Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday, April 8th.
We're back on the Lakeside course today, with the track rated a Soft 5 and the rail in the True position.
Check out our preview and betting tips for every race below!
Sandown Lakeside Racing Tips: Wednesday, April 8th
Best Bet: Race 3 - (2) Hasseltoff
Best Value: Race 8 - (2) Ulusaba
Tactics sure to be the key here as it tends to play to on-pacers on the Lakeside course. I'm really hoping we see (2) Ain'tnodeeldun ridden more positively from barrier 1 today. He settled towards the back on debut on the Hillside course, where he drew barrier 9. He recorded the fastest 600-400m and 400-200m splits, and the second fastest final 200m. He was 1.3L off (1) Chart Buster who settled 2nd in the run. Zahra jumps off Chart Buster to get on Ain'tnodeeldun here, while Craig Williams picks up the ride on the Hayes horse. I think if they can land on speed somewhere, Ain'tnodeeldun can turn the tables. (3) Flying Award is the scary horse. He started favourite on debut at Ballarat, where he came from well back in the field to run 2nd, beaten less than half-a-length. He gets a couple of little gear changes today and Damien Oliver keeps the ride. The form out of that race is a bit mixed. The horse that beat him then came out and won the G2 VRC Sires', but the horse tht ran 3rd failed in that race and could only manage 2nd in the Mornington Sires' after that, but was well beaten.(5) Tanaawol won his latest jumpout at Flemington and Nolen jumps off the stablemate to ride him. He showed good speed to lead so if he jumps well he may come across from barrier 6. I've seen better jumpouts but you always have to respect the two-year-olds from this stable.
I was with (7) Ocular first up in a better race than this so I'll stick with him dropping back in grade today. He was very good in his debut preparation, with a win followed by a 2nd to How Womantic, which is exceptional form. The race he contested last start had the likes of Overkill and Wings Of Pastrami in it, so he'll find this much easier. He should slide forward from barrier 15 to take up a position on speed and Thomas Stockdale is riding as good as anyone in Victoria at the moment. He looks hard to beat. (12) Golden Gorge gets the blinkers on for the first time. He's had five weeks between runs since going down as the long odds on favourite at Pakenham last start, though he did sit wide without cover throughout. (13) Signs Of Ussuri looks value at $7.50 first up. He won fresh last prep and has form behind some quality horses. Backing Ocular at $3.30 and Signs Of Ussuri at $7.50.
Value: (13) Signs Of Ussuri $7.50
(2) Hasseltoff looks to find a very suitable race here. He's run 2nd in both career starts coming into this. On debut he charged home to be beaten less than a length at huge odds, and he hit the line strongly again last start when missing out by a nose. The step up to the mile looks ideal and the only query is how much of a start he's going to be giving the front runners. He's drawn barrier 9 which means he's likely to find himself a fair way back, which doesn't make it easy on the Lakeside course. (1) Alcides may well press forward and lead. He's had his chances to win, including going down at $1.35 last start. Will Clarken brings (3) Jimmy Witha Dash across from South Australia. Always need to be wary when he brings runners to Melbourne. He ran well on debut before a solid run last start. The mile looks a tick for him and he will appreciate the cut out of the ground based on his breeding. I'd be keeping him very safe at $9.50.
This is a hot race, but with that said, it's still probably the easiest race (3) Excused has lined up in for quite a while. She resumed in the Inglis Dash behind Excess Funds and Wayupinthesky. Excess Funds failed on teh heavy track last weekend, but Wayupinthesky went to Sydney and ran 2nd to talented filly Rubisaki. Excused's only win came on heavy ground so she should handle the slightly wet track here, Craig Williams sticks with her and she gets the blinkers on for the first time. The form in every race she's contested just stacks up everywhere you look so if she brings her best here, I think she'll be winning. (2) Foxy Lady should appreciate some cut in the ground here. She won well first up and then bumped into Ancestry last start, who then came out and won easily at Caulfield on the weekend. (9) Lunakorn was heavily backed and got the job done first up, defeating Hasseltoff. You'll get a good guide on that form with Hasseltoff running in the race before this one. The concern is her staying at 1200m - she probably needs to step up in trip now, and from the barrier she'll get a fair way back which won't suit here on the Lakeside course. (1) Done By Me ran well first up but Phillip Stokes has a terrible record here so happy to take her on. (6) Little Mermaid can settle handy from the gate after a good debut win, where she ran the fastest final 200m of the day. (10) Marcheechi was backed as if unbeatable last start but sat wide without cover the entire trip. Forgive her for that and respect her SP profile. She started $1.75 last start and goes around at $20 today.
Tricky race. I've been with (3) Forbid Me Not a number of times this prep and she really gets her chance to win today with a good barrier draw. She had no luck posted wide the trip last start at Moonee Valley but her form prior to that suggested a win was near. Drawn barrier 1, she should rail through to lead or at worst box seat (hopefully lead) and from there on the Lakeside course, she'll take a bit to run down. Thomas Stockdale is a big positive and the tongue tie also goes on for the first time. (6) Kent Street looks a bit of value at $9.00. He won at Pakenham first up and has two wins from three starts when second up. Tricky barrier draw and he will have to chase them down but he's returned in good order and finds a race he can be competitive in. (12) Zaidin faces a similar scenario but isn't hopeless.
Value: (6) Kent Street $9.00
(3) Naivasha showed enough on her stable debut for Danny O'Brien to suggest she'll be tough to beat here. She was beaten a nose at Ballarat and although she got the run of the race that day, she gets Damien Oliver on board today and her second up record suggests she always improves with that run under her belt. It's a tricky barrier draw but if Ollie can slot her in not too far off the speed, I think she's the one to beat. (10) Zayydani won her first two starts but was well-beaten first up at Moonee Valley, where she also pulled up lame. From barrier 10 here, she looks to get a long way back, so she would need to be pretty good to run them down from back there. Have to take her on at the price but I do concede it's not a strong race.
I quite like (4) Aussie Nugget as a horse and he finds a very winnable race here second up, after being beaten by a nose first up at Geelong. There's a couple of queries, one being the speedmap which will likely see him get back, and the other being soft ground. But he faces a lot of horses that aren't suited and he's probably the one in the race with the most scope going forward so I'll back him to overcome those negatives. (10) So He Rules could be the value at $12. He ran 3rd first up, won second up and then finished down the track last start after sitting wide without cover throughout. Forgive him for that. He's one of the only horses with any tactical speed in this, which will be a big advantage on the Lakeside course. Hopefully he kicks up and leads with Mark Zahra on, and if so he should be in this for a fair way.
Value: (10) So He Rules $12
Competitive race and early tactics will be interesting. (2) Ulusaba didn't jump very well last start and ended up taking a sit but we might see him lead or sit outside the leader today if he jumps better. He ran last first up in Sydney but he then came to Flemington and saluted at 40/1. The form out of that race has proved exceptionally strong, with four horses coming out of the race to win their next start. He has some negatives here, namely the fact he's failed to put two wins together before, carries 61.5kg, draws a bit awkward and is five weeks between runs, but I can't ignore the strength of the form out of his win. (1) Declares War is primed third up today up to 2100m. He's worked home well in his first two starts back from a spell and his only previous third up run was a win. He's also undefeated on soft ground. (4) War Tiger won in Adelaide last start and himself and the horse he beat put a huge space on the rest of the field. He's only third up here for Danny O'Brien so there's probably more improvement to come and he gets a dream run from barrier 2. The value might be (7) The Black Leopard. This horse is flying! He ran the fastest splits home first up at Geelong before a luckless run last time out. He jumps straight from 1400m to 2100m which is a big negative but there's a lot to like about he how's come back.
