Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday, April 29th.
We have an eight-race card on the Hillside course today, with the track currently rated a Soft 5 and the rail out 12m. There looks to be a fairly signficant amount of rain predicted to hit Melbourne throughout the day (15-25mm) so it looks like we'll be racing on a wet track all day.
Check out our preview and betting tips below!
Sandown Hillside Racing Tips: Wednesday, April 29th
Best Bet: Race 7 - (12) Orleans Rock
Best Value: Race 8 - (11) Trigger Point
This is a tough way to start off, a very even race. (1) Arctic Wolf will prove popular here and it wouldn't surprise me to see a good market move for him. He's only had one start, which was over a year ago, where he finished 2nd to Chenier over this distance on the Lakeside course. He's had a long time off but he's had four jumpouts leading into his reappearance today. His most recent jumpout also featured (4) Gettysburg Address. There wasn't much separating them - they went to the line together, but Gettysburg Address looked to have a bit more up the sleeve and probably went a touch the better than Arctic Wolf. Both return as geldings today and a strong showing from both wouldn't surprise. (2) Bungalow Bill ran 2nd first up at Pakenham. I often find the Pakenham form to be very unreliable and even though he could improve second up today, I can't have him any shorter than he currently is at $2.80. (10) High Fashion has been ridden by Damien Oliver and Craig Williams in her first two career starts, so it's hard to believe she's been unlucky in both. She sat four-wide on debut and then was held up until the 100m mark last start. Willo sticks with her today and I wouldn't dismiss her. The one I've landed on a but by default is (7) Resolute Lad. He ticks a few boxes. He made his debut at Sale two weeks ago and was backed off the map, $5.00 into $1.70. His jumpouts prior to that were good and that sort of market support suggests he was expected to win and performed below expectations. It's a very strong SP profile though and you have to respect that sort of move for him. He rises quickly in distance from 1000m to 1300m here which should be a positive given his breeding. He's by Reliable Man out of Miss Outshine, so he should really get over 2000m+. Zahra goes on and the winkers are applied for the first time. I'll give him another chance at $5.00 in an open race.
(1) Show Some Decorum was dominant on debut at Sale, leading all the way to score by 2L. He recorded the fastest final 400m of the meeting and the second-fastest final 200m. His time for the 1000m was superior to the other 1000m maidens on the program and that was on a Soft 6 so he should be fine with today's conditions. He looks hard to beat once again. (2) Our Playboy comes off a maiden win at Terang but I wouldn't underestimate this stable bringing him here. He's their only runner of the day and they've got a 25% strike rate on the Hillside course this season, so I'd be respecting him at $11 and he appeals as the value in the race. There's plenty of unknowns, with six unraced runners in the race. Two notable jockey bookings that catch the eye are Damien Oliver taking the ride on (7) Whobetthatnow for Mark Kavanagh, and Craig Williams on (13) Icantoo for the Corstens stable. (8) Divine Caprice resumed with a good win at Bendigo and the form out of that race has proved to be reasonable.
Value: (2) Our Playboy $11
(1) Show Some Decorum
$2.75
Pretty happy to be with (4) Zoujea here for Danny O'Brien and Damien Oliver. She's had four career starts, both of which came last preparation first and second up. Notably, she hasn't had any jumpouts leading into her first up run today so it's hard to get a gauge of where she might be at, but Ollie going straight on suggests she'll be ready. Drawn the inside, she should be able to sit behind the leaders and with any luck you'd think she would be hard to beat. (1) St Edwards Crown is the $4.20 favourite but I remain largely unconvinced by her. She raced in black type company in all four starts last preparation but her jumpouts leading into her first up run today have been ordinary at best. She was given a quiet time in her first one, but was still spaced by the first two, and she was under the whip treading water in her latest one. Fresh at the 1000m, she looks vulnerable. (2) Free Thrills did a good job first up lugging 62kg to victory despite sitting wide without cover the entire race. It was only a BM58 so this is harder but she drops 5.5kg and draws softly today. (6) La Zola has raced in some strong races and this is probably easier than a few of those so with Williams on fresh, she is an each way chance.
This is the hardest race on the card. (4) Phoenix Global was dominant first up at Ballarat, then failed as the short-priced favourite at Caulfield in a much harder race second up, before atoning last start with an easy win at Pakenham on a heavy track. He's drawn wide here but he should roll forward from barrier 16 and this is Billy Egan's only ride for the day. He handles the wet ground and he shoiuld be right in the finish. (9) Hidden Legend hasn't done much wrong, with five placings from six career starts. He just came up short when outfought in the straight by Sonaree last time out, but the form from that race may stack up. He draws well and he's another that will handle the wet ground, so he has to be included. (10) Knock Knock is a very interesting runner for Paul Presuker. He went into his first up run without a trial, but worked home strongly between runners to be beaten 0.3L. He should come on plenty from that and the rise in trip to 1300m should also suit. (7) Triton Rising returns as a gelding today and has been jumping out well at Flemington. Then you can add in the likes of (1) Search Squad, (6) Greetings Ned and (13) Spanish Peaks who could all win at huge odds without surprising. Dwayne Dunn rides the latter, and he's striking at 29% for Mike Moroney this season. (12) Rebel Racer is another horse that doesn't lack talent and he made good improvement from his first jumpout to his second jumpout, which was just five days ago. Look for him hitting the line strongly. Hard race!
Another really open race and there's a couple at odds I'm going to spec here. (1) Hapaira is probably the pick of the runners at the top of the market. She started $1.75 first up at Kyneton but only managed 3rd, but she bounced back with a pretty dominant win second up at Echuca, leading all the way to score by 2.25L. She won third up last preparation, she'll go forward from the wide gate and she'll handle the wet ground, so if they are struggling to make ground throughout the day, she'll be very hard to beat at $4.80. (5) Halcyon Dame gets a tricky map from barrier 1 if she's not ridden aggressively, but there's a chance we might see her a bit further forward today. She won first up at Ballarat on heavy ground. All three of her wins have come on rain-affected ground so she'll handle the wet track here, and Archie Alexander has a good record at the track, with a 27% strike rate this season. She's an each way chance at $10. Another one at odds to include is (14) Ameliaranne at $21. She scored her first career win last start at Sale over 1000m. Damien Oliver rode her for the first time on that occasion and he sticks with her stepping up to city grade today. Trainer Nick Harnett has brought two runners to Sandown this season - both were on the Lakeside course - and both won. She handles soft ground so she's not the worst chance here.
Value: (14) Ameliaranne $21
(6) Sky Horse broke through for its maiden five weeks ago at Pakenham, where it scrambled home by 0.2L as the odds-on favourite. While the margin wasn't great, the form out of the race has been. Three horses behind Sky Horse have since come out and won, while another has run three consecutive 2nds since that race. Tactics here will be interesting from barrier 11. She sat up on speed last start but prior to that was ridden cold from a wide gate. Mark Zahra goes on, her breeding all but suggests she will handle wet ground, and the stable go well here so she looks a very good chance at $5.50. (4) Diaquin is building to a win. She ran 5th first up but wasn't beaten far, before running 2nd last start after sitting three-wide the trip. Damien Oliver goes on today, her only career win was on wet ground and that's no surprise given she's by Sacred Falls, third up at the mile, she should be very competitive too. (3) La Richesse is a South Australian visitor from the Will Clarken stable and whenever he brings horses across you have to take notice. She's at double figure odds. Pretty confident the winner of this race is either Sky Horse or Diaquin.
Good race. The favourite (12) Orleans Rock looks hard to ignore here. He's been putting the writing on the wall with his recent runs and today looks a really suitable race. Two starts ago he was badly held up in the straight here on the Hillside course, where he finished 1.3L behind Beehunter and Killavally. That form is strong as we've seen Beehunter measure up in better races in Saturday grade. Then last start, he came from a long way back in the field and charged home to be beaten less than a length by Sonaree and Hidden Legend. He ran the fastest final 400m and 600m of the entire meeting, and the third fastest final 200m. He steps up to the mile today, draws softer in barrier 2 and provided he gets a bit of luck in the straight, he's the one to beat. (3) Sonaree is racing well, running 2nd two starts ago before saluting for us at $15 last start. He gives Orleans Rock a 2.5kg weight swing today and he's probably better suited on Lakeside, which plays more to those on speed, but he has run 2nd in two previous attempts here and he's finished in the top two in four of his five starts at the distance. He'll roll forward from the wide gate to find a spot on speed and he's an each way chance at $14 once again. (2) Arty Lucas is the stablemate of Orleans Rock and he's not hopeless either. He's had two runs back from a spell and has been well beaten in both, but he did have excuses last start. He relishes soft ground, with five wins from 10 starts, he won third up last prep, he's run 2nd at his only start at the track and distance, and Lewis German has ridden five winners from 12 rides for Paul Preusker this season. Include him at $19. I'm not sure why (14) Global Sanction is a $15 chance here. She's run consecutive placings in her past two starts and has had excuses in both of them. She's won here before, has a good record on soft ground and draws well in barrier 6. She looks a live chance. (10) Zouy's Comet has two wins from three starts first up and goes very well at the distance. Orleans Rock the one to beat and I'll be happy to play exotics with the others too.
The big question here is what do we do with (8) Eurack? She was hugely impressive winning her first four career starts, but the last of those wins came back in February 2018 and she's been unplaced in five starts since. From what I can see, she's had one jumpout leading into her reappearance today, which was a very quiet one and she looked pretty good, coasting to the line under no pressure in 3rd. If she was to return to the form we saw earlier in her career, she'd win this pretty easily, but it's a huge query and as favourite, it makes it tough to back her with confidence. Ben Melham rode her in all four wins and he rides her again today, so that's a positive, as is the soft ground, but betting will tell the story here closer to the jump. (11) Trigger Point is some chance here at $17. He's a wet tracker and he gets conditions to suit today. He's never won from 17 starts on Good ground but he's got four wins in the wet. He's got a decent first up record, a good record at the track and the only little query is just whether the 1000m might be a bit sharp for him. He's a good each way bet to close out the card though, especially with some concerns around those higher up in the market. (2) Spirit Of Aquada has three career wins and two of them have come first up. He ran 2nd at his only previous start at the track and distance and he returns today with the concussion plates off, suggesting to me they may have him in much better order this time than they did last prep.
(11) Trigger Point E/W
$17
