Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Sandown, Warwick Farm and Belmont on Wednesday, July 18th.
Sandown and Warwick Farm are currently rated in the Good range while Belmont is likely to be Soft following a week of rain in Perth.
We’ve picked out our best betting races below.
BEST BETS
Best Bet: Warwick Farm Race 4 #1 Island Missile
SANDOWN LAKESIDE RACING TIPS
RACE 2
Maiden race here with a few bridesmaides. One of those is (8) Can Star but I think she gets her chance to break her duck today. All three of her career placings have come in her past three starts, the latest of which was a good effort to go down very narrowly to Cataracta over 1200m here last week. Up to 1400m on the quick back up, Damian Lane keeps the ride and she should find the lead comfortably from barrier 1. It will be advantageous to be up on speed, particularly in these early races, and I think they will have a tough time running her down. The runner of most interest and possibly the value in the race is (12) Our Libretto. This Kiwi makes his Australian debut after nearly a year off the track. His debut this time last year was sound before failing badly at his second start. Interesting to see him resume over 1400m here after such a long break. Definitely a runner to keep safe at $9.00.
Value: (12) Our Libretto $9.00 Ladbrokes
RACE 4
There’s some concerns over the speed map here but I’ve gone with (2) Hussy’s Glow to bounce back with a drop in grade here. She’s been in great form this prep, winning over in Adelaide before going down by a nose at Flemington two starts ago. She was beaten 3.35L in the Leilani Series Final at Flemington last start but didn’t get a lot of room in the straight and she drops back to Wednesday grade here, so with even luck she should be very hard to hold out. Up in weight but gets a useful claim for Ethan Brown and the only query is barrier 11, which will see her having to make up plenty of ground on a track that tends to favour those close to the speed. (5) Bellaria is the other one I want to be on but she’s also likely to be coming from back in the field after drawing barrier 10. She’s third up today after a luckless run at Caulfield last start behind Rillito where she just never saw daylight in the straight. With that in mind, she might just need one more run, but Damian Lane goes back on today and she steps up to 1400m, which she has a great record at. Happy to have something on at $5.50. Don’t rule out (8) Secial Diva at $15. She’s third up today and has won three from five at the distance. Would prefer it wet, though.
Also backing (5) Bellaria $5.50 Sportsbet
RACE 5
Probably the best bet of the card at Sandown in the form of (3) Greyworm for Mick Kent and Ethan Brown. He won all three trials leading into his debut and backed up that trial form on race day with a win at Mornington. He then came straight to Saturday metropolitan grade and ran 3rd, beaten 0.4L by Al Passem and Street Sheikh. Carries 59kg today but should roll forward from barrier 8 and he looks very hard to beat on paper if he reproduces his last effort.
WARWICK FARM RACING TIPS
RACE 4
Probably the best bet on the card at Warwick Farm today looks to be (1) Island Missile, who gets a big drop in grade today after racing in Saturday metropolitan grade both starts this preparation. He was beaten a length first up and then 2.6L last start. Both of those were on wet ground so he should appreciate the firmer ground here too. Third up, well drawn in barrier 4 and Blake Shinn on board. Looks very hard to beat in this midweek field.
BELMONT RACING TIPS
RACE 3
(5) Just Elated was a dominant winner when resuming over this track and distance three weeks ago. His other start at the track and distance was a 2nd placing, while all three career wins have been at the Belmont track on sot ground. He's likely to get similar conditions today and he really doesn't have a great deal to beat today so if he repeats that first up performance he should be winning again here. $2.45 is short enough for a 7YO with just three wins from 22 starts but he really gets his ideal conditions and deserves to be favourite in a thin field.
RACE 7
Adam Durrant labelled (9) Kelly's Gem his best chance of the day at Belmont today and she looks well suited. She was last seen running a luckless 9th in the Belmont Oaks over 2000m 11 days ago, where she was held up for the majority of the straight. She drops back to 1650m here which typically would be a cause for concern, but she didn't have a hard run in the Oaks and so it's less of a worry for her to drop in distance so quickly after the race. It's fair to say Adam Durrant probably knows what he's doing! She was a winner over this track and distance two starts ago and although she takes on the older horses here, she should prove very hard to beat. (5) Juicing Carrots looks the obvious danger but there's been a good market push for (7) Persian Princess.
