Sandown Preview & Best Bets – 31/01/2024

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

Sandown Tips 31/01/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 6 No. 7 VINNIE’S SPIRIT ($2.60) 

VINNIE’S SPIRIT can just about pinch this. The leader from the Waterhouse/Bott stable has gone hard at his past couple of starts before being run down at Warwick Farm and Kensington, with those coming over the 1400m. He comes into this full of fitness and went six lengths faster than standard benchmark two runs ago before going 1.5 lengths faster last time. Anything around that mark should be very competitive here and the son of I Am Invincible will take some running down. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 8 No. 1 EBONY KING  ($8.10) 

EBONY KING can end the day a winner. The five-year-old has had two runs this time in and was solid first up over the1100m at Flemington before running 5th last time behind Jungle Jim over the 1200m on a day that suited those closer to the inside. 1300m around a bend suits better and he has finished top two in four goes at the trip. They include a win at the track and trip from one attempt, which was at the same stage of his last preparation. 

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 1 No.1  ADIURO ($12.20) 

ADIURO shapes as an each-way player in the opener at Sandown. The Ray Besanko-trained galloper has had the three career starts with two of those coming in the winter of 2023. Form out of the second of those is better than it looks with a Geelong Maiden race producing the likes of Southport Tycoon. He resumed at Pakenham on January 18 over the 1200m and settled last in the field of 10 before producing the fastest last 200m to run 4th, beaten just over two lengths. Worth thought at the price.