| What | Australia Day Races 2023 |
| Where | Sandown Racecourse – 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171 |
| When | Thursday, January 26, 2023 |
| First Race | 1:20pm AEDT |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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Melbourne’s traditional Australia Day meeting heads to Sandown on Thursday afternoon for a highly competitive eight-race program kicking off at 1:20pm AEDT. The two Blue Diamond Preview races headline the program, while the Listed W.J. Adams Stakes, Group 3 Manfred Stakes and Listed John Dillon Stakes will bring to a close what looks to be an exciting day of racing. Perfect conditions will greet punters with the track coming up a Good 4, with the rail in the true position for the entire course.
Keep reading for our free race-by-race preview and quaddie selections
Race 1: BM70 Handicap (2400m)
We do not need to wait too long on Thursday for our best bet at Sandown, when the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Wahine Toa steps out in the opener. The six-year-old mare has been in superb form this campaign winning twice and finishing second at her two other starts to suggest this race is right within her grasp. We were with her on January 7 when she simply couldn’t run down the progressive So Unusual at this track and trip. That was in BM78 company, so with the drop in class and with Matt Cartwright’s 1.5kg claim, she looks perfectly placed with 58kg on her back, despite being a 73-rater. Look for Cartwright to have the Dalakhani mare settled midfield with cover and with a strong finish burst, Wahine Toa should prove too classy for this lot.
9
WAHINE TOA
4
GONE WEST
1
NEVER AGAIN
12
MOTAMAYIZ
Best Bet
Race 1 – #9 Wahine Toa (11)
6yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Matthew Cartwright (a1.5) (59.5kg)
$4.60 with PlayUp
Race 2: Fillies & Mares BM70 Handicap (1400m)
Rioyuki finished an eye-catching second at Flemington on January 14 and in a tough Fillies & Mares event, we’re happy to side with the Fighting Sun mare. The four-year-old mare was held up for a run until the final 200m, but once clear absolutely flew home to be beaten by just under a half-length in an effort which suggests she is primed to run a big race third-up. She has two seconds to her name from as many starts this campaign and despite drawing barrier one and wanting to settle in the back-half of the field, she looks a great play in this. Armed with a strong turn of foot, if Dean Holland can have her in clear air on the home turn, she will no doubt appreciate the genuinely run 1400m event and ultimately prove too hard to hold out.
6
RIOYUKI
7
WISHLOR LASS
4
DEFINING
12
COLOMBE D’OR
Race 3: Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) (1000m)
One of our better bets on the Sandown card comes up in the first black-type event when The Instructor lines up in the Blue Diamond Preview for the boys. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt was a dominant winner at Pakenham on January 12 and looks one of the chances in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes in late February. The Russian Revolution colt found the rail with ease over 1000m, dictated terms under a well-rated steer from Jordan Childs on debut and put three-lengths on his rivals in the process of winning. With a similar run expected from barrier three on Thursday, we expect the race experience and fitness to work to his advantage. We expect the $2.50 with online bookmakers to tighten, but The Instructor looks the classy juvenile in the colts & geldings Preview.
2
THE INSTRUCTOR
3
CORNICHE
8
GOODES
- 7
FIRE FOLLOWER
Next Best
Race 3 – #1 The Instructor (3)
2yo Colt | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Jordan Childs (56kg)
$2.50 with Ladbrokes
Race 4: Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (F) (1000m)
The Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview for fillies has attracted a field of 15 juveniles, where nine of them are having their first start under race day conditions. We’ve opted to side with Aditi from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable who hopefully will be looking to follow in the footsteps of her stablemate from the race prior. She finished second in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes on October 1, before being put away for an autumn campaign. She managed to put 1.25-lengths on subsequent Stakes winner Charm Stone on that day, to suggest she will take some beating on Thursday. She has trialled up a treat ahead of the Group 3 and with Jamie Kah on board from barrier one, Aditi is sure to take some gunning down.
2
ADITI
- 1
EXPLORING
9
DE SONIC BOOM
13
SENSICAL
Race 5: BM70 Handicap (1400m)
The quaddie kicks off with a competitive BM70 over 1400m and considering he has only ever missed the placings once from eight starts, Just Johnno looks the one to beat. The Lindsey Smith-trained six-year-old has finished second and third at his two starts this time in, including finishing 1.75-lengths off the progressive Invincible Caviar first-up from a spell. From barrier one, he draws to do no work under Jarrod Fry and if Fry can have him settled on the heels of the leaders throughout, then this son of Therock looks to have some upside about him and in an open affair looks the one to side with.
8
JUST JOHNNO
7
SAVVY SOVEREIGN
3
SANDY PRINCE
4
DAILY BUGLE
Race 6: Listed W.J. Adams Stakes (1000m)
The W.J Adams sees the return of progressive sprinter Star Patrol, but at a $2.15 quote with online betting sites, we’re happy to side with On The Lead who is three times the price. The Richard & Will Freedman-trained sprinter smashed Inundation last time out at the track and trip and despite this being a touch harder, his win visually suggests he is in this right up to his neck. With the likes of Alpha One, Star Patrol and Yulong Command all looking to hold a prominent position, we’re hoping those three carve each other up out in front, which leaves the race perfectly set up for On The Lead to finish over the top of some potentially vulnerable leaders once again.
6
ON THE LEAD
5
STAR PATROL
9
ALPHA ONE
2
ESTA LA ROCA
Race 7: Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1300m)
How do you go past the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Jacquinot in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes? It is simple; you cannot. The Golden Rose Stakes winner from the spring is set to return over 1300m, a distance he should thrive at fresh. He has two wins from as many starts when fresh and on firmer going simply looks a class above his fellow three-year-olds. He is a 111-rater, with his closest in terms of rating points being 81, so not only should he be winning this, the fact he is $1.80 is laughable. From barrier two, look for Damian Lane to have this bloke settled at the rear of the field and with the long straight that Hillside possesses, Jacquinot should be building through his gears and under hands and heels be a class above his rivals in the Manfred. Add Jacquinot into all of your multi plays on Thursday.
1
JACQUINOT
9
RUTHLESS DAME
- 10
CLIMBING STAR
- 3
BANK MAUR
Race 8: Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m)
From a shorty in the previous, to our best value play in the Listed John Dillon Stakes. The Ben & JD Hayes-trained Crosshaven looks to have been placed perfectly by Lindsey Park in the final race on Thursday. Despite needing to lug 60kg, 6kg above the minimum, the five-year-old gelding has been racing in consistent form this campaign and his win two starts back at Caulfield, suggests he is right up to a race like this. With stablemate Gentleman Roy set to make this a genuinely run 1400m event, look for Michael Dee to have this guy settled in the one-one throughout from barrier 10 and with a bit of class on his side and a race fitness advantage under his belt, we’re happy to side with Crosshaven at a price in the last.
1
CROSSHAVEN
3
GENTLEMAN ROY
8
PAL D’ORO
9
UMGAWA
Best Value
Race 8 – #1 Crosshaven (10)
5yo Gelding | Ben & JD Hayes | J: Michael Dee (60kg)
$11 with Neds
Thursday quaddie tips for Sandown races
Sandown quadrella selections
Thursday, January 26, 2022
- 3-4-7-8-9
- 5-6-9
- 1
- 1-3-8-9
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