Today I’m riding at Sandown. The rail is out 7 metres on the Lakeside circuit and the track is rated in the heavy range.
Race 1 is the Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Handicap over 1300 metres for two-year-old’s. My ride here is TRANQUIL BAY who is trained by Anthony & Sam Freedman. This daughter of Cable Bay is raced by Highclere Thoroughbred Racing and partners. She’s had four starts for a second and third placing and has been very consistent without being beaten far in maiden grade. Two starts ago she ran second at Sale on soft ground and was only narrowly beaten by the top weight in this race, who she meets much better at the weights today. She comes into this race with the blinkers being removed from her head gear and the winkers going on. Given the gear change and the wide barrier draw I would assume that she will be ridden quietly to be finishing off strongly at her first attempt over the 1300 metres.
Race 3 is the BM64 Ladbrokes Bet Ticker Handicap over 1400 metres. My ride here is TYCOON BUCKS who is trained by Andrew Noblet. This four-year-old mare by Written Tycoon has had 11 starts for a record of one win and four second placings. She has won and been placed on soft ground however is unplaced from her only attempt in heavy conditions when she finished fifth on debut on a heavy 8. From her two attempts over the 1400 metres she has recorded a win and second placing. We will need luck in running from the wide barrier draw today in this near capacity field.
Race 4 is the BM64 Ladbrokes Handicap over 1600 metres for three-year-old fillies. My ride here is LOCHIE’S SONG who is trained by Ken & Kasey Keys. This daughter of Canford Cliffs has had five starts for the one win, with that win coming at the start of this preparation when she resumed on the synthetic surface at Pakenham over 1400 metres in maiden grade. She then stepped up to 1600 metres in her next two starts on soft ground at Cranbourne and Sandown where she finished 4.5 lengths from the winner on both occasions. She is a filly that seems to settle in the second half of the field through the early stages of her races and stays on solidly. This is a small but competitive field and she is racing in the right grade of race to give her every opportunity.
Race 8 is the BM70 Ladbrokes Cash In Handicap over 2100 metres for fillies and mares. My ride here is SUBLIME MISS who is trained by Ciaron Maher & David Eustace. This four-year-old daughter of Not a Single Doubt is lightly raced having had 12 starts for a record of two wins and two placings. She races here third-up this preparation and has been stepped up in distance each run. She resumed over 1400 metres on the synthetic surface at Ballarat before contesting a BM64 Highweight on a heavy 10 at Warrnambool where she carried 67.5 kilos for her second-up run. She is racing in her optimal distance range with her two wins being over 1600 and 2000 metres, however she is unplaced from three runs on heavy ground, but has won and placed in soft conditions. She is a mare that can race on-speed which will be to her advantage to hopefully help her improve her wet track record and get her back in the winners circle.