Sandown Racing Tips for Wednesday, August 16th

Welcome to the first set of comprehensive previews for midweek City racing! We'll be providing in-depth analysis of every race on the card in both Melbourne and Sydney as we march towards the Spring Racing Carnival.

Melbourne's card comes to us from Sandown Lakeside today, with nine races on the program. The track was rated a Good 4 at the time of writing but with rain predicted, I'd say we'll possibly see that downgraded into the Soft range.

We have betting tips and comments for every race on the card below!

Sandown Racing Tips for Wednesday, August 16th

Race 1

Hot race to start things off here with spruik horse ESPERANCE very short at the $1.40 quote but probably deservedly so. He won by 8 lengths on debut at Echuca, and will likely be considered a serious Guineas horse if he wins in good style again today. Though his debut was only at perspective, the time he ran was hot. He ran 1:03.99 for the 1100m on a Soft 5, and to put that in perspective, Baduzzi (who also lines up in this race) ran 1:05.78 when winning the race before him on the same day! The other 1100m maiden was run in 1:05.64, so he's absolutely smashed the clock. Anchor Esperance in your multis. INDERNILE is a decent horse and resumes here, his effort when last seen at Flemington in May was sound without getting much luck. It could be worth having a bit on SECRET REWARD at $6+ to place (only paying two places). He won a decent race two starts ago over the likes of Confluence and Kedlestone. Those two horses came out and ran 2nd and 3rd respectively in a BM70 at Flemington on the weekend. Blinkers on first time, Rawiller takes over from Coffey and gets back onto a firmer track.

TIP: Esperance

Race 2

NACAR appears hard to beat off a dominant Australian debut win at Warrnambool. Weir runners coming from Warrnambool to the city do concern me, especially given he won on a Heavy 10 that day, and given the stable and the syndicate, he's probably under the odds. But he was Group placed back in Germany and looks set for better races throughout the Spring. He goes on top from JAWS OF STEEL who returned in good style behind Written Era in a good race at this track 10 days ago. He typically needs his first up run, but he has won second up, so given his first up run was relatively good, I think he can feature here. He's won on Soft ground and did beat Kaptive Hero and Windbern last prep. Straight up to 1600m is both positive and a slight query at the same time. Interested to follow him around this grade this prep. DON'T GET EXCITED has been running well in Saturday company and gets in very well at the weights here. Definitely not out of it. Happy to take on CANNOT BE SERIOS.

TIP: Nacar

Race 3

Very keen on WASSERGEIST here who we were on three weeks ago when he was on debut. He was heavily backed for that race and started favourite but had no luck, trapped three wide throughout before peaking at the 100m and finishing 5th. Williams takes over here which is a really strong sign, and the money has already come for him once again. Outside of one or two, there isn't much to beat here so locking in the $3.20 early. ABERRO is the obvious horse he needs to beat. He performed well in his first two runs back in March, running 2nd to the talented Merchant Navy and then Eshtiraak, before failing on a Heavy track in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes in Sydney. Resumes here on the back of a sharp trial where he beat Redcore who should run well in an earlier race today. Draws poorly so expect him to get back or risk being caught wide, but should at least fill a placing. The value could be GIVE at the $12 mark. He was solid from a long way back first up at Sale in a decent race. Fitter now and can feature. Keep NATIONS safe on debut for Price/Oliver. YUE FEI should be thereabouts.

TIP: Wassergeist (Best Bet)

Race 4

Tough race. ANGELIC SPIRIT was a good debut winner at Sale and ran decent time. She gets a hike in the weights but only carries 4.5kg more than the bottom weight so she's not badly weighted. She can go on with it, but you have to be pretty good to win in this grade straight out of a maiden and this field has more depth, so I'll be going with others. LA CHICA ROSA was a touch unlucky first up and ran in some good races last prep. On debut at Moonee Valley she never saw daylight behind Blondie, and she then went straight to Sydney to finish midfield behind Tulip. If she's come on from that first up run she can be competitive here. The main concern is barrier 10 will see her go right back in the field which may not be ideal on the Lakeside course. She will handle any downgrade in track condition though. At $5.50 she's worth backing. The value could be JUDY IN DISGUISE who was really well backed on debut in a very strong form race. She ended up running poorly but the winner Crown Witness has since come out and won again in town, defeating two pretty smart horses, so the form out of the race is going to stack up big time. The weight of money for her on debut suggests she's much better than what she showed, so I'm willing to have something on her at a much better price around the $13 mark. The other I wouldn't be letting go around without something small on is MAHLANI who was the horse that beat La Chica Rosa first up. She also didn't get a great run, caught three wide the whole race, so she is worth including. 

TIP: La Chica Rosa / Judy In Disguise EW

Race 5

Pretty keen on BLAZERS here who I think is a tremendous each way bet. This horse won easily two starts ago over 2200m at Ballarat and then came out and ran a narrow 2nd to Galileo's Pearl last start over this track and distance. It's worth noting that there was over 3 lengths back to the 3rd horse in that race, which generally is a positive sign for the ability of the first two. That was on a Soft 7 so she will handle whatever track conditions are dished up here, and the best thing about her is that she should be able to come across and lead from barrier 9, in a race where there isn't a great deal of pace on paper. STREET SPUN has probably the best exposed recent form and should be very competitive here. She's come out of races behind Yogi, Ashlee Marie, and most recently Kiwia. She'll get back from barrier 10, but if the rain comes she will be suited by the wet ground. Another horse that will be really well suited if the track ends up in the Heavy range is BIRDS OF TOKYO, who has three wins and four placings from eight starts on Heavy ground. Should get a lovely run and has been consistently around the mark this prep. At $9 she will go close if it rains.

TIP: Blazers EW (Best Value)

Race 6

The first leg of the quaddie is much like the rest of the quaddie: tough! I just can't let UBIN THUNDERSTRUCK go around without my money here after backing him last start at Swan Hill. He jumped slowly and you absolutely had to be on the outside fence that day if you had any chance of winning, so drifting back to last from barrier 1 didn't give him any chance at all. He still finished off well to run 4th, and previous to that he won by 8 lengths. Ben Allen jumps back on today and although I probably wouldn't want to take much shorter than the $3.60 available, I have him on top. DIAMOND GRACE was a good winner for us last start over this distance on the Hillside track. She draws beautifully here in barrier 7 and gets in well at the weights. Mertens is back to take the ride on her once again, and she now has two wins from three starts which is a big tick. The horse I'm terrified about is Robert Smerdon's SACRED THEME with Dwayne Dunn on board. Has been very good in his past two starts and jumps sharply from the 1800m to the 2400m. That's enough to put me off but Smerdon will have him cherry ripe I suspect. 

TIP: Ubin Thunderstruck

Race 7

Wide open race after the scratching of Tahi. That leaves us with a $6.50 favourite and while there's plenty of chances, there's two that catch my eye. The first of those is BOSS CONI at $7.50 who resumes from a spell here. First up last prep he broke his maiden with a five length win, and two starts later won again in BM64 grade by three lengths on a Heavy track. Went on to be competitive in BM70 grade and fresh from a spell I think he can be competitive here. The second horse I like is GUNN ISLAND who ran 3rd first up on the Geelong synthetic track. He finished off really well on that occasion and the extra 100m here should be suitable. Comes from a strong stable and his only win was on a Soft track. He'll get back from the wide barrier but could run a big race at $13. A number of other chances in a dart board type of race!

TIP: Boss Coni EW / Gunn Island EW

Race 8

This race could go two ways given both horses at the top of the market will be steered by 3kg claiming apprentices. I think Ethan Brown is the better of the two and because of that, FOUR SISTERS gets the nod here. Her recent form is more than good enough to win here. Two starts ago she should have won over 1400m at this track, and her run last start over that same distance was huge. She came from a long way back to run 2nd in a race that was won by the leader. She goes well on any surface and the 3kg claim brings her down to a very winnable weight here. Taking the $6 each way, she just needs a good ride. PRINCESS OF QUEENS has produced two good runs to open this campaign, and both have been in strong form races. First up she ran 2nd to Unique Lovely and Clipper came out of that race and ran 2nd in Sydney at its next start. Last start Princess Of Queens ran 2nd to Swampland, who came out and won in Saturday grade this past weekend. From barrier 4 she should be able to sit right up on the speed getting a lovely run. Whether Chris Caserta can get her home is the query but she is very well placed. SMOKIN' BELLA can bounce back. SWEET TASTE and CITRUS WISH two to include at huge odds. 

TIP: Four Sisters

Race 9

Another wide open race to finish the day and another $6.50 favourite. ST FRANCO should find this a good deal easier than what he's been facing in recent starts. While his finishing positions don't make for good reading, the horses he's finished behind certainly do. Jaminzah, My Paisann, Revolving Door and Lovani just to name a few. All Saturday city class horses that have either won or gone very close to winning much better races than this.From barrier 9 he should get a nice enough run, and he's placed in both starts on Heavy ground so should handle the wet. $6.50 available, but I'm not overly eager to jump in. One at odds that interests me is REATA who comes off a maiden win at Cranbourne. I thought the performance had plenty of merit. There was money for her on the day, and she sprinted quickly from the back of the field to win in quite impressive fashion. She'll need luck coming from well back in the field from barrier 2, but she just might be able to feature here at $17. MUTIN, SHERPA TRAIL, INTRIGO and BONUS D'ORO others that appeal.

TIP: St Franco / Reata EW

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