Saturday nights in the sulky return with harness racing from Melton as well as the Tasmania Oaks, Derby and Cup from across Bass Strait in Hobart.
Plenty of value to be found across all three cards so let’s get into it with the best bets from the eastern seaboard.
Hobart Race 7
#13 Triple eight
Triple Eight travelled down from Victoria to contest a race over the 2579 metres on the Hobart track in preparation for this run.
He started off a 30 metre handicap that night, as he does here, and rounded his rivals up with consummate ease to score by two metres.
His mile rate of 1:59:97 rated much faster than his main danger in this race, who is the favourite Willie Go West.
Driver Greg Sugars should be able to hop onto the back of a few of the horses who are starting from handicap positions to give him a nice cart into the race with cover.
He looks the best of the night in Hobart.
Suggested Bet: Triple Eight win at $2.3
Suggested Exotic: Exacta – 2 & 13
Hobart Race 8
#2 Momentslikethese
This three-year-old filly from the Jess Tubbs stable was brilliant upon resumption from a 66-day freshen up.
She appeared at the Hobart 2090 metre circuit to get herself tuned up for this race and put a gap in her opposition to win by just over eight metres.
Champion driver Greg Sugars will be piloting home this runner for us as well and he draws the perfect gate with the odds-on favourite to go straight to the straight, stack them up and run them ragged.
While she might not be huge value at the $1.60 quote, we can take her in an exacta with Heavenly Gipsy after she ran well dropping back in distance to the mile last start.
Suggested Bet: Exacta – 2 & 5
hobart race 9
#1 heliakon
Heliakon started favourite in the Tasmanian Guineas last start and was basically given no mathematical hope of winning after being dragged back from the wide gate.
He battled on gamely but the winner, Alby Two Chains, had the economical run in transit and proved far too good, while Heliakon plugged away to finish fourth beaten by 6.2 metres.
He draws gate one on Saturday, should be able to punch up from the gate and hold the lead.
It was his run prior to the Guineas that caught the eye by winning with plenty in hand over this course and distance.
Expecting him to bounce back with a win here in what looks to clearly be his target race.
Suggested Bet: Heliakon win at $3.5
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 1/ 5/ 6
menangle RACE 4
#1 blazin beauty
Blazin Beauty was enormous when finishing second behind Dancelikeanangel who is the favourite to win this race.
The three-year-old filly from the Kevin Pizzuto yard settled midfield one off the pegs with cover at Penrith over 1720 metres last start and was asked to trek out three deep to commence her run.
In doing so, she gave Dancelikeanangel the perfect cart up into the race and that is what proved the difference in the end.
Now, having drawn down in gate one, expect Joshua Gallagher to be very positive from the pegs and either push to sit in the lead or park himself one pair back.
She will not have to make that long sustained run like she did last start and that little bit of energy she can conserve for later in the race should be enough to see her turn the tables on the favourite.
Suggested Bet: Blazin Beauty win at $3.7
melton race 6
#9 zoliver
Zoliver dropped back to the short course over 1200 metres at Melton last start and did a good job to battle away for third after settling in the rear half of the field.
Trainer Ahmed Taiba seems to have found the key to getting this horse to race well when he has freshness in the legs.
He comes into this race off a 42 day break since his run over the sprinting distance and despite drawing the second row, he can definitely reel off the late closing sectionals to catch the leaders.
Looks like a good each-way play.
Suggested Bet: Zoliver each-way at $6.5 the win and $2 the place
Suggested Exotic Bet: Trifecta – 2, 9/ 2, 3, 9/ 2, 3, 9
melton race 9
#2 Six elements
This seven-year-old mare for David Miles is drawn to get an absolute peach of a run just in behind the leaders.
She pulled hard on the bridle in her most recent start but a with the more genuine tempo expected here she should be able to settle into stride in a much more comfortable rhythm.
Her main rivals in the form of Rockasaki and Iolanta are drawn outside of her and will attempt to lead the race.
With those two runners coming across Six Elements, Miles should be able to steady himself to get the trail and if the speed is on early, she will be the one who climbs over the top of them late.
It’s a shame this race is a no third dividend affair, but we can back her each way in the hope she pinches second if she does not manage to win.
Suggested Bet: Six Elements each-way at $7.5 the win and $3.2 the place
