12/06/21 Sandown Tips for Saturday Racing
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- Author: TheMelbourneMailJun 11, 2021 10:57 AM
- Photo: AAP
Early oil for Sandown
Victorian Saturday metropolitan racing takes place at Sandown Hillside this weekend, with a challenging card giving punters plenty to ponder.
The track is currently rated a Heavy 8 and with wet weather predicted for the remainder of the week in Melbourne, participants will be met with a significantly rain-impacted racing surface.
The rail is in the true position for the entire circuit and at this set-up, horses may shift to the outside fence to find the better going with the heavy conditions.
Sandown Hillside Race 3 Tip #10 Retrovailles $6.00
I'm very keen to take the price on offer here for the lightly raced Price/Kent Jnr filly by Nicconi.
Having only had two career starts, she could well have been unbeaten if it wasn't for a deceptive photo finish last start at Horsham.
She won her debut at Geelong over 1112m on a Heavy 8, conditions which she clearly flourished in as she pulled away to win by over 3 lengths.
I loved the way she seemed to effortlessly skip over the ground that day, and it was an extremely high rating victory indicating she is a horse with above-average ability.
She was then spelled, and resumed at Horsham over 1100m last start where she looked to have won to the eye.
Now to 1400m second-up with added fitness on her side, and returning to a rain affected track in which she can thrive.
This is a big step in class, but she will carry only 53kg after the claim (1kg below the minimum) and is drawn wide which will suit.
She is likely to get back behind midfield anyway, and will definitely be finding the better going out wide from that barrier in the straight.
Sandown Hillside Race 6 Tip #10 Ocean Miss $4.20
Fifth-up into the prep here, I'm keen to be with Ocean Miss in this BM78 over the 1600m.
If you backed her last start at Flemington over the mile, you can be forgiven for wanting to give up the punt.
She was an absolute moral beaten that day, after getting caught up behind heels the entire way until the final 150m where she launched at the line and somehow missed in a photo.
She ran the fastest last 200m of the race by 1.5 lengths, and that was a race in harder grade as well.
She didn't have much luck two starts back either when running 11th on Soft 7 conditions at headquarters, when she was given no room in behind runners.
She comes back in grade here, but is weighted accordingly with the rise from 52kg up to 57.5kg for this event.
The big change is an obvious one, as she gets the services of Jamie Kah which is an huge positive.
The wide draw suits as it means she is very unlikely to meet the traffic problems she's encountered in her past two runs. It also allows Kah to find better going in the straight.
She's yet to start on a Heavy surface officially, but she has multiple wins on Soft 7 conditions. She even beat Smoke Bomb in a trial at Cranbourne on a Heavy 8 going back a few preps.
With the news that La Chevalee is possibly heading up to Sydney, Ocean Miss looks set to start a strong favourite.
