It’s Christmas Eve and Sandown Park looks the first stop for Santa as punters look set to enjoy a terrific 12 event meeting.

The ‘Merry Xmas’ 1-4 restricted win race opens the batting at 7.07pm, and Alpha Nemesis looks ideally placed after a top class placing in the Group 2 Laurels last week (Replay). The beautifully bred daughter of Cosmic Rumble and Queen of Cyprus went through the three week series consistently, yet winless. It’s pretty obvious she’s knocking on the door of a win and with the wide-running Coalville Tiger on her outside, this is her biggest chance to salute of late.

The Cottrell kennel wasted no time in stepping Flying Kayla up to staying trips at just her second run (Replay). She has showed a powerful finish in most of her races and from the outside of the track she looks set to gain a nice unimpeded run to the front at her Sandown Park debut (Race 2). She looks to have enough speed to control the race and I believe she possesses the most strength in the field, hence the reason I’m marking her my best bet of the night.

In Race 2, FLYING KAYLA looks to have enough speed to control the race and I believe she possesses the most strength in the field, hence the reason I’m marking her my best bet of the night.

A handy field of rising stayers will contest the Traralgon to City distance final (Race 4) chasing a top prize of $11,500. I’d be playing the exotics in this event with Fine Cocoon, Dark Obsession and By The Gallon, in what looks a very hard race on paper.

Keep Warm looks perfectly drawn in the sprint edition (Race 6) after he came up with the red box. The reason I like Keep Warm is quite simply the fact that the greyhound on his outside (Select Daniel) will sit at least one away from the fence which should have the red rug gaining a nice clear run throughout proceedings.

Toward the end of the meeting the grader has put together a classy clash over the 595m with a Mixed 3/4 (Race 9). I feel Polijuice Potion has the potential to develop into a more than handy stayer and her future could start here as she meets a classy field of middle distance experts.

The last on the card will bounce at 10.58pm so Merry Christmas and happy punting.

SANDOWN FORMGUIDE

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WATCH: Alpha Nemesis (6) came from last to run an eye-catching placing in the $72,500 Group 2 Laurels at Sandown Park last week.