Sandown Preview & Best Bets – 24/01/2024

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

Sandown Tips 24/01/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 1 No. 4 DRAGOON ($3.10) 

DRAGOON can break the duck in the opener. The Greg Eurell-trained galloper is yet to win in five starts but has been close at his past three with a couple of minor placings and an unlucky 5th at Caulfield when beaten less than a length. Last time out, he looked the winner at Cranbourne over the 1500m before being grabbed in the shadows by Immediacy. That horse has since claimed a BenchMark 64 at Sandown. Daniel Moor will look to push up from barrier 9 and with even luck in the run the pair should be hard to beat. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 5 No. 5  RUNNING ON TIME  ($4.85) 

This looks to be a suitable assignment for RUNNING ON TIME. The Maher/Eustace galloper drops from BenchMark 70 races and went to the line untested two starts ago at Sandown over the 1400m before heading to Caulfield and running 6th behind Vagrant, beaten just under three lengths over the 1400m on Boxing Day. Form out of that race has been solid and this is easier. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 8 No. 3 HARD TO CROSS ($6) 

HARD TO CROSS can end the day a winner. The four-year-old has had two runs this time in for a luckless 5th at Moonee Valley on December 23 before heading to Pakenham on January 11 over the 1600m and finishing runner-up behind Brooklyn Boss. He settled back in the field and produced the fastest last 200m before just missing out. The son of All Too Hard comes into this third up and the step to the 1800m looks like it will suit.