Sandown Preview & Best Bets – 16/08/2023

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

Sandown Tips for Wednesday, August 16

BEST BET 🏆 (WIN)  

Race 8 No. 13 EXTRATWO – ($2.30)

EXTRATWO should be hard to beat in the final race of the day. The Maher/Eustace galloper was a six-length winner at her first run for the stable before copping a disqualification when first past the post here on June 10. The four-year-old has since had a freshen up after running 5th behind Renosu down the Flemington straight at Listed level. This is a big drop back in grade and support in the early betting indicates she might have the edge here. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 (WIN) 

Race 3 No 1 COINCIDE- ($2.20)

COINCIDE can measure up in Race 3. The Waterhouse/Bott galloper has had two runs this preparation and controlled things at Kensington over the 1100m on August 2 to win by two lengths from Summer Loving. That was his second race this preparation and he looks to have come on since featuring among some of the better early season two-year-olds either side of the new year. Step up to the 1200m is a slight query but the son of Invader has the fitness in the tank and might have a bit of a class edge on this lot. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 

Race 2 No. 4 MAGIC- ($3.20)

MAGIC can break through after a last start effort that saw him resume with a runner-up performance at Canterbury on July 26 over the 1200m. The Team Hawkes-trained galloper comes down from Sydney and settled back that day before getting out of traffic at the 250m and closing off with the fastest last 200m. The 3rd placegetter out of that has since come out and won. Magic produced the fastest last 200m to go 3.2 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is a better figure than what any horse in this race has produced. Improvement to come second up and with Jye McNeil in the saddle, the son of Snitzel can get the job done. 

BEST VALUE 💰(EACH-WAY)

Race 5 No 4 ELSIE MAY – ($6.30)

This looks to be a suitable assignment for ELSIE MAY. The Maher/Eustace galloper was a winner in this grade at the Hillside circuit two starts ago before heading to Moonee Valley for a Saturday race on July 29 over the 1600m. She got back that day when the leaders were favoured and was held up as they rounded before eventually running 4th behind He’ll Rip. The former Kiwi went a healthy eight lengths faster than standard benchmark in that race, which is seven lengths better than the next best last start figures of any runner. She gets the claim for Celine Gaudray and should be strong late in the piece.