Sandown Preview & Best Bets – Wednesday January 18

Adam Cusworth

in Bets of the Day 17 Jan 2023

Our form expert provides Sandown tips for today’s horse racing at Sandown Racecourse and gives his best bets.

Sandown Tips 18/1/2023

BEST BET 🏆

Race 5 No. 1 RUGGIERO – ($3.50)

RUGGIERO gets his chance in Race 5. The four-year-old claimed his maiden at Donald four starts ago and has been solid in his runs since then. Unlucky not to win at his past couple when finishing runner-up, including at the Lakeside circuit on January 11 when just missing behind Sonora, while those two put a gap on the rest of them. He is on the quick back-up and this doesn’t look any harder. Ethan Brown rides and provides a 15% profit on turnover when combining with the stable.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 3 No. 4 REGAL VALOUR – ($4.80)

We stretch out over the 2400m in Race 3 and REGAL VALOUR can go close. The four-year-old has had two runs this time in for a win at Kyneton on resumption before heading to Moonee Valley for a recent Saturday meeting and running 4th over the 2040m behind Highland Jakk. She was caught three deep that day before sticking on ok. A couple of the beaten brigade have since gone on to perform well and she went 2.3 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is eight lengths better than the next best figure of any runner in this race. The daughter of So You Think was an improver throughout her last preparation and should enjoy the step up in trip.

BEST VALUE 💰(EACH-WAY)

Race 8 No. 10 SOARHI- ($18)

Best Value comes up in the final race of the day and it is SOARHI that can go close at the each-way quote. The Michael Moroney-trained galloper was ok in harder company that this at his last start, finishing a three-length 8th in a bunched finish at Moonee Valley on December 24. He was runner-up prior to that in a BM64 behind Confrontational. The son of Testa Rossa draws wide for this and will get back but we should see some degree of tempo with the likes of Sirello, Oceanography and I Am News all likely to go forward. Damien Oliver sticks on board and the pair are worth thought.