Sandown Lakeside hosts Wednesday racing with an eight-race twilight meeting.
With the rail out in the four-metre position and the track to be rated in the good range, the best bets have focused on horses who will find on-pace positions to take advantage of the fast surface.
Sandown Race 1
#6 Touch of navy
The first thing that stood out in the jump out of this two-year-old colt was the early speed he showed.
He jumped quickly in his second of two Cranbourne 850-metre jump outs and looked really strong through the line despite not being asked for too much of an effort in the latter stages.
The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr galloper seemed to jog around under his own steam and should be wound up enough to run a strong race on debut.
Big tick with Mark Zahra being booked.
Zahra is usually a very positive rider and that should ensure this colt settles either in the lead or very handy to the lead speed.
Suggested Bet: Touch Of Navy win at $3.9
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 5 & 6
sandown race 2
#5 healing game
Healing Game should arguably be contesting a benchmark race rather than a maiden race at his second career start.
The three-year-old gelding by Tivaci was desperately unlucky on debut at Cranbourne over 1400 metres when starting a well-backed favourite.
Unfortunately, he got shuffled back on a Cranbourne track that really favours momentum.
He could only build his revs up in the last 200 metres and, by then, the bird had flown, but he was hitting the line very nicely upon straightening and finding clean air.
He ran a very strong last 400 metres and can easily atone for that last-start defeat.
The long Sandown straight looks as though it will suit him perfectly and Jamie Kah has immediately replaced Ethan Brown in the saddle.
Drawing barrier three should see him settle one pair back with cover, which will be perfect.
Suggested Bet: Healing Game win at $2.5
sandown race 6
#7 baglioni
Was resuming over 1400 metres at Sandown last start and copped a high-pressure race.
There was a fast early speed, he was flopped out the back and hooked out to be the widest runner, but still ran on strongly to finish fourth.
He is going to take plenty of fitness improvement for having the run and draws a very nice barrier this time around.
Rises up to 1600 metres which is up to the distance that will see him settle much handier to the leaders than he did when first-up.
Should be within striking on the home turn and can run a good race at each-way odds.
Suggested Bet: Baglioni each-way at $8.5 the win and $2.6 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 1, 7, 10
sandown race 7
#1 d'jumbuck
D’Jumbuck looks to have found the right race.
He was given a little break after his fourth-placed finish at Sandown in BM-70 grade back on November 24 last year and has since had two runs back.
The first was a solid effort over 1100 metres when he got too far back against some pretty solid summer opposition and then last start he hit the line nicely over 1200 metres at this track.
He should be getting back to full fitness now and the rise in distance to 1400 metres will see him find a position in running very handy to the speed.
Josh Richards may even opt to find the lead should the favourite, Ocean’s Jen, of Ciaron Maher & Dave Eustace not boot up too quickly underneath him.
Very hard to beat with his fitness levels likely to excel as well as a favourable speed map.
Suggested Bet: D’Jumbuck win at $3.8
Suggested Exotic: Exacta 1 & 10
