The Coral-Eclipse meeting at Sandown kicks off with Ladies Day and it's the focus of my Friday horse racing tips. The big race is still to come on Saturday, but we start with a fine seven-race card, highlighted by the Gala Stakes and the Marathon.
My racing pages finished June with a healthy 42% return on investment, and now I’m looking to begin July with a bang. I have four Sandown horse racing tips for Friday to get stuck right into.
Friday Horse Racing Tips: Best Bets for Ladies Day at Sandown
| Bet Type | Horse | Race | Odds | Bookie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Bet | Sallaal | 3:35 Sandown | 11/10 | William Hill |
| Next Best | Westport | 1:50 Sandown | 7/4 | William Hill |
| Strong Bet | Miss Lizzy | 2:25 Sandown | 7/2 | William Hill |
| Value Bet | Paradias | 4:10 Sandown | 4/1 | William Hill |
Odds correct at 11:40 BST on 02/07/26. Odds subject to change.
As usual, one of our best horse racing bookmakers, William Hill, were first with the odds for my Sandown Park tips. You may have to get on quick for the Friday nap of the day, Sallaal, in fact I was very surprised to see him at odds-against.
Sign up to William Hill to claim your free bets, then take advantage of horse racing promotions such as their Daily Racing Winnings Boost. Before you sign up and bet, take a read through my Sandown racing preview below.
EXPIRING:
31/07/2026
Sandown and the Going
There are draw biases and certain quirks I keep in mind when betting at Sandown Park. As for the going, it’s essentially on the quicker side of ‘good’ going into the weekend. The forecast is for warm weather and light breezes, so I’m not looking for horses who like to get their toe in.
My Friday Best Bet
Sallaal – 3:35 Sandown
Honestly, the way this horse won his handicap at Epsom on Oaks day, he could have been contesting the Eclipse at Group 1 level on Saturday. I’ll have Coral-Eclipse tips on my Saturday horse racing page.
Trained by Roger Varian for Sheikh Ahmed, Sallaal is from an extraordinary family. The dam, Nahrain, was a top-class filly herself, winning two Group 1 races for Varian. She has also had several high-class progeny, making Sallaal a half-brother to Newmarket course record holder Benbatl and 1000 Guineas winner Elmalka among others. To top it all off, this lad is by Frankel. Not a bad daddy!
Sallaal, like the rest of the family, goes on any ground. Roger Varian clearly wants one more run before going into Group 1 company, but I’d say this horse is already there. He should be far too good for Dividend and Glacius, who have a quick enough turnaround after running on fast ground at Royal Ascot.
Why I’m Backing Sallaal
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Already rated 119 and looks Group 1 class
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Handles any ground conditions
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Won’t need a strong pace to get the job done
My Next Best Bet for Friday
Westport – 1:50 Sandown
There’ll be some proper sprinters on show at the July Festival at Newmarket next week. Before that, we have this five-furlong race for the three-year-old handicappers. The event is named after Battaash, my all-time favourite sprinter, who actually broke the track record here some time ago.
The pace should be coming from Exclamation in stall one, with the rail the place to be and the stalls being parked on the far side. He can make the running, but may well be setting it up for George Boughey’s Westport.
He was three from three before heading to Royal Ascot, and he was only 10/1 to win there. It didn’t go to plan, but this is easier for him, and we have no idea what his ceiling is. He’s the best handicapped horse in the race, and rates as one of my strongest Sandown horse racing tips on Coral-Eclipse weekend.
Why I’m Backing Westport
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Has the speed, the quality, and the right draw in stall 4
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Improving quickly and is very well handicapped
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Conditions look ideal for him, as is the race situation (pace)
A Strong Bet for Sandown on Friday
Miss Lizzy – 2:25 Sandown
The next of my Friday Sandown betting tips comes in another five-furlong sprint, this time for the two-year-olds. This is the Dragon Stakes, and this lot really are bringing the fire.
Bill The Bull and Miss Lizzy are both pacy, and they come out of stalls two and three. They are likely to be booted out and sent on, but in the case of Miss Lizzy, I think she has the ability to stay on the front end right to the line.
If you take only a brief look at her profile, it’s not that inspiring. What I see though is a filly who is improving with every outing, and one who was blocked in her run when finishing only 4¾ lengths behind the winner in a Group 2 at Royal Ascot. She might have too much for this field.
Why I’m Backing Miss Lizzy
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Fine form from Royal Ascot
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Comes from the right side of the draw
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Improving with every start
My Value Bet for Sandown on Friday
Paradias – 4:10 Sandown
Go big or go home. This is the horse I’d say you should use your William Hill Daily Racing Winnings Boost on. Tap the odds, then the gold Rewards banner, and see your boosted price. For example, when I backed this horse, he went from 4/1 to 4.31/1 with the reward.
Why’s he one of my Sandown tips today? Well, this is about value. I always check each and every favourite, looking for those with weaknesses. In the case of Lazy Griff, last year’s Derby runner-up, we don’t know yet if he’ll make a strong stayer, and he’s having his second run back after a long injury.
He is odds-on, but Paradias at 4/1 is solid. Alan King’s runner was less then three lengths behind Lazy Griff over this course and distance in May, but he lost ground at the start and was never really in the race.
He is showing slow, but very steady improvement over fully 37 runs, reaching a handicap mark of 105 for being placed in the Easter Classic at Newcastle. He’ll be better over this trip, and can run to around 108 now. That’s a fair standard to set for Lazy Griff and the others.
Why I’m Backing Paradias
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Great value against the odds-on favourite
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Has some solid form and is still getting better
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Top class jockey Rossa Ryan takes the ride
Sandown Ladies Day Tips – My Lucky 15
I’ve stuck these four Friday racing predictions into a Lucky 15 as well. Why not? The rest of the Sandown racecard is decent, but these are the four standout bets, so I’m looking to have some fun with them. Put these four into your betslip, then tap on ‘multiples’ to find the Lucky 15.
| Race | Horse |
|---|---|
| 1:50 | Westport |
| 2:25 | Miss Lizzy |
| 3:35 | Sallaal |
| 4:10 | Paradias |
Winners up to 25/1 in June
June was terrific for the Saturday page, and my horse racing previews. Almeraq (25/1), Qirat (14/1 advised), and Opportunity (6/1) really helped the cause. Here’s how the month looked overall:
| Date | Page | Tips | Winners | Strike-Rate | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 5 | Previews – The Oaks | 4 | 1 | 25.00% | +1.50 |
| June 6 | Saturday Tips | 5 | 1 | 20.00% | -2.80 |
| June 6 | Previews – The Derby | 2 | 0 | 00.00% | -2.00 |
| June 13 | Saturday Tips | 5 | 0 | 00.00% | -5.00 |
| June 16 | Previews – Royal Ascot Day 1 | 4 | 0 | 00.00% | -4.00 |
| June 17 | Previews – Royal Ascot Day 2 | 6 | 3 | 50.00% | +4.62 |
| June 18 | Previews – Royal Ascot Day 3 | 5 | 0 | 00.00% | -5.00 |
| June 19 | Previews – Royal Ascot Day 4 | 4 | 1 | 25.00% | +2.00 |
| June 20 | Saturday Tips | 3 | 2 | 66.67% | +6.50 |
| June 20 | Previews – Royal Ascot Day 5* | 5 | 2 | 40.00% | +23.40 |
| June 24 | Previews – Carlisle Bell Day* | 4 | 1 | 25.00% | -1.00 |
| June 26 | Previews – Friday Racing | 3 | 0 | 00.00% | -3.00 |
| June 27 | Saturday Tips | 5 | 1 | 20.00% | +10.00 |
| Total | 55 | 12 | 21.81% | +23.22 (42.21% ROI) |
*Includes an each-way bet
Here’s to an even better July!
