The following is a selection of racing tips for Saturday, November 19, 2016. The focus is on Ballarat and Ascot but selected races at other venues are also covered.
More tips and previews will be added as they become available.
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Ballarat
Race 1, No.2 Cheeky Babe (4 star bet)
Race 10, No.9 Duibio (3.5 star bet)
Race 8 – Ballarat Cup:
Darren Weir is the king of the country cups in Victoria and his leading chance of his four runners in the Ballarat Cup looks to be Taiyoo. He’d been disappointing up until last start in the Kyneton Cup until the champion trainer flicked the switch and away he went. Very happy to play at $14. Nozomi has built into his campaign nicely this spring and he drops 5.5kg from his second to smartie Little White Cloud at Flemington.
Quaddie: 3,6 / 4,11,14,18 / 3,4,6,9,10 / 9
Race 8 – Ballarat Cup:
Wide open betting race with the Weir stable holding a strong hand. Watch for a sharp spike from AUVRAY getting out to his right trip. He wasn’t far away last week and this is no harder. The good gate gives him a chance at odds. TAIYOO is somewhere back near his best form. If he can slot in from the middle gate he’s a big danger. TURNITAROUND is flying. With any luck rolling forward he goes close and there’s many more chances including PUCCINI, RISING ROMANCE, LIDARI and COOL CHAP.
R8 Ballarat Cup Listed 2200m
BACK (WIN) Scherzoso – 3 units at $10 or more.
BEST BET: Race 5 #5 GALAXY RAIDER
BEST EACH-WAY: Race 8 #2 LIDARI
BEST VALUE: Race 9 #14 OTHERWISE OKAY / Race 10 #10 VILLAPOTO
Race 1 12:25pm 1200m (mares’ BM78)
2. CHEEKY BABE from 3, 1, 7
Race 2 1:00pm 1200m (City of Ballarat Tonks Plate)
1. MIGHTY LIKE from 2, 3, 4
Race 3 1:35pm 1400m (Eureka Stockade)
1. VALLIANO from 3, 2, 4
Race 4 2:10pm 1000m (Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic)
1. AMERICAN GENIUS from 5, 10, 7
Race 5 2:45pm 1600m (Suez Mckellar Mile)
5. GALAXY RAIDER from 9, 8, 2
Race 6 3:25pm 1100m (BM70)
3. MA DEUCE from 6, 4, 11
Race 7 4:00pm 1100m (Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Classic)
6. SPEEDEOR from 1, 3, 7
Race 8 4:40pm 2200m (Ballarat Cup)
2. LIDARI from 9, 1, 4
Race 9 5:20pm 2300m (BM78)
6. SHIKARPOUR from 14, 3, 4
Race 10 5:55pm 1400m (BM84)
10. VILLOPOTO from 12, 9, 3
Ascot
Race 8 – Railway Stakes:
Perfect Reflection to repel the interstate invasion headed by Waller, Weir and Hayes. This mare was a strong winner at 1400m last start and looks cherry rip now over the mile. She has won six from nine, has Western Australian royalty in Willie Pike steering and draws to get a soft run throughout. She’ll be charging late. He Or She has been matching motors in very deep company this spring. Has an outstanding 8:6-0-1 record at Ascot from his early days.
Race 8 – Railway Stakes:
1. Mackintosh
2. Scales of Justice
3. Tradesman
4. Heart Starter
Race 7 – WA Guineas:
WHISPERING BROOK returns from Victoria with some superior form to her name and would only need have acclimatised back home to be the one to beat. SAUL’S SPECIAL took out the traditional lead-up for the males and rates highly again, although the wide barrier is a concern. ELLICAZOOM was runner-up in the Champion Fillies Stakes last Saturday despite pulling up lame. No surprise to see her fighting it out again. RAGAZZO D’ORO is an emerging talent that gets every chance from the draw. Don’t dismiss.
Race 8 – Railway Stakes:
PERFECT REFLECTION stoked up strongly to win one of the traditional lead-ups and showed enough there for Pike to want to retain the ride. Draws more favourably than her closest rivals. RAGEESE stormed home to win a Group III at Flemington on Oaks day and maps to land in the sweet spot with a minimum of fuss. Rates highly with the Weir polish. The Waller-trained MACKINTOSH has been excellent this time in work and can go forward to offset the wide alley. Tough to get past. Stablemate GOOD PROJECT won this race last year and is tracking nicely ahead of a title defence. Bowman rides. Others have claims so if there’s one you have been following don’t drop off now.
R7 W.A Guineas G2 1600m
BACK (WIN) Get Over It – 4 units at $7 or more
R8 Railway Stakes G1 1600m
BACK (WIN) He Or She – 1 unit at $17 or more
BACK (WIN) Scales Of Justice – 2 units at $8 or more
BACK (WIN) Tradesman – 2 units at $7 or more
R7 W.A. Guineas, 1600m GP2 3YO SW $502,000
BACK (WIN) Whispering Brook at $5.00+ (1.2 units)
BACK – SAVE (WIN) Ellicazoom at $5.00+ (0.3 units)
Race 7 W.A. Guineas
Best Bet
1. Ellicazoom
2. Humanity
3. Get Over It
Value:
I Am Boudica
Race 8 – Railway Stakes
Best Bet:
1. Perfect Reflection
2. Good Project
3. Mackintosh
Value:
Heart Starter
Other Venues
Rosehill Race 1, No.6 Baltic Whisper (3.5 star bet)
Rosehill Race 3, No.3 Pelerin (1.5 star bet)
Rosehill Race 6, No.12 New Tipperary (4 star bet)
Rosehill Quaddie: 12 / 2,5,11 / 2,4,6,12,14 / 2,4,6,9,10
Best bet: Sir Donald (Brisbane, Race 3, No.4)
Value bet: Dance of Heroes (Sydney, Race 6, No.10)
Lay: Royal Rumble (Adelaide, Race 3, No.1)
Rosehill BEST EACH-WAYS: Race 5 #6 LE CORDON BLEU / Race 9 #13 SALMANAZAR
Rosehill BEST VALUE: Race 8 #11 WELL HARDLEY EVER
Rosehill Race 1 12:40pm 1200m (BM70)
1. FLASH FIBIAN from 7, 4, 6
Rosehill Race 2 1:20pm 1400m (BM78)
9. DAGNY from 5, 3, 4
Rosehill Race 3 1:55pm 1100m (Highway Handicap Class 3)
5. SOMEBODY from 1, 3, 10
Rosehill Race 4 2:30pm 2000m (BM78)
8. NOT A GYPSY from 1, 6, 4
Rosehill Race 5 3:05pm 1100m (BM93)
6. LE CORDON BLEU from 8, 3, 9
Rosehill Race 6 3:40pm 1900m (November Topaz)
2. CLOSING BALL from 11, 5, 9
Rosehill Race 7 4:20pm 1400m
5. RELIGIFY from 8, 1, 2
Rosehill Race 8 5:00pm 1400m (BM78)
12. CHOICE WE HAD from 11, 6, 4
Rosehill Race 9 5:40pm 1200m (BM78)
13. SALMANAZAR from 6, 10, 16