap to get us underway with Barry Hills Hawaana being sent off the 100/30 favourite.
Unfortunately for favourite backers he never showed and finished well down the field.
Cobo Bay set the pace and looked to be an easy leader until two out when the challengers emerged from the pack. Firstly in the shape of the Richard Hannon trained Commander Cave, who had to be hard ridden by Richard Hughes to get past the leader. A more impressive emergee from the pack was Unbreak My Heart who flew in the final half furlong but arguably left it too late to challenge the leader. One for the notebook though.
The winner was less impressive having to be driven quite hard to keep the lead.
12:50 Welcome to Sandown Park where the weather is overcast and mild and we begin the first day of the two day meeting which sees the end of the 2007 - 2008 jumping season.
An early start today as a result of terrestial TV coverage.