With racing on a mini-break in Victoria, The Wizard of Odds heads up to Scone for the best bets ahead of Monday racing.
A stayer in race one should be able to improve and pick up a win in race one, while a sprinter will improve to run a big race in the fourth.
Scone Race 1
#5 Lime And Sugar
Lime and Sugar looked on course to break her through for that elusive second career victory but struck a heavy track last start.
The four-year-old mare from the Tom Ollerton yard started a $6.5 elect over 2100 metres at Tamworth in a Class One graded race but just found the going under her hoof too much to handle.
Dragging her back to settle almost last at Tamworth was not the most ideal situation given it was very tough to make up ground.
A return to the race track on a drying Scone surface and drawing a cushy barrier will see her improve.
Suggested Bet: Lime and Sugar win at $2.5
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 5 & 6
Scone Race 4
#10 Love is in the air
Love Is In The Air has just had no luck with regards to how races have set up for her through her first three career runs.
On debut the three-year-old filly found 1000 metres at Kembla Grande just a tad too sharp, she then drew a wide barrier stepping up to 1250 metres having to do too much work in the run and most recently she copped a bog heavy track at Tamworth.
The long straight of Scone should suit this William Freedman-trained sprinter and doubt the wide barrier will be of concern given the long straight she will have to wind up her sprint.
There looks to be a fair bit of early pace in this event and we get young-gun apprentice Dylan Gibbons to judge the tempo.
Suggested Bet: Love Is In The Air win at $5.5
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 3, 10/ 2, 3, 10/ 2, 3, 10
Scone Race 5
#4 Artie's Aura
Artie’s Aura looks as though she has the talent to potentially make it to win a Highway grade race in metro Sydney.
After she bolted in her on debut at Dubbo over 1200 metres and then found herself a beaten force at Mudgee over 1400 metres, trainer Kody Nestor put away this three-year-old filly for a spell
She looks to have come back in fantastic order and is ready for a first-up kill after a nice 1000 metre trial at Warren which she won easily.
Anthony Cavallo has ridden this horse all the way through, he retains the ride here and only has to negate barrier two.
Suggested Bet: Artie’s Aura win at $2
Scone Race 7
#7 Baiyka
Expecting Baiyka to run a much improved race in BM-58 grade compared to her last start seventh at Class One level.
She was outclassed and outgunned on a borderline heavy track at Scone when having to negate barrier nine of nine.
The three-year-old filly was forced to cut the breeze three wide with no cover and the run took its toll late in the race.
Dropping back to 1000 metres looks favourable for her given the high pressure predicted early in the race and it means she will likely find a spot with cover with the field stringing out.
More notably, the big factor here is senior jockey Jeff Penza hopping aboard to guide the filly to the winning post.
Suggested Bet: Baiyka win at $5
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 7, 8, 13
