Horse racing today, Sunday 8 November: Naas feature and Sandown favourites
A Grade 3 chase at Naas heads Sunday’s programme, with Sandown and Ffos Las completing the afternoon’s racing in Britain and Ireland.
By Everything Horse Editorial Team
Sunday 8 November 2026
Horse racing today starts at Naas at midday, with 22 races scheduled across three meetings. The Irish card includes the Barberstown Castle Chase, while Sandown stages its jumps season opener and Ffos Las provides the afternoon’s final race at 4.12pm.
Odds change throughout the day. Prices quoted below were available when this guide was researched and may differ between bookmakers. Favourites can change following market movements and non-runners.
Where is racing taking place today?
All times are UK and Irish local time.
| Meeting | First race | Last race | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naas | 12.00pm | 3.48pm | 8 |
| Sandown | 12.40pm | 4.00pm | 7 |
| Ffos Las | 12.50pm | 4.12pm | 7 |
Naas supplies the afternoon’s graded race, alongside the Listed Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle. Sandown’s programme consists of hurdles and a concluding National Hunt Flat race, while Ffos Las offers hurdles, chases and a bumper.
Naas: Kopek Des Bordes heads the chase market
The 2.39pm Barberstown Castle Chase is the principal race on Sunday’s programme, with five runners declared for the Grade 3 contest over two miles.
Kopek Des Bordes, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, heads the published betting at odds-on. One available price was 4/7, although the market varies between firms.
His opponents include stablemate Westport Cove and the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained Irish Panther. Kopek Des Bordes carries an official rating of 160, compared with Irish Panther’s 152, giving the favourite a clear ratings advantage over that rival.
Earlier, the 2.04pm Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle offers a different test, with a much larger field declared for the Listed handicap. The meeting also includes the Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle at 1pm, before the mares’ bumper closes proceedings at 3.48pm.
Sandown: Nimba attracts attention in a small field
Sandown begins at 12.40pm, with Nimba among the shortest-priced favourites on its seven-race card.
Published odds of 10/11 put Nimba at the head of the market for the 2.50pm novices’ hurdle, which has attracted three declared runners. The small field makes this a race in which the early pace and positioning could prove particularly significant.
Cowboy Casanova is another prominent favourite, quoted at 6/4 for the 1.10pm maiden hurdle. Later, Port Station heads the published betting at 2/1 for the 3.25pm novices’ handicap hurdle.
The reported going is good, good to soft in places, with watering noted. Today’s hurdle races use the summer Flat circuit, a detail worth checking when assessing previous course form.
Ffos Las: contrasting ground for hurdles and chases
Ffos Las starts with the 12.50pm Blackmores Build Novices’ Hurdle, for which Tap Tap Shamie was the published favourite at 10/11.
Karaka de Thaix, quoted at 13/5, heads the market for the 1.20pm maiden hurdle. Later races include the three-mile Norton’s Coin Handicap Chase at 3.37pm, where Galway Reel was available at 7/4.
The ground requires particular attention here. The latest report distinguishes between soft on the hurdle course and good, good to firm in places on the chase course. A general description of the meeting’s going would therefore miss an important difference between the races.
Today’s favourites at a glance
These are selected published market leaders, rather than betting recommendations.
| Time | Course | Horse | Quoted odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.50pm | Ffos Las | Tap Tap Shamie | 10/11 |
| 1.10pm | Sandown | Cowboy Casanova | 6/4 |
| 1.20pm | Ffos Las | Karaka de Thaix | 13/5 |
| 2.39pm | Naas | Kopek Des Bordes | 4/7 |
| 2.50pm | Sandown | Nimba | 10/11 |
| 3.25pm | Sandown | Port Station | 2/1 |
| 3.37pm | Ffos Las | Galway Reel | 7/4 |
Prices are a snapshot of the published markets and are subject to change.
Before the first race
Naas is reported as good to yielding. As with the British meetings, check the latest going and non-runners before racing, particularly where a withdrawal could alter the shape of a small field.
For readers planning a visit to the races, The Jockey Club’s fixtures and tickets page includes Sandown’s season opener and forthcoming meetings at its other racecourses