What a Saturday of racing we have installed across the nation and it’s all headlined by the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield inline with the Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and the Futurity Stakes (1400m).
After running more seconds than a watch last week, our analysts are raring to bounce and have provided the best bets including a quaddie at Caulfield for a huge weekend of racing!
Let’s get stuck into it, punters.
caulfield race 1 - mornington cup prelude
#3 wolfe & #5 blenheim price
Going with a two-horse play in the first at Caulfield with the two leaders in the race Wolfe and Blenheim Prince.
They have a clear map advantage over the favourite Defibrillate and both their lead-up runs into this have been rock solid.
Blenheim Prince led the field up on his Australian debut last start in the controversial photo finish dead-heat between the favourite in this race and Hang Man.
He just kept plugging away gamefully to hold on for third and now, with that run under his belt, it should bring him in beautifully as he continues to rise in distance.
Wolfe, like Blenheim Prince, settles handedly to the speed in his races and these Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott horses always have a kick if you leave them alone to do their thing in front.
Glen Boss takes the ride as well and he’ll be hard to run down.
Suggested Bets: Back Wolfe to win at $3.7 & Blenheim Prince each-way at $9.5 and $2.10
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 3, 5/ 3, 4, 5/ 3, 4, 5
caulfield race 6 - futurity stakes
#7 probabeel
Her win first-up at Caulfield last start was full of merit.
After being caught deep on the track, three wide with no cover and up on the pace, this New Zealand mare was asked for an effort at the top of the straight from jockey Damian Lane and she responded with aplomb.
She went straight past the leaders in one fell swoop to win the Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) by just over a length to stamp her authority on the autumn racing carnival as a genuine All Star Mile contender.
Gets the bone dry track she needs and with reports from the yard suggesting she was only around 75 to 80 percent first-up, only bad luck will beat her today.
Suggested Bet: Back Probabeel at $3.6
caulfield race 7 - blue diamond
#3 finance tycoon & #7 artorius
Both these horses come up long double figure odds here but are not without winning chances.
Finance Tycoon ventured up to the Gold Coast to tackle the Magic Millions races and after winning the lead-up the 2yo Classic, he drew the car park in the feature race and just never not got on track.
He did ever so well to run sixth that day and he finally draws a barrier where he can settle much closer to the speed. He’s had the run at 1200m now and the five-week freshen up would have done him the world of good.
The naught on the roulette wheel in this race is Artorius.
After being belted on debut by Jigsaw, he came out bolted in at Sandown over 1300m to suggest the sit and sprint over the short course 1100m was not his ideal set up.
If they go mad in front look out for him to be charging at the line late.
Having an each-way play on both these horses here.
Suggested Bets:
Finance Tycoon each way at $31 the win and $7
Artorius each way at $14 and $3.5
CAULFIELD RACE 8 - OAKLEIGH PLATE
#1 ZOUTORI
Zoutori finished runner-up in the race last year but can go one better this time around.
He has very strong first-up credentials with four wins, a second and a third from seven first-up runs.
With what looks to be a huge amount of early speed engaged in this race, star inform jockey Jamie Kah should be able to poise this five-year-old gelding just in behind the hot speed, peel out at the top of straight and let down with a run.
All his career best efforts have come on firm footing which he gets on Saturday and with the Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra stable being airborne at the moment he’s a great price.
Suggested Bet: Zoutori each way at $11 the win and $3.5 the place.
CAULFIELD QUADDIE
Leg 1: 3, 6, 7
Leg 2: 3, 5, 7, 13, 14
Leg 3: 1, 2, 12, 18
Leg 4: 4, 6, 8, 9
$100 Flexi Quaddie = 41.66%
rosehill race 7 - hobartville stakes
#1 aegon
Murray Baker & Andrew Foresman place their horses brilliantly when they come across the Tasman Sea and this is no exception.
Aegon has a good base of fitness to cope with the soft/heavy track predicted for Rosehill and his form over in New Zealand has been, quite literally, faultless.
He is undefeated from four career starts.
His best win came last start when he took out the three-year-old Karaka Million by a nose to Amarelinha who then bolted in a Group 2 over 2000m to frank the form.
Aegon was asked to change course a handful of times in the straight and got slightly baulked for a run but when the gaps opened he exploded and held off his challengers.
Hugh Bowman takes the ride and even though this horse is likely set to peak in the Randwick Guineas, we have to be with him from a good barrier.
Bowman is likely to settle in the ‘one-one’ which means Aegon will be much closer to the lead than he was throughout the beginning and middle stages of the run last start.
Suggested Bet: Aegon win at $3.9
Morphettville Race 8 - lord reims stakes
#3 long arm
Peter Gelagotis sends his inform stayer Long Arm over to Adelaide for the Lord Reims Stakes and he looks ready to win again here.
The favourite, Tralee Rose, is clearly the main danger but she has had a month and a half off since bolting in at Flemington on New Year’s Day to win the Bagot Handicap.
Long Arm was fantastic when running down Yulong Captain right on the line last start over 2400m at Caulfield despite having to lug around 60.5kgs.
He might be drawn out deep here but there are a few runners drawn right next to him that can give him a nice cart into the race with cover.
He’s got the fitness edge over the favourite here and as such he is the one we will be with.
Suggested Bet: Long Arm to win at $2.8
