Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Sandown Hillside on Saturday, November 17th.
The track is a Good 4 with the rail in the true position and the first race is set to get underway at 12.25pm AEDT.
We’ve got betting tips and comments for every race on the card below!
SANDOWN HILLSIDE RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 6 Fifty Stars
Best Value Bet: Race 4 Kiwia
RACE 1
As usual we start off with a two-year-old race and we have nine of the 12 runners on debut, which always makes it tough. The big market move has come for Bandinelli from the Lloyd Kennewell camp. He’s been around $13 into $4.80 since markets opened, after posting a nice jumpout win at Caulfield back on November 7th. He basically jumped straight to the lead and kept a comfortable margin to the line and from barrier 4 he’s sure to find a position up on speed today. Salome brings race day experience after running 3rd behind Espaaniyah at Moonee Valley on debut. His run was good given the track pattern of the day and race experience is often a positive in these races. I thought Torched looked good in winning his Cranbourne trial. He went to the front and was given a brief shake up and extended nicely. Salina jumped out well without being asked to do too much at Flemington. Blinkers on today and Mark Zahra booked are both positive leads from a stable that is often successful in these races. Steal My Kisses was given a very solid hit out when winning an 800m jumpout at this track, while Oh So Rewarding was another to win a Cranbourne trial. Not a big betting race to begin but I’d be going with Bandinelli on top, with interest in Salina and Torched at each way odds.
Value: Salina $7.00 Sportsbet
RACE 2
I haven’t backed Yogi all prep but today is the day I’m jumping on. He finds a very winnable race and gets the blinkers back on. Weir said they were hoping to win the Lexus and gain entry to the Melbourne Cup, where they would then apply the blinkers, but obviously that didn’t work out. The form from the Lexus has already stood up massively, with A Prince A Arran going on to run incredibly well in the Cup and Jaameh also coming out of the race to win his next start. Yogi has also won three of his four starts on the Hillside course. With all that said, Weir has four runners lining up and it’s never really surprising for his lesser fancied runners to upstage those higher in the market. Azuro comes off a couple of good runs and is the second elect in the market. Ormito has won just one race from 29 starts, while Kellstorm would prefer it wetter and was cokmfortably beaten by Azuro last start anyway. Gold Medals is a blowout chance at $31.
RACE 3
16 runners going around here in a hugely competitive race for the fillies. Several of these come out of the race at Flemington behind Pohutukawa. Into The Abyss finished closest of all out of those engaged here, 1.5L off the winner, and that was after travelling three-wide without cover for the majority of the race. She was definitely the best run in the race from those lining up here but barrier 13 might make things tough once again. Not convinced D Lane is going as well as he normally does too. She’s certainly short enough in the market. Aristocratic Miss actually ran home in very similar sectionals to Into The Abyss. Granted, she had a more comfortable run throughout, but she was held up badly from the 500m-200m mark before working home into 5th. I wouldn’t be dismissing her here. Gotta Be Gold has won both starts this prep in Adelaide. Bolted in despite a huge market drift last start and now comes to Melbourne to test the waters. Been met with big support in the market but I’m going to be taking her on. Sweet Rockette has the talent to win this. She’s had seven weeks off since running 2nd to Meryl at Moonee Valley last start. Meryl has since come out and run well in consecutive Group 3 races. Sweet Rockette was given a trial last week to keep her up to the mark and if she runs to her best here she’ll take some holding out. The runner at double figure odds that really interests me is the Weir-trained Camelle. She won on debut at Stawell and defeated stablemate Beetobe in the process. That horse then won her next start at the Valley last night. Camelle’s finishing sectionals were good relative to the rest of the meeting and she draws to get a nice run for John Allen in barrier 5. Keen to have something on at $15. Chances don’t end there!
Value: Camelle $16 Sportsbet
RACE 4
Tricky little race but I’m keen to back a couple. Bring Me Roses ran out of her skin in the G1 Empire Rose Stakes last start at Flemington when finishing 2nd behind Shillelagh. She was perfectly set up for that race, third up and on the big Flemington track. She’ll get her chance once again on the Hillside course here and the step up to 1800m won’t be an issue at all. She’s only won one from 15 which is the little knock, but the form behind Shillelagh is very solid. Kiwia looks the value to my eye. He’s been given two fitness runs leading into this and should be ready to find his best now third up. His run first up behind Iconoclasm was great and back onto firmer surface today should see him improve significantly on last start. Black On Gold might just need one more run but his first up effort was terrific. Mask Of Time dead-heated with subsequent G1 winner Best Of Days two starts back before being beaten by Red Excitement in Sydney last time out. I’m very happy to take him on if the track if in the Good range. He needs it wet. Keep an eye on the market with Tradesman. The early betting says he might be ready to run a good race but I suspect he might need one more.
Value: Kiwia $9.00 BetEasy
RACE 5
Another competitive affair. Interested mainly in three runners. Rich Charm was last seen finishing last in the G2 Bobbie Lewis where he pulled up lame. His first up run prior to that was very good. He’s had nine weeks off since that last-start failure and if he brought his best form here he’d win. It’s a tough task first up at 1300m after nine weeks off but at $7.50 he’s a decent price. Chamois Road was sound first up behind Runson at the Valley. He carried 61kg on that occasion and will be better suited here at WFA and up to 1300m. Quilista was very solid in the market last time out when finishing 4th. Up to 1300m now, I think she’s capable of winning one of these races soon enough. There isn’t a huge amount of pace on paper here, so if she wanted to run them along in front she’d take some catching. All three runners are around the $7.00 mark and we can back all three. Cool Passion the only other one that scares me.
Value: Rich Charm $8 / Chamois Road $8
RACE 6
Fifty Stars looks one of the better bets on the card here; he’ll take a power of beating. They’re hoping to get him into the Railway Stakes in Perth and the only way to do that is by winning today so they’ll be pulling out all the stops to make sure that happens. He was pretty dominant in winning at Flemington last start and Manuel, who ran 2nd to him, has since come out and run very well again (should have won). Drawn well, down in the weights and looks the obvious choice on paper. Holy Snow is a runner of interest, having his first start for Darren Weir. Fox Hall will continue improving with more racing after a very long spell. He was sound last start but has a bit to do to turn the tables on Fifty Stars. Man Of His Word isn’t hopeless.
RACE 7
RIngerdingding was huge when winning at Flemington last week and was just about as big in defeat at Moonee Valley the start prior. He’s on the quick back-up here which is some sort of query and he’ll be coming from well off the pace again but he’s a horse on the up meeting a lot of horses just battling so he looks the most likely winner again. Seabrook is a Group 1 winner over this distance and has been solid again in Group 1 company this preparation. She ran 3rd in the Thousand Guineas and was then beaten less than 2L by Shillelagh in the Empire Rose last time out. She’ll also be coming from well back in the field but this is probably the most winnable race she’s been in this campaign. Zoutori didn’t have much luck in the Carbine Club last start and is capable of being competitive, while Scottish Rogue was a significant improver second up and should be even better suited up to 1600m. I’ll be having something small on at $9.00.
Value: Scottish Rogue $8.00 BetEasy
RACE 8
Dal Harraild was solid in the Bendigo Cup and maps to get an ideal run from barrier 4 today. He had to do a bit of work in the early stages last start and was beaten just a nose. He’s had two 2400m races under his belt and should be right in the finish here. Lord Fandango was 4th in that race and was due to line up during the Flemington carnival but a minor bout of colic forced him to be scratched. That’s some concern leading into this but he’s building towards a win so if he’s taken no ill-effect from that then he’ll be competitive at each way odds. The Taj Mahal started favourite in the Moonee Valley Cup but was well beaten and pulled up lame. This is a race the stable love winning so expect him to bounce back. Ventura Storm was going well before an ordinary run in the Melbourne Cup and provided he handles the drop back in trip, he can run well.
Value: Lord Fandango $7.00 Sportsbet
RACE 9
14 runners and $5 the field for the 1000m sprint, which tells you just how open it is. I’ll Have A Bit is flying under the radar. She flew home behind Thermal Current and Kaepernick first up and her record suggests she’s only going to improve second up. We shouldn’t forget that she ran 3rd to Santa Ana Lane in the Goodwood at the end of last prep – we saw once again that Santa Ana Lane is one of, if not the, best sprinter in Australia last week. Happy to have something on at $7.00 here. Invincible Al has run 2nd in both his starts over this track and distance and I always around the mark in races like this. He ran well at the Valley over 955m when he was first up from an eight-week break and he’s won three from five starts when second up. He’s a value chance at $8.50. Rocket Tommy either wins or doesn’t go anywhere near it. He’s got seven wins from 12 starts over 1000m and has three wins from five starts when first up, including one last preparation. He’s won his only start at the track and distance so at $19 I’d be including him in everything and having something small on. Spending To Win won nicely first up and has never finished out of the money second up. Can go close here.
Value: Invincible Al $8.50 Sportsbet
RACE 10
Sticking with Our Crown Mistress here who finds a very winnable race now that she’s rock-hard fit fourth up from a spell. She was very brave when beaten just over a length by Cool Passion at Flemington last start after leading. Expect similar tactics today and she’ll take plenty of running down back on firmer ground. Split Lip is one at huge odds to include. She wasn’t suited on the wet ground last start and prior to that she was just coming into form. $21 is over the odds so she goes in everything. Seductive Miss drops back from 1700m but she just continues to run well. Drawn well again today and can win if things go her way. Others at long odds to include are Snogging and Our Sea Goddess.
Value: Split Lip $19 BetEasy
