Early Mail from Sandgroper 23 December 2017

SandGroper gives punters the good oil for the final time in 2017. The West Aussie punter has found 610 winners in 2017 and he will be looking to add to that with his best bets listed below.

Touch Of Silver - Ascot R2 No.2 

A winner of six from twelve so certainly knows how to find the line and there looks to be plenty more wins to come if his first-up effort is any indication. The 1400 metres appeared within scope first-up especially after his solid trial leading-up to it, however he was totally unsuited by the moderate tempo. He took some time to stoke-up from back in the field finishing a length away fourth.

Expect the Durrant-trained gelding to derive a stack of improvement from that outing and should be cherry-ripe with the further distance here.

Remember Berlin - Ascot R3 No.2

It is clear this gelding should have finished closer to the winner last start. After travelling sweetly in the box seat to the turn, the winner of four races raced in restricted room for much of the straight, eventually hitting the line hard late to finish second only three-quarters of a length away from the winner Get Over It. That’s now four improving runs since resuming from a spell, suggesting he has the hoof placed firmly on the till.

Enki - Gawler R7 No.10

This four-year-old goes better than his race record reads. He’s bumped into a few progressive types in his career thus far and he is knocking on the door after the luckless runner-up effort behind the flying Embecee Lil. That effort was on the back off a second-up performance when he put the writing on the wall, looming before running out of fitness when swamped late. Ready to win.

Le Juge - Moonee Valley R9 No.11

French import who has settled in nicely at Flemington. Was unhurried in his heat under Michael Walker and allowed to balance up in a slowly run trial through the first half. Tempo lifted into the straight with Devilishly, Last Light and Port Triano ridden along to go through the line in 48.18 seconds and Le Juge cruising through three lengths behind.

Trained by Andre Fabre in France where he was placed twice at Listed level up to 2100m. Now with Chris Waller, he should be winning if he reproduces his French form.

Condemned - Warwick Farm R1 No.5

This two-year-old was caught wide throughout in his only trial on 28 November, but still managed to finish off encouragingly. Coming out of undefeated two-year-old champion Dawn Approach, it wouldn't surprise to see him come to hand quickly. He looks a professional type and should acquit himself well.

Supply And Demand - Warwick Farm R7 No.1

Is back from his failed Railway Stakes campaign but trainers Waterhouse-Bott must think he has something to offer. Supply And Demand won the Listed Caloundra Cup over 2400m and the Listed Grafton Cup over 2350m last season. He’s a progressive horse and "we picked this race out for him after he had such a good winter campaign,” Waterhouse said.

“He improved from benchmark class to winning Cup races and his Flemington run showed us he is still improving."