2.50pm Sandown Tips & Betting Preview 01/07/2016

Some speedy 2yos go to post in this Listed contest, having run with credit at Royal Ascot last month. Use our race preview to identify the best betting tips.

IN SUMMARY: Pretty Vacant gave a very good account of himself when sixth in the Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot and is tempting from his favourable berth on the farside rail but THE LAST LION sets a high form standard after going close in the Norfolk at Royal Ascot a couple of days later and ought to be good enough to overcome his draw on the outside. Beyond that pair, this race lacks strength in depth but Just An Idea is another that ran well on the soft ground at Royal Ascot and, from stall 2, he has a part to play here.

1 Await The Storm – Displayed improvement when third in first-time blinkers at Ripon (6f, good) a fortnight ago, his third start, and, there’s a good chance he’ll be suited by today’s drop back in trip; however, his form is well below the required standard here and he’s poorly drawn; tried in a visor today.

2 El Torito – Delivered on earlier promise when opening account in run-of-the-mill Windsor novice race (5f, good to soft) 18 days ago; evidently in good heart and could easily have more to offer but today’s race requires another significant forward step.

3 Just An Idea – Didn’t achieve a huge amount when third on debut at Chepstow but was in the front rank for a long way when eighth of 22 in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot (5f, soft) on his second outing; has a favourable draw here and can make his presence felt.

4 Mailshot – Two wins from his first five starts, the more recent when allowed to dictate from the front at Kempton (6f, AW) nine days ago; has the speed to cope with today’s drop back in trip but needs to improve to win this and is is untested on turf softer than good.

5 Pretty Vacant – Proved he can cope with soft ground when very a creditable sixth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot (5f) and didn’t need to improve to gain easy win in Lingfield novice race (5f, AW) on Saturday; has the plum draw against the farside rail here and is respected.

6 Smokey Lane – Made quite pleasing debut when second of seven at Ayr (6f, good to firm) a fortnight ago and has obvious potential to build on that performance but will need to display significant improvement to pose a threat at this level.

7 The Last Lion – From a very speedy family and seems to be getting better with every run; stall 8 could make things a bit awkward but he comes here after an excellent second in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot (5f, soft) and, with today’s ground in his favour, ought to be a very tough nut to crack.

8 Stormy Clouds – Created good impression when comfortable winner of Salisbury conditions race (5f, good to soft) in May and that performance brings her into the equation here but she has struggled to land a blow in Listed/Group company on last couple of outings and has quite a bit to prove now.

myracing Forecast Prices: 8/11 The Last Lion, 9/2 Pretty Vacant, 10/1 Mailshot, 12/1 Just An Idea, Stormy Clouds, 14/1 Smokey Lane, 25/1 El Torito, 33/1 Await The Storm