Australian Analyst – Harness Racing Best Bets 25th-26th September
Harness racing best bets and tips for Friday and Saturday.
A busy weekend of harness racing is highlighted by the Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park and Leap To Fame returning at Albion Park. Here are our harness racing best bets for Friday and Saturday.
The Group 1 Golden Slipper for two-year-olds is the feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night. $150,000 is up for grabs as we see Ideal Whisper, Hez The Boss and Ignite The Furnace clash.
Champion pacer Leap To Fame returns on Saturday night at Albion Park as a short-priced favourite. He will be expected to beat Speak The Truth or Captain Shuffles. One race earlier and we see Final Deadline back at the races.
Menangle will see the return of Dangerous who boasts excellent trial form leading into this race. He will meet in-form pacer Springfield Affair, stablemate Rakero Rocket and Nyack.
At Melton, the FFA looks a great race to start the meeting, while the Tatlow Stakes for trotters, Victorian Sires Classic for 3YO colts and geldings, and Melton Gold Chalice for 3YO fillies will be terrific contests.
Gloucester Park (Friday, September 25)
Race 4
BRICKIES DREAM NZ (4) has been consistent this preparation with a string of fourth-placed efforts from poor barrier draws. He finished a narrow second to Luvbite in the Marathon Handicap two starts back. He has excellent gate speed, so whether he tries to cross them or opts for a run in the first half of the field, he could surprise at odds.
PENNY BLACK NZ (1) is a tough mare that will be trying to hold the front. If she leads, she will be very hard to beat as her recent form is terrific without winning. The Bond pair of HARRISON JOHN NZ (3) and WE WALK BY FAITH (9) are classy and both have winning claims, with the nod going to Harrison John who has a much better barrier.
Selections: 4-1-3-9
BRICKIES DREAM NZ (4) each way
Race 5
IDEAL WHISPER (2) is the horse to beat in the Group 1 Golden Slipper and trainer Justin Prentice excels with juvenile horses, including plenty of success in the Slipper itself. Deni Roberts drives the gelding and will be searching for the lead as Ignite The Furnace was crossed easily last time from the inside draw. Ideal Whisper is versatile and can win this a number of ways if he cannot find the lead.
IGNITE THE FURNACE (1) will try and show more gate speed this time around, although settling leader’s back wouldn’t be a bad position either. He is one of the top prospects here and with some luck, he can be running home strongly. SWEET ROBBIE (12) ran well in the Golden Slipper Prelude won by Ideal Whisper, finishing second behind that horse. He looks the best roughie in the race. HEZ THE BOSS (9) has been the benchmark, winning eight times from nine starts, including the Pearl Classic Final and Westbred Classic Final. Barrier nine looks tricky and I am firmly against him here, but his talent could still see him win.
Selections: 2-1-12-9
IDEAL WHISPER (2) to win
Albion Park (Saturday, September 26)
Race 3
FINAL DEADLINE NZ (4) returns for the first time since winning the Group 3 4YO Championship against Fate Awaits. He sat outside his main rival to defeat him and now gets the barrier advantage this time. The gelding trialled well leading into this and should spear straight to the front and lead throughout at short odds.
EXCLUSIVE HUSTLER (2) is racing well with minor placings at his past three runs. The latest he did all the work in 1:50.5 and narrowly was beaten by Catseye Beach. It would be great if he could get to the pegs to trail the leader or land 1 out 1 back behind Fate Awaits. CLASSIE WASHINGTON NZ (1) will enjoy a soft pegs run and should go close to landing a podium position. FATE AWAITS (5) is the other class horse but the map is against him, so place claims for Grant Dixon’s horse.
Selections: 4-2-1-5
EXCLUSIVE HUSTLER (2) to place
Trifecta: 4 / 1,2,5 / 1,2,5,8
Race 4
LEAP TO FAME (7) returns after a well-deserved break. He finished second in the Inter Dominion won by Captains Mistress, but Larry was the run of the race. If he is 90 per cent right, he should just win, but you can’t take the price on offer. Happy to just sit back and watch here.
CAPTAIN SHUFFLES (5) has trialled incredibly for new trainer Mitchell Dawson and it would be interesting if this horse held the lead. I can’t take on Leap To Fame in this race, and this pair looks the obvious Quinella, so I’m not expecting a dividend better than $1.30.
Selections: 7-5-1-3
Melton (Saturday, September 26)
Race 1
FIGHTER COMMAND (8) will be hoping that Meteor Moth leads because that would allow the speedy gelding to let rip up the sprint lane. His win two starts back was outstanding, winning by 9.1m and he was brave in defeat last start when racing outside the leader in a 1:50.7 mile rate. This looks more suitable and he should be the hardest to beat.
UBETCHA TIGERPIE (11) was eye catching a fortnight ago making up a lot of ground to finish second to Smoken Ace. If the race is run to suit, he can be dangerous. METEOR MOTH (1) gets the good barrier to either lead or trail and can be in the finish. SMOKEN ACE NZ (9) and TRIPLE EIGHT NZ (10) may be suited by the back row draws.
Selections: 8-11-1-9
FIGHTER COMMAND (8) to win
Race 7
KYVALLEY DIXON (6) caused an upset in the Group 1 Vicbred Super Series Final as she defeated Bumper Crop in dominant fashion. The win was the 142nd at Group 1 level for champion driver Chris Alford. Kyvalley Dixon looks ready to tackle the boys in the Tatlow Stakes and the small field should suit as she can sit back and run home strongly.
PHOENIX REX (3) lacks gate speed so Glen Craven would be relying on James Herbertson to hand up on Regal Gala who will lead early. Majaro Girl can also run the gate when asked, so the speed map could be intriguing. REGAL GALA (2) is consistent and could win from a leader’s back position. INSULATOR (4) and MAJARO GIRL (7) cannot be ruled out either in a competitive trotting race.
KYVALLEY DIXON (6) to win
Race 8
SOHO TRUMP (1) won the Vicbred Super Series Silver Pace last start, annihilating rivals in 1:53.3 for the 2240m journey. He will lead and prove hard to run down, although the price looks skinny now.
BROOKLYN DAN (7) might be the best horse in the race but has the widest draw, is first-up from a spell, and meets a race-fit Soho Trump. He still has strong top two claims and that’s the way I will play this race. DYNAMITEDAN (6) is talented in his own right, ZANDA MAN (4) is a last start winner and ATUA MAGIC NZ (2) gets the trailing leader’s back run but may be outclassed.
Selections: 1-7-6-4
Quinella: 1 & 7
Trifecta: 1,7 / 1,7 / 2,4,6
Race 9
WILLOWS GIRL (7) looks very hard to beat and she is $1.35 for that reason. Not a race I am keen to get involved in, so prefer to just watch this one. You can make a case for several runners to finish second, which makes the exotics tricky in the small field of six runners.
Selections: 7-5-2-3
Race 10
LOVEMETO NZ (6) is having his first run back since contesting the Inter Dominion Trotting Final. He won a heat in comfortable fashion before finishing sixth in the final. His manners can be scratchy at times, so the $1.60 doesn’t appeal, although he is the trotter to beat on the back of good trial form. I’d rather take a skinny trifecta in the race.
HOPPY NZ (1) and IMPERIAL MONARCH NZ (2) are the other class trotters of the field, and if the favourite underperforms, they can make him pay.
Selections: 6-2-1-5
Trifecta: 6 / 1,2 / 1,2
Menangle (Saturday, September 26)
Race 1
DANGEROUS (10) has trialled twice leading into this first-up run and both were good efforts. In the latest, he recorded a 1:49.8 mile rate. Cam Hart is likely to work forward in a bid to take the lead and if he can find that position, the Jason Grimson runner should be hard to beat. He won an Inter Dominion heat by 6m, defeating Nyack. Forget his run in the final before being turned out for a spell.
NYACK (9) is consistent, running five-straight minor placings, including a third in the Inter Dominion Final. SPRINGFIELD AFFAIR (1) has won four in a row for Seaton Grima and he has broken 1:50 in the past three runs. RAKERO ROCKET NZ (7) was disappointing first-up, but Grimson can turn them around quickly, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he won.
Selections: 10-9-1-7
DANGEROUS (10) to win
Race 6
CORMORAN STRIKE NZ (6) gets a 10m handicap advantage over his main danger and trainer-driver Brad Hewitt will try to make the most of it. He has won two of his past three but was runner up at the latest. This horse is a standing start specialist with 68 starts producing six wins and 13 minor placings. He looks suited by the conditions.
GANDHI MAIL ITA (12) is having his first go behind the tapes, although he has stepped well at the trials. The 20m handicap makes things more interesting. SPEEDY LOVER (10) is consistent and he could bob up at odds, which is normally what he does when he wins. SOUTHERN DIAMOND NZ (9) and PESCO POLLO (11) are next best.
Selections: 6-12-10-11
CORMORAN STRIKE NZ (6) to win & SPEEDY LOVER (10) to win
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by Trent Orwin for Harnesslink
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