More Group 1 racing greets us on Saturday night with the running of the Victoria Trotters Oaks from Ballarat.
The best bet comes up early in the program and there looks to be good value in the Oaks as well.
Ballarat Race 3
#6 Stingray Tara
He might not have won a race since early this year, but Stingray Tara looks perfectly poised to breakthrough for career victory number eight.
Michael Bellman was unlucky when driving him at Bendigo over the 1690-metre circuit.
The five-year-old gelding travelled up behind the leading pack and was set to burst through, however, he never found any room in the home straight and would end up running an unlucky seventh.
What is in his favour here is the likely lack of early speed in the race.
Hoping Bellman can surge him out when the gates folds back and get him on the bunny to lead this field.
If he takes luck out of equation, then he should really be winning this race.
Suggested Bet: Stingray Tara win at $2.8
Ballarat race 4
#1 Revelstoke
Might very well just knock off the freak trotter that is Plymouth Chubb.
The beauty about this Anton Golino-trained horse is we get an each-way price to find out if he can.
He has mustered up to impressive wins at his last two starts with his most recent being a nine-metre demolition job of a handy field at Melton only two-and-a-half weeks ago.
Doubt John Aiken will chance his arm by driving this two-year-old filly out at the start, but she can take a perfect sit on her and then use the sprint lane in the home straight.
Suggested Bet: Revelstoke each-way at $5.5 the win and $1.5 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 1, 13/ 1, 13/ 10, 12
Ballarat race 8
#2 Banglez
Shock horror.
Another favourite for Emma Stewart in a Group 1 event.
Banglez deserves the headlines coming into this race as she is arguably the best filly on the Australian racing scene at the moment when she puts it all together.
She was a beaten force in the Group 2 Caduceus Holmfield at Bendigo over 1650 metres in a race that was well short of her best distance.
Gets back up to beyond 2000 metres for this Group 1 Oaks and will be dashing home from the 600-metre mark to the finish post.
Very hard to beat and could very well start odds-on.
Suggested Bet: Banglez win at $2.15
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 2/ 3/ Field
ballarat race 10
#8 sirletic
The Aiken family combine to guide Sirletic around the Ballarat 1710-metre track for the second time in a month.
He last raced at this track and distance two starts ago when fighting on like a caged lion to score a narrow victory as a $2.90 favourite.
If Josh Aiken can slide across from the air and find a spot with a trail about a pair or two behind the leaders, then this could be all over.
Dropping back to this grade after competing in a challenging Group 2 Sprint Bendigo will see him closer to the finish as well.
Suggested Bet: Sirletic win at $5.5
