Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Sandown Hillside, Canterbury and Belmont on Wednesday, July 25th.
Sandown and Belmont will likely be in the soft range, while Canterbury should be rated Good.
We’ve gone through all three meetings and selected a few of the races to bet in below!
BEST BETS
Best Bet: Belmont Race 1 #9 The Fugazi
Next Best Bet: Belmont Race 4 #2 Nashville Cat
Best Value Bet: Sandown Race 4 #4 Wanna Be Good
SANDOWN HILLSIDE TIPS
RACE 4
Big field of 20 runners here and a number of winning chances but there’s two in particular that I’m keen on. (12) Tagreeda was scratched from a race on Saturday and saved for this race instead. She resumed behind Nature Strip at Flemington over 1200m, which was a completely unsuitable race for her. Much better suited over more ground than this but with the run under her belt, a slight rise to 1300m and a drop back to Wednesday grade, she’s a definite winning chance. The clear value in the race is (4) Wanna Be Good at $16. Resumed from a spell two starts ago with a 2nd placing to Order Of Command, who has since run 2nd to Nature Strip and ran 2nd again in Saturday grade last weekend. Wanna Be Good then won at Echuca over 1200m last start and comes here third up with a three week break between runs. Big weight to carry but he looks a good chance at big odds.
Best Value Bet: (4) Wanna Be Good $16 UBET
RACE 5
We have a short-priced favourite here in the form of (9) Our Regal Warrior who comes off a seven-length win at Geelong on the synthetic first up. I’m always cautious with those kinds of win on the synthetic, especially when they come to the city at their next, though he did do it very easily and wasn’t even asked to really extend. I want to back two other horses outside of him though. (8) Illumicon is a horse that Tony McEoy has had a big opinion of for a while now but he failed to deliver in two starts last preparation. He’s had the all-important gelding operation now and returns here first up from a spell. Having something on at $6.00. The other horse of interest is (17) Star Search who has his first start for Darren Weir after transferring from the Hawkes stable. He’s shown a bit of talent and Weir often has a knack of getting these horses to improve quite significantly. With Lane on, I’d keep him safe at double figure odds.
Also backing: (17) Star Search $10 UBET
RACE 8
Another wide-open race but I thought the $8.00 available for (16) Benny Goes Bezerk was reasonable. He resumed from a fairly lengthy spell with a decent effort at Bendigo. He carried 61.5kg on that day and worked home strongly from the back of the field and will be much better suited today with 54.5kg and barrier 1. Should appreciate the soft track too. Another horse that will really appreciate the soft ground is the Kiwi (1) Redefine. Keep him safe at $11.
(16) Benny Goes Bezerk
$8.00
CANTERBURY TIPS
RACE 2
(4) Safe Landing did a good job on debut at Warwick Farm two starts ago when finishing 2nd behind Taygeta. Bowman keeps the ride on him today and although he’s not favoured by the awkward barrier draw, I think he could be more progressive than his main market rival (5) Smart Ain’t He. The value in the race is (6) Sound Off. He finished last on debut in New Zealand and was immediately sent for a spell. He resumes and makes his Australian debut today with two trials under the belt. He went very quickly in front in the first of those trials and won by 4.5L but was given a quieter time of things in the most recent one. Blinkers on first time today, I’ll be having something on at $11.
Value: (6) Sound Off $11 UBET
RACE 5
Open race with a few chances but (9) El Dorado Mine profiles well. The only problem for him is barrier 11 but outside of that he finds a very suitable race. He won first up at Warwick Farm on heavy ground and then ran 3rd last start on soft ground. He should appreciate firmer ground today – even though he’s only won one from 12 on good ground, he’s placed on six further occasions. He won third up last preparation and looks a good chance of doing so again today.
RACE 7
Two I’m keen to back here to finish off the day at Canterbury. The favourite (6) Smartedge is really knocking on the door and drops back from Saturday grade to Wednesday grade here. He ran home well behind Star Of Monsoon last start and the only query will be the fact he’s drawn barrier 9 and will have to make ground from the back of the field, which is sometimes hard to do at Canterbury. Expect positive tactics from (1) Samadoubt today with barrier 1. He settled back towards the rear of the field last start but he was only first up and in Saturday grade, so back to Wednesday grade here and with a good draw, he should go forward. He’s got a good second up record and a good record at this track and distance so I suspect he should be right in the finish here. Backing both.
Also backing: (1) Samadoubt $8.00 Crownbet
BELMONT TIPS
RACE 1
Looks a good way for favourite punters to kick off the day at Belmont with (9) The Fugazi who could start much shorter than the $1.90 on offer currently. He trialled very nicely back on the 9th July and really doesn’t have a great deal to beat here. Drawn nicely in barrier 5 and if he races up to his trial form he should be winning this.
RACE 4
This looks a really nice race for (2) Nashville Cat who has been running very well in its past two starts, which have both been at this track and distance. She won two starts ago and followed that with a good effort to run 2nd behind Misty Metal, who then came out and won again on Saturday to make it five wins in a row. So that form looks pretty good for a Wednesday race. She will have to come from back in the field after drawing barrier 6 of 8, but if she repeats her past couple of efforts she should be very hard to hold out. $3.30 looks pretty reasonable.
RACE 6
(1) Sense Of Power led all the way last start over 1300m here, winning comfortably by 2L in this same grade. Goes up in weight today but should be able to find the front again for Pike and provided he handles the soft ground, he should be every chance of winning again. He’s placed three times on soft ground so there should be no excuses.
