All the best bets to begin the week from the transferred Sunday meeting at Sale.
Scratchings have marred the program, but there is still plenty of value to be found and we begin our sojourn into another racing week in the very first race on the card.
Sale race 1
#2 headsmart
Today should be the day where six-year-old gelding Headsmart finally gets that elusive maiden win out of the way.
He has been building strongly into his preparation and now finds a very winnable against a bang average field.
Liked the way he attacked the line from a long way back Pakenham over the mile and he gets into a race that seems to be lacking early speed.
It should allow him to land in a position within at least two to three lengths of the leaders.
He is the fittest horse in the race and is well accustomed to these distances.
Suggested Bet: Headsmart win at $2.25
Suggested Exotic: Exacta 2 & 1
Sale race 2
#12 hesitate
We have no hesitation backing Hesitate after a solid debut over 1400 metres.
The three-year-old filly is a beautifully bred daughter of gun New Zealand galloper El Roca and we suspect the heavy track at Sale is going to see her thrive.
A lot of these Kiwi-bred types love getting their hoof into the ground.
Her debut run was on dry ground, but she was still able to run home strongly and record a very fast last 200-metre sectional.
Craig ‘Froggy’ Newitt has been booked to ride this filly and we expect her will find a much more forward position in running than he did with her last start.
Suggested Bet: Hesitate win at $2.6
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 4, 5, 9, 12
sale race 7
#7 vibrant glider
Vibrant Glider finds a nice race to to get back into winning form.
The Phillip Stokes-trained gelding was slammed in the betting at Pakenham last start but found the going a little too tough second up from a spell.
The money on this horse might have come one start too early given he lacked the race fitness to run near his best, but that last start effort should bring him on nicely for the 1732 metres he faces in this event.
He slides down half a kilo from last start and gets the services of Jamie Mott who has replaced Zac Spain.
Should be able to find a nice spot with cover in the run and then swing out to what should be the better part of the track up the middle of the Sale straight.
Looks a better price than the favourite who is going to be down on the rails, which might not exactly be the ideal spot.
Suggested Bet: Vibrant Glider each-way at $6.5 the win and $2.8 the place
Sale race 8
#12 langworthy
He might still need another run or two to find peak fitness, but Langworthy looks a nice each-way bet in the last race after a nice return to racing on January 18.
He is a horse that will be at his best when he reaches distances over 2000 metres, but he hit the line really well over 1100 metres, which is a sign he is thriving.
The rise in distance to 1400 metres is going to be ideal for him given he will be much more time to wind up his finish rather than being run off his feet early.
Barrier four affords Damien Thornton the chance to have a very economical run behind the lead speed and he should be able to save this galloper’s sprint for late in the race.
Suggested Bet: Langworthy each-way at $11 the win and $3.3 the place.
Suggested Exotic: Boxed Trifecta – 6, 8, 12, 16
