Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for midweek racing at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday, November 29th.
We have an eight-race card on the Hillside course, with the track rated a Good 4 and hot conditions predicted.
We have betting tips and comments for every race below.
SANDOWN RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 6 So Splendid
Best Value: Race 4 Bajour
Race 1
Big field to start off here with a maiden over 1800m. Looks a very open race but there’s two I’m interested in backing at eachway odds. PENTHOUSE PLAYBOY draws nicely and followers will know how religiously I follow these types of Weir horses that debut in the country and come straight to the city. I wouldn’t read too much into the fact it ran 3rd at Donald – Weir’s horses rarely win on debut and they find lengths when they tackle a city race at their next start. I’m hoping that’s the case once again here and the good draw in barrier 4 means we’ll get a good run. $9 at the moment and I wouldn’t be surprised if it started longer. BERKSHIRE LADY drops back in grade from Group 2 company over 2000m at Flemington during Cup week. Leading into that she had been building up with some reasonable performances, and Damien Oliver is a key jockey booking for Danny O’Brien here. She’s at $8 and can go close. TRENT only lost by a nose in a similar race last Wednesday over 1400m. Makes the sharp step up in trip here but he cleared out from the 3rd horse last week so should be very competitive again today. WHISTLER BOWL is a horse I backed on debut when it ran 2nd. Draws poorly here and there’s a cloud hanging over the stable’s head so hard to follow it here at that price. GRAMMAR BOY and PEPPINO can be included at big odds.
TIP: Penthouse Playboy EW / Berkshire Lady EW
Race 2
Nice race for a BM64 for three-year-old fillies. Two that stand out at the prices for me and will be backing both. PURRHAPS started $1.55 first up but was wide without cover the entire race and could only manage 3rd, but she atoned for that defeat with a sound maiden win at Bendigo last start. The form doesn’t look to be particularly strong but I think she’s got more to give and both the stable and jockey are flying. Locking in $5.50. SHE’S POPULAR is a horse I was on during the Flemington carnival off the back of a strong debut at Kilmore. She failed in the race during Cup week, but it was an 1100m sprint down the straight against good company, so up to 1400m, down in grade and with a good barrier should see her be very competitive. Taking $7 for her. ABSOLUTE HEAVEN has to be included at the double figure odds after a solid debut, while BLACK AND TAN is another horse we backed last start when running 5th at Sandown in Stakes company. She can run well.
TIP: Purrhaps / She’s Popular EW
Race 3
Tough race. Prepared to take on the early favourite OUR LUCA who draws wide here and steps up sharply from 1000m to 1300m which is a distance rise I don’t like. A touch under the odds at $4 for mine. The horse I want to be on in the race is BUGARI and an each way bet on him at $6.50 is the way I’m likely to go. He debuted with a dominant win on the Sunshine Coast back in May and was put straight away until resuming two starts ago at Pakenham. He blew in the market on that occasion and ran a solid race for 4th, before running 3rd at Mornington last start when he was held up to the 200m and arguably should have won. Draws well here, comes into the race third up and looks ready to win. I’m wary of the Richard Laming horse RESET ME I’M WILD who is first up from a spell after winning two of his first three starts. I wouldn’t rule out either of Weir’s horses either – INDIAN THUNDER and SUNDAY NIGHT TEA. Indian Thunder was a Stakes winner in his debut prep and although he’s been badly out of form this prep, he drops down from Group 3 company and has never raced in BM64 grade before. Sunday Night Tea comes off a maiden win at Echuca and shouldn’t be underestimated.
TIP: Bugari EW
Race 4
I’ve tried pretty hard to overlook Weir’s horse RANSOM MONEY but I just keep coming back to him by default. He’s been poking around in this grade on the provincial tracks and finds a race where his main opposition aren’t overly suited, so with a bit of improvement expected, I’d think he goes close here. I’m interested in having something small on BAJOUR at the $26 on offer. He put together a number of duck eggs this campaign, but he returned from a short break last start and was very well backed to win in BM58 grade. He ran 2nd after making a wide, looping run under 61.5kg, and it was a good effort under the circumstances. Maybe they have turned the horse around in that short time off, and he finds a suitable race to be competitive here. Drops in weight with the rise back up to BM64 grade, and draws barrier 1 for a cheap run. Worth a small bet at those odds. FASTNET CYCLONE was sound first up and I’d expect him to be pretty effective in town when he gets up in trip. I think the 1500m is probably still a bit short for him given his sole win was over 2400m. No knock on SHAUQUIN who won under a big weight in BM58 grade last start and can go well again; just not willing to jump into that price. DOMESTICATED gets a good 3kg for WA apprentice Fred Kersley and should be thereabouts but she may also be looking for ground.
TIP: Ransom Money / Bajour EW (Best Value)
Race 5
Another open race. Prepared to stick with Tony McEvoy’s I’M A PRINCESS who we backed during the Flemington carnival in a race dominated by on-pace runners. I think the form out of the race will turn out decent for this sort of grade and from the good draw I think she can bounce back and go close here. She SP’d $5.50 for the race at Flemington so back to midweek grade the $6 on offer looks good. Also backing Weir’s ABOVE AUTHORITY who comes off a dominant win in BM58 grade and makes the sharp step up to BM70 grade. She looks to have returned in good style this preparation and can measure up here at $7. I’d also include Weir’s other runner POPPIHOLLA at $27. This horse hasn’t done much in three runs back from a spell but she typically takes that long to find form. Her record fourth up and beyond stands at 14 runs for two wins and eight placings, and as she continues to step up in distance she should be better suited. LILYMORN can bounce back from a poor run in the same race as I’m A Princess last start. She stepped slowly and was never a factor. WINKELMANN ran 3rd in that race and can be considered here.
TIP: I’m A Princess / Above Authority EW
Race 6
Good race. There’s been a hug market move for MOSHWAY here after opening $17 but whether that may have been to a mistake in opening prices. It’s now into $4.40 after a solid first up win over 1300m at Cranbourne, but his second up record makes me inclined to take him on here. He’s had four second up runs for just the two minor placings, so I’d hardly want to jump into him at the current price. SO SPLENDID is clearly the horse to beat here after an eye-catching run at Flemington behind Linguist in the race mentioned in the Race 5 preview, which was dominated by on-pace runners. So Splendid was the only runner to make ground from back in the field, and prior to that she’d been racing well in Sydney. She won first up and was then luckless second up before coming to Melbourne for her last start. Back to midweek grade here, she should get her chance to make ground on the Hillside track. RED CHOUX’S is still in his first preparation and continues to improve each start. Three starts ago he bolted in at Ballarat to break his maiden, before an eye-catching run over 1400m two starts ago and a solid win over the mile at Ararat last start. Gets a good draw and he’s another one of these Weir horses that can make the step up from provincial to city grade here. Keen on him at each way odds at $7. No knock on GOLDEN AUTHORITY after a six-length win first up, while ADATTO could be the knockout.
TIP: So Splendid (Best Bet) / Red Choux’s EW
Race 7
The interesting runner here is CALL ME HANDSOME, who makes his Australian debut after previously racing in Hong Kong, where he won on debut before running 2nd to Pakistan Star. That’s obviously turned out to be an exceptional form line, but he’s first up off a 517-day spell here due to suffering a tendon injury. While he may be a nice horse, I’d be reluctant to jump into the $4 given those queries, and it sounds as if the stable think there’s plenty of improvement to come. CLUB TROPICANA comes off a 4L win at Sale against a very moderate field, but it backed up her good first up performance behind Written In Stone, who should have won a Saturday race on the weekend. She gets Craig Williams booked for the ride and should be very competitive here. SANG CHOI BAO normally takes a couple of runs each preparation before coming good, and that’s been the case once again this time in. He’s Brad Rawiller’s only ride for the day, and has won his only start over the track and distance so expect him to be right in the finish. The interesting runner at big odds for me is KAKANUI who is first up from another decent spell. This horse is seven years old but has had just the six starts, so he’s clearly had issues throughout his career. But he’s got a good fresh record and a good record at the track and distance, so with the 3kg claim I’m prepared to have something on him at $21. ANGRY GEE, MANOLO BLAHNIQ and BELIEVING are others to throw in.
TIP: Club Tropicana / Kakanui EW
Race 8
Extremely open way to finish off the day and bring home the quaddie. One runner I’m interested in at the odds is ALMA’S ROSSA at $10, who comes into this second up after a first up run at Ararat that was just fair. With that said, the betting on the day suggested she needed the run and was just using it as a barrier trial, and that’s what it turned out to be. She did a similar thing first up last prep on a Heavy track, but her second up run was very good when finishing strongly to run 3rd behind Pedrena and Samovare. That’s very strong form, and if she shows that kind of improvement once again this prep and can repeat that performance, she’ll give this a big shake. LIFE ON THE WIRE gets his chance in Melbourne after resuming with two wins in Tasmania. Has a 3kg apprentice on from a wide draw which are the concerns for me, but deserves its chance in Melbourne. HECTOPASCAL can go close at each way odds for Weir, while NINA’S BALLERINA and CLASSIC DIVA will be thereabouts, though the latter may need a wet track. DREAMS OF PARIS an interesting runner first up in Australia after coming across from New Zealand, and FROMPARIS WITHLOVE gets blinkers on first time but really needs to improve.
TIP: Alma’s Rossa EW
QUADDIE
4, 5, 7, 8, 9
7, 9, 11, 13
1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13
1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11
$100 = 11.9%
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
