It would not be a Saturday night without harness racing from Melton and Menangle.
The best bets for both venues are in and it’s time to find those winners to make it a big long weekend.
Melton Race 5
#3 Steel Screens
The winning form of Steel Screens looks hard to beat in this R76-91 affair at Melton over the 1720 metres.
Loves doing his racing over the short course and his last start effort at Geelong, when finding the front, was that of a horse in a good form.
There does seem to be a little bit of extra pressure from an early speed point of view compared to his last run, but that hopefully won’t deter James Herbertson from pressing forward.
The clear threat in the race is the class runner Jilliby Lorenzo but his last start was just too bad to ignore.
Clearly did not want to be at the races that day and as such, we are siding with the horse who is up an about and had his mind on the job.
Suggested Bet: Steels Screens win at $3.8
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 1, 10/ 1, 10/ 8, 9
Melton Race 6
#4 Typhoon Stride
If Typhoon Stride can use his blistering gate speed to find the front then he can definitely make it a test for the favourite Krafty Bart.
This five-year-old gelding showed his worth six starts back when taking home a Group 3 rated event back in February.
He did start $61 in that race but won in impressive style and comes up nice each-way odds in this race.
His last start was better than what meets the eye on the form guide after he was posted wide on a solid speed and just faded away late in the race.
He is a great each-way proposition in this event if he finds the front as we expect.
Suggested Bet: Typhoon Stride each-way at $9.5 the win and $2.7 the place
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Quinella – 1, 2, 3, 4
Melton Race 7
#9 Mach Dan
Six runs this preparation for six wins but this is the toughest test of them all for Mach Dan.
He is going to have to get through one of the best short-course pacers in the business in the form of Expensive Ego who absolutely slaughtered his opposition in lesser grade in preparation for this race.
Emma Stewart is a freak trainer at getting her horses to peak in huge races and this looks to be no exception despite the map not being favourable given Mach Dan draws the second row.
It will probably mean he has to zip around the field to make his run three deep which could see him spend the petrol tickets, while the favourite enjoys an easy lead.
At the price, however, happy to take the risk that someone will pour the pressure on the favourite and allow the race to setup for Mach Dan to run over the top of them.
Suggested Bet: Mach Dan win at $6
Menangle Race 6
#1 Lady in the sky
Lady in the Sky finds a very winnable race having drawn the market pegs on the front row.
She may have already been beaten by Queen Elida on the two occasions they have met, but neither race set-up well for her after striking trouble.
From gate one her drive Zac Phillips can kick up from the inside and hold the front.
She looks a horse that wants to be allowed free reign and to stride at her own leisure.
If we look back to her run two starts ago after drawing out wide in the front row, she was restrained and pulled her in the run.
From a better gate, Phillips should be able to allow to her stride forward with more reign and if that occurs she will be hard to run down.
Suggested Bet: Lady in the Sky win at $4.8
