Nine races on the card at Melton tonight as we get set for another cracking night of pacing action from headquarters.
All the best bets from the program have been circled and ticked off in order to get those betting accounts loaded up!
Melton race 2
#7 Spellbound
She is a short price if you take a quick glance at the odds, but Spellbound should be much shorter in this field.
She has a clear talent and class edge over her rivals here.
The Nathan Purdon-trained mare was runner-up in the Group 1 Queen of the Pacific two starts back and then returned to the races last start after having nearly a month off that Group 1 effort.
Backs up after a week, which is a pointer towards her fitness being at a much higher level than it was when she was defeated at Melton in lower grade last week.
That run should bring her beautifully for this and she can control the race and smash this lot with her lovely turn of acceleration.
Suggested Bet: Spellbound win at $1.75
melton race 5
#4 Iconic Major
Hoping Iconic Major can have a bit more than what he has faced at his two most recent runs.
Last start he was caught wide and to cover extra ground early in the run, which took its toll and that start before he was blocked for room when finish five metres behind gun pacer Torrid Saint.
Hoping he can slot in one off the fence off what looks to be an above average lead speed for this grade and then peel out when he needs to.
He has already been nibbled from $11 into $7 which is a sign he is going well back home at his stables and has recovered well from his last start.
Suggested Bet: Iconic Major each-way at $7.5 the win and $2.05 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 4 & 9
Melton race 7
#3 Jilliby Sylvester
He is fit, he is firing and he is winning form.
It is the perfect concoction for this race with Jilliby Sylvester holding a big advantage over his rivals.
His main threat is second favourite Santa Casa Beach who he thrashed and started much shorter in the market than when they met each other a week ago.
This looks another suitable race for the Marg Lee-trained horse to ping to the front and use that rock-hard fitness base and sustained speed to beat this field.
Suggested Bet: Jilliby Sylvester win at $3
melton race 8
#4 cardinal sin
We can safely put a line through his first run in Australia after racing wide and doing too much early work when starting a $2.7 elect.
The former New Zealand pacer was acquired by the Gath team and was well-supported on his Australian debut.
That effort will do him the world of good as he will now have an idea of the turns and surroundings of raceday at Melton.
His race fitness is also going to certainly elevate after missing over a month between runs last start.
Think he will start much shorter than the current $4.2 on offer.
Suggested Bet: Cardinal win at $4.2
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 4/ 3, 5/ 3, 5
