The Australia Stakes headlines a nine-race card at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
All the best bets from the racing crew at BetDeluxe are in and there looks to be plenty of value when we side against favourite in the feature event on the day.
Moonee Valley race 4
#5 dundirtcheap
Had to do too much work when resuming from a spell over the mile at Caulfield last start behind Savannah Cloud and Gentleman Roy.
The Ciaron Maher & Dave Eustace-trained staying prospect was caught out the back in a slowly run race and had to make a three-wide midfield surge around the field to put himself into the race.
His condition, or lack thereof, gave way late in the race and he faded to run third.
That effort is surely going to see him derive plenty of improvement in his fitness as he steps up to a more suitable distance.
This race also looks like it will much more genuinely run than last start, which will allow him to find plenty of galloping room and put his big lungs to good use.
Suggested Bet: Dundirtcheap win at $3
moonee valley race 5
#4 pinstriped
Doubt we have got to the bottom of Pinsriped just yet after an excellent debut back in September last year.
Enver Jusufovic put his three-year-old gelding to good use on debut after we saw him bolt in by nearly six lengths on a heavy Moe track over 1117 metres.
He resumes here off two solid jump outs at Cranbourne over 850 metres of which the first he won and the second he finished runner-up.
Shouldn’t be too difficult of a situation for jockey Michael Dee who can amble out at his own leisure, find a spot wth cover in the run and then use his sharp sprinting ability to run over the top of the leaders.
Could very well start closer to even money.
A repeat of what he did at Moe, plus the likelihood of an elevation in ratings, we expect him to be winning this race.
Suggested Bet: Pinstriped win at $2.6
Suggested Exotic: Quinella 4 & 7
moonee valley race 6
#2 gentleman roy
Was backed as if unbeatable at Caulfield last start, but found one better in the form of Savannah Cloud.
He was arguably ridden way too slowly for a horse of his fitness base and strength, and was left a sitting back late in the race.
Wide barrier means Luke Nolen only has option; go forward.
He might get posted deep from the barrier, but Nolen has a fit horse under his saddle and will ensure the high-cruising speed of this galloper is kept up to strength.
After starting odds on and being backed off the map in a race with very similar opposition, that market needs to be respected.
Suggested Bet: Gentleman Roy win $2.45
Suggested Exotic: Boxed First Four – 2, 3, 8, 10
moonee valley race 7
#1 streets of avalon
It’s usually a good recipe to follow the number one horse in a Weight-For-Age
That horse comes in the form of Streets of Avalon who tumbles down in grade compared to what he has been racing against at his last few runs.
He has since been given a nice freshen-up between runs since being beaten over 1400 metres at Flemington, but prior to this his two runs over the sprinting course were full of merit despite being well beaten.
Two starts ago he was out dashed by Nature Strip which is nothing to be disappointed about and the start prior he recorded a very sharp course and distance effort in the Manikato Stakes.
A repeat of that last run at Moonee Valley would see him an each-way monty in this race.
Suggested Bet: Streets of Avalon each-way at $8.5 the win and $2.3 the place.