Joe Tizzard Saturday Blog | Sandown Jumps Finale
24 Apr 2026
As we end the season, we can look back and be proud that we've reached a record high in terms of prize money since I took over the licence. That's always a good yardstick as it shows the horses have been winning and placing in the better races. We maybe just ran out of ammunition in the last month, but we'll be seventh in the standings, having been comfortably in the top ten pretty much all season.
Not winning at Cheltenham or Aintree in the spring was something I wish wasn't the case, but we know how hard it is to win at those meetings, and we'll keep trying. There have still been some lovely moments including Eldorado Allen winning at Cheltenham in November and JPR One winning at Musselburgh, and I have to thank all our owners and the team here, as nothing is possible without all their support.
In terms of the summer, we'll only keep ten or so going. We're already turning horses out, and it's dried out quickly despite it being such a wet winter, and as many of our horses are big, chasing types, we just wouldn't be running them over the next few months. As always we'd hope to get a few winners on the board, but it's all about the autumn really, and we're already looking forward to getting going again properly.
14:55 Sandown – JPR One
Before the season ends we have one final chance to win a Grade One. After three runs over 2½ miles, we are dropping JPR One back to two miles here, but with a stiff uphill finish, I think that will be fine, and he's run well here before as well. This is a competitive Grade 1, and he has a bit to find with the likes of Jonbon, but he's had another excellent season, he's been super consistent, and he'll love the good ground, so there's no reason he can't finish in the places.
15:30 Sandown – Rock My Way
By contrast, Rock My Way wouldn't want it too quick. He's a big horse and we don't want to jar him up, so I will walk the course before racing to have a look at the ground, but Andrew Cooper [Clerk of the course] always does a fantastic job, so hopefully we'll be all systems go.
He had a hard race to finish second in the Midlands Grand National, and although the winner that day [Isaac Des Obeaux] ran well for a long way at Ayr last weekend, it is at the back of my mind that at this stage of the season, hard races can take their toll. That said, he's in good form at home, he rarely runs a bad race, and his best form puts him right in the mix here.
Joe Tizzard, Coral Racing Ambassador
Not winning at Cheltenham or Aintree in the spring was something I wish wasn't the case, but we know how hard it is to win at those meetings, and we'll keep trying. There have still been some lovely moments including Eldorado Allen winning at Cheltenham in November and JPR One winning at Musselburgh, and I have to thank all our owners and the team here, as nothing is possible without all their support.
In terms of the summer, we'll only keep ten or so going. We're already turning horses out, and it's dried out quickly despite it being such a wet winter, and as many of our horses are big, chasing types, we just wouldn't be running them over the next few months. As always we'd hope to get a few winners on the board, but it's all about the autumn really, and we're already looking forward to getting going again properly.
14:55 Sandown – JPR One
Before the season ends we have one final chance to win a Grade One. After three runs over 2½ miles, we are dropping JPR One back to two miles here, but with a stiff uphill finish, I think that will be fine, and he's run well here before as well. This is a competitive Grade 1, and he has a bit to find with the likes of Jonbon, but he's had another excellent season, he's been super consistent, and he'll love the good ground, so there's no reason he can't finish in the places.
15:30 Sandown – Rock My Way
By contrast, Rock My Way wouldn't want it too quick. He's a big horse and we don't want to jar him up, so I will walk the course before racing to have a look at the ground, but Andrew Cooper [Clerk of the course] always does a fantastic job, so hopefully we'll be all systems go.
He had a hard race to finish second in the Midlands Grand National, and although the winner that day [Isaac Des Obeaux] ran well for a long way at Ayr last weekend, it is at the back of my mind that at this stage of the season, hard races can take their toll. That said, he's in good form at home, he rarely runs a bad race, and his best form puts him right in the mix here.
Joe Tizzard, Coral Racing Ambassador
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