Time For Sandals

Harry Eustace trains the horse out of Newmarket in Suffolk, and his yard has been in fine form this season with 23 winners on the board already. Eustace has a talent for placing horses in the right races at the right time, and Time For Sandals looks like a clear example of that patience paying off. The horse started its winning account at Kempton Park back in June 2024, which is a decent enough beginning — but stepping up to Ascot a year later and beating the best around is a different proposition entirely.

Richard Kingscote is the regular partner in the saddle, riding in 6 of the 8 career races, and the two have clicked in a way that matters: 2 wins from those 6 rides together works out to a win rate of roughly 1 in 3, which is an excellent return at this level. That kind of consistency between horse and jockey often tells you something — there is trust there, and an understanding of how the horse wants to be ridden.

The recent form figures — 5-7-3-1-3-2 reading from oldest to newest — show a horse that has been knocking on the door more often than not, with two outright wins and four more placed finishes mixed in. Racing predominantly at Class 1 level, winning 1 from 5 races at the very top of the sport is a respectable return — most horses never get near it. Time For Sandals has not won since Ascot, but with the yard in form and Kingscote likely back in the irons, there is every reason to think the best is not yet behind this horse.