Cicero’s Gift looks bound for the forthcoming Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day after taking the Class One listed race, Sporting Times Sri Lanka Fortune Stakes on the final day of Sandown’s 2025 flat season.

Six runners lined up for the renewal of the race.

Balmacara took an early lead by dictating a decent pace and went clear at halfway. Entering the straight the four-year-old led by a couple of lengths before Cicero’s Gift went clear to score by two and a half lengths under Jason Watson.

Cicero's Gift loves soft ground enough that Charlie Hills is hoping it can make all the difference when possibly running in the Ascot race in October.

Watson was soon back in the winners’ enclosure once again after steering Atherstone Warrior to victory in the 1m 2f handicap.

The gelding ran a creditable fourth of eight in a handicap at Epsom in different conditions with the ground good to firm. The three-year-old relished the cut in the ground and the drop of three pounds in the weights to win comfortably by five and a half lengths.

The 7f novice went to the only filly in the race Esna who beat her other four rivals with Charles Bishop in the saddle.

Unraced Morshdi went off as the odds-on favourite but never looked capable of passing the previously raced Esna who despite hanging inside the final furlong did enough to score by one and a quarter lengths.

It was a poignant finale to the final flat race of the Sandown season after Concert Party scored for trainer Richard Hannon at 22-1.

Hannon has had a tough few days after his mother Jo passed away at the age of 80.

By Peter Moore