Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday, January 10th.
We have an eight-race card with the track rated a Good 4 and the rail out 5 meters. Perfect conditions predicted and I’d expect the track to be upgraded to a Good 3 at some stage. Hopefully it plays fairly!
We have betting tips and comments for every race below. There's some useful betting promos available for the early races on the card - be sure to check them out below!
SANDOWN RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 7 Belwazi
Best Value: Race 3 Raindrops On Roses
Race 1
Big field to open the card and a bit of a nightmare betting-wise. We have two debutantes down the bottom of the field and a few others that are still unexposed in terms of their ability and form. The standout betting proposition to me, however, is Darren Weir’s representative, BOSSY ROSE. This is a prime example of what I always refer to when Weir brings horses to the city despite their recent form in the country appearing relatively average. She’s had two starts at Swan Hill and Echuca and has been ridden by apprentices on both occasions. She improved from her first start to her second start, gets the blinkers on first time here for her first city run, and gets senior jockey John Allen on board. The horse that beat her last start has since won again. 1400m back to 1300m here, and tipping she’ll improve several lengths. Will need to come from well back given she draws barrier 10 but at $6.50 I think she’s a good each way bet to open the card. She also looks a good horse to back with the betting promos around for horses that run 2nd and 3rd. BOBBY ROCKS has had two runs this prep for two 2nds. Draws well and will be very competitive again. GLAYVA and THINK CATHY both come out of the same race at Werribee. Glayva worked home well while Think Catchy was held up the entire straight and was particularly unlucky. SPLASHETTE gets Damian Lane on board and blinkers on for the first time so will be right there in the finish. Keeping both debutantes on debut safe – UPTOWN LILY and ZEBREEZ.
TIP: Bossy Rose EW
Race 2
Wide open race and plenty worth mentioning, but I do have four main chances I’ve narrowed it down to. Going for a bit of value here with two at good odds. Like the $13 on offer for BUCKHOUND after a good debut run at Echuca behind Casa De Lago, who has since gone on to win again (same race as the one mentioned above where Bossy Miss ran 3rd). We’ll get a good gauge on the form with Bossy Miss in Race 1. James Winks takes over from Joshua Bryan which is a huge jockey change, draws well and goes to the 1600m at his second start. Decent each way bet. TANGO MAN is another at each way odds that appeals. We’re getting $10 for this horse from the Lindsay Park stable. Has had two runs so far over 1300m and 1400m, and gets out to the mile now which looks to suit. Last start he settled a long way back in a race at Cranbourne which was won by Keen, who came out and won again at Caulfield on Sunday. Getting that far back at Cranbourne is never ideal, but he worked home well enough and the big track at Sandown will suit. Mark Zahra goes on and from barrier 5 he should get a good run. MADAME STOWELL absolutely motored home at Cranboune last start and was in front before and after the post but not on the line. Third up here and has the run at the mile under the belt. Can go well. HERMANITO ran well last start and should go close once again here for Weir/Allen.
TIP: Buckhound EW / Tango Man EW
Race 3
Hard race. I could make a case for several runners here but my best result will be RAINDROPS ON ROSES, who we were on last start but she was given absolutely no hope with the ride. She settled three-wide the trip from a wide barrier and finished second last. That was a Saturday race and the finish was fought out by a couple of nice Weir horses, so I think it’s a reasonable form line to follow, particularly dropping back to a Wednesday race. She drops 2.5kg here and draws perfectly in barrier 5, and before that last run she won nicely over 2000m at Mornington. We’re getting each way odds at $9 here and I don’t want to drop off her just yet. CASTLE HACKET won over the track and distance last time out and steps up fairly sharply in grade here. I do like the fact that he’s had the run over 2400m leading into this, and his record at this track is starting to look very good. From the soft draw he could be competitive at $15. GOODWOOD ZODIAC has mixed his form a bit but he was brave last start when battling on the run 3rd behind Serenade The Stars and My Psychiatrist. That form looks good for a Wednesday race so expect him to lead and be there for a very long way. CRAFTY DEVIL was first up from a 41-day break last start at the Valley. Will be much better for that run and tackles 2400m for the first time now. HIS KYLLACHY has had three runs up in Sydney this prep for Waller and now comes to Melbourne. This is the first time he’s raced over 2400m since his final race in the UK which he won. Up in distance, down in weight and well drawn. Should go close. EATON a chance.
TIP: Raindrops On Roses EW (Best Value) / Castle Hackett EW
Race 4
Another tricky little affair but I’m sticking with RANSOM MONEY for Weir and Lane. He broke through for his second win last start at the Valley and gets a couple of positives today. Damian Lane takes over from Ethan Brown and draws barrier 5 so should get a similar run to the one he got last start. Comes up $3.60 but knowing Weir’s runners we’ll probably get a better price on the day. The value could be SO POYSED, who looks an interesting runner here. He’s back in Melbourne this prep after doing much of his racing in Darwin last prep. He did nothing first up but he improves significantly second up from a spell, with two wins from three starts. It’s an astute stable he comes from, so I’d be respecting him in a race like this at $8. IMPERATOR AUGUSTUS has the ability to win a race like this, and he typically races well with his races spaced. Big weight, tricky barrier and record on good ground are all causes for concern. No surprise to see him defy those though. DOWNHEARTED has put in two respectable efforts so far this prep. Third up with Oliver taking over from Grob looks a telling factor. Goes close. Including LADY SEABRING at big odds who was very poor last start but good prior to that.
TIP: Ransom Money / So Poysed EW
Race 5
If NATURE STRIP was with any other stable I’d be chips in here but how can you be confident as a punter backing this horse when his trainer was charged with 115 counts of race day treatment just yesterday, yet is still able to enter horses?! I think he’ll win – he looks a potential Group 1 horse in the making – but taking $1.75 about a horse from that stable with everything that’s going on is questionable. Originally I was going to have a big crack at the $1.80 that was on offer but once the news broke of what Smerdon’s been doing, it dented my confidence to bet into the race. Anyway, he may just blow these away on pure ability. HOLY SEAL the logical danger after a good first up win and the form from that race has been franked. STRELA a place chance, while I’m very keen to see FRANKEL MY DEAR return. The trainer has a fairly big opinion of him and he was well backed in a good race on debut back in August, but may be looking for a mile, not 1000m.
TIP: Nature Strip
Race 6
Nice race for a Wednesday. ADATTO is clearly on top here after absolutely bolting in last start over the track and distance. They’ve turned this horse around and he’s looked a different animal in his past two starts. Both have been over this track and distance so from the good draw he should be able to go very close once again here at $4.50. MUTAKAREM was sent down for his first run in Melbourne by Waller last start, and they certainly put the money on him. He was very well backed and fought back to win at this track and distance. It’s worth noting that his winning time was a whole second slower than Adatto’s winning time 10 days earlier. It’s sometimes inaccurate to compare times from separate days, but we can use that as some sort of gauge. Barrier 8 could see him a touch further back here but there’s no reason to suggest he can’t go on with it. Definitely saving on him at $5.50, keep an eye on the market. EVOPEX was one of only few runners to make ground against the pattern of the day last start at Sandown Lakeside. It was horribly leader biased, so it was a good effort to get as close as he did. Looks a nice each way bet at $7. GOLD ARTISAN was comfortably beaten by Adatto two starts back but didn’t have the best run during the race. Went very close last start and gets a nice run again today. YULONG SHENG LONG, TRANQUIL MISS and RIVER GODDESS others to consider. I’ll be backing Adatto hard, with something on Evopex for a good result, and saving on Mutakarem.
TIP: Adatto / Evopex EW
Race 7
This looks a very nice race for BELWAZI, especially with the compressed weights. This horse is flying, with three wins at the start of his campaign followed by a luckless 2nd placing last time out. Steph Thornton’s claim brings him down to 60kg and with all things being equal, he should simply be too good here. I actually think the $2.35 on offer is a decent price. DIVERTENTE looks the main danger after running 2nd to Fica Gal last start, which followed a first up win at Yarra Valley. SEPAREE didn’t have much luck first up and could run well at odds.
TIP: Belwazi (Best Bet)
Race 8
Near on impossible race to finish off with. I was actually very keen to back Missile Boom (and had already written the preview) but he’s now scratched. That leaves me with just one horse in particular that I’m keen to back, and that’s CANNOT BE SERIOS. He might need longer than 1300m, but he might also just be the best horse in the race and win this purely based on ability. He’s won first up before and has gone well at the track before; barrier 1 and James Winks are both positives. May spring a surprise at $10 but the market will tell us the story pre-race. SOVEREIGN DUKE ran huge last start and steps up sharply to 1300m from 1000m. That’s a slight concern, but he does have a good record at this distance, so I’m a bit less worried. With Missile Boom scratched I’ll have something on the Duke. Weir is always good to pop up in a race like this and has three chances - $7.50, $21 and $26 – so keep them safe. SIMPLY INVINCIBLE and NOTIO worth including.
TIP: Cannot Be Serios EW / Sovereign Duke
QUADDIE
1
3, 4, 7, 9, 11
1, 10
2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 17
$100 = 166.66%
Tips are provided for entertainment and information purposes, and do not guarantee profit. Always gamble responsibly.
