Sandown Racing Tips for August 22 – Cavalry Girl the one to beat in the Carlyon Stakes

Here are our best bets from the meeting on what is a big day of racing from around Australia with the Winx Stakes at Randwick shaping as a mouth-watering clash between Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi. 

Going with Judas Tree in the opener. The Godolphin galloper has had the two career starts, taking out a lowly Maiden at Ballarat on the Synthetic on debut before jumping sharply in grade at Sandown at his most recent start, setting a very solid tempo out in front before being run down by American Eagle. The 3rd placegetter out of that, Commit, is in this race and was runner-up behind Stakes at Caulfield at his most recent start. Judas Tree comes into this with a month in between runs and has taken out a trial in the interim, while it is worth noting that he went more than 12 lengths faster than standard at Sandown. He should enjoy a soft run up in front and will be hard to get past at the business end. 

Cruiserweight can bounce back when he steps out in Race 2. The promising galloper was disappointing when rolled as a well-backed $1.80 favourite at Caulfield last time, finding little when called upon in the straight. However, it is worth noting that he raced very keenly when sitting outside the leader on a hot tempo before going down by just over two lengths behind Lauberhorn. The former Kiwi went 8.5 lengths faster than standard, which is the second-best last-start figure of any runner in this field, just behind Cherish Me, and around five lengths slower than what he produced when winning at his previous start. There are no gear changes, but the stable will have had a chance to iron out a few of the issues and he comes into this off a winning jumpout. With a more conservative run this time around, he should be hard to beat.

Cavalry Girl should be hard to beat in Race 7. The six-year-old has really hit her straps this time in with career best form and has taken out her past two by a combined margin of more than eight lengths with those coming in Listed company in Adelaide and in a BenchMark 100 at the recent Caulfield Heath Saturday meeting. Her performances have been backed up on the clock, almost 10 lengths faster than standard benchmark two starts back before going 12.7 lengths faster last time. The question mark is whether or not she can sustain after five runs this time in but her best figure came at this stage of her last preparation and she has options from the inside barrier where she can push to lead or take a sit behind Beast Mode.