Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Canterbury on Wednesday, June 19th.
There's seven races on today's card, with the track rated a Heavy 8 and the rail in the true position.
We've previewed the entire meeting, with tips and comments for every race below.
Canterbury Racing Tips: Wednesday, June 19th
Best Bet: Race 3 - (4) Guise
Best Value Bet: Race 7 - (3) Silent Explorer
Race 1
Tricky race to start off with, with half of the runners on debut and on a heavy 8, that's never easy. (7) Papal Warrior returns to the races with two trial wins under the belt. The most recent of those on wet ground was particularly impressive, coasting home to in by 4.5L. He was beaten a length in his only race start back in February and he looks the horse to beat on exposed form. (2) Frosty Rocks and (8) Rule The World have both trialled well leading into their debuts today and their breeding also suggests they should handle the wet ground. (4) Mercury was backed off the map last start but had no luck whatsoever and dropped out. He's been back to the trials and looked good. Given the weight of money for him first up, I can't really rule him out of this.
Race 2
(1) Aquitaine was well-backed on debut here two weeks ago and only went down by a nose. She arguably should have won that and they even protested unsuccessfully. She draws wide today but should slide forward to sit outside the leader and from there she should be in the finish. (14) Zouriana ran 3rd in that same race, finishing a nose behind Aquitaine, and she was also well-backed to win. She was first up from a 14-week spell on that occasion, with no public trials leading into it. She should take benefit from that run and Blake Shinn goes on today from the good draw. I suspect they'll be the two to beat again today so will back both but only small. (13) Vittorina could be the value.
Also backing: (14) Zouriana $7.00
Race 3
Waller holds the aces here. (4) Guise returns from a Queensland campaign which saw her win her first three races and then run 3rd in her past two. She gets the blinkers applied for the first time today with Blake Shinn in the saddle. She handles the wet ground no problems so should relish the heavy 8 today and she'll be tough to beat in this grade. (11) Milunka broke her maiden at $1.18 here last start. She's the fresher horse as this is just her third run of the campaign and she's stepping up in trip rather than down in trip. She also gets in well with just 54.5kg. She has definite claims. I think the value is their stablemate (1) Matowi at nearly double figure odds. He's had three starts this prep and has had no luck in any of those. He's been held up without clear running on all three occasions and if he gets some luck today he might blouse them all.
Race 4
Not a race I'm overly confident on. (7) Austria improved with the step up to this distance last start and was only beaten 0.3L behind Loveisili, which looks a pretty good form line to follow. That was on a soft 6 and on her breeding, she should really be able to handle the heavy 8 today. She gets the blinkers applied for the first time which might be the key to her breaking through for her first Australian win.
Race 5
Competitive race. (4) Aim For Perfection has never lost, be it at the trials or at the races, and she's had seven of them. Her two race wins have come at Newcastle and she saluted as a very heavily-backed favourite last time out. She comes to the city now and although this is a winnable race, it's a competitive one so she looks short enough at $2.50, especially on heavy ground. SPeaking of horses that were heavily-backed, (1) Echo Gem was truckloaded at odds last start and won fairly dominantly, atoning for some luckless runs earlier this prep. Based on that, she'll be hard to beat again today, despite rising in the weights and carrying the full 60.5kg. Other than the bottom weight, it's a fairly compressed weight scale which helps her. (7) Misteed is my top pick. She's first up from a spell today and has trialled in the same sort of way that she did leading into a first up win at this track on heavy ground this time last year. Shinn is a positive jockey booking so happy to have something on at $6.00. I'll take on the favourite and play small on Echo Gem and Misteed.
Also backing: (1) Echo Gem $6.00
Race 6
Basically a two-horse play for me here, with (3) Above And Beyond and (8) Accelerato. Above And Beyond drops back to midweek grade having not been disgraced in Saturday company recently. He was beaten 1.7L by England last start and that form has stood up, with England running well again last weekend. He's a winner at his only start over this track and distance and even though he failed at his only start on heavy ground, I'd give him another chance as he's a different horse now to what he was in his debut preparation. Gets in well after the claim and should be very competitive. Accelerato had no luck first up but was well-backed and only beaten narrowly last start. Third up today with blinkers going on for the first time and did win by 7L last time he raced on heavy ground.
Also backing: (8) Accelerato
(3) Above And Beyond
$4.60
Race 7
Another two-horse play to close out the day and I'm hoping for a bit of value here. (1) Kurnel Jaxon drops in grade and comes into this third up from a spell. He's undefeated in two previous third up runs so he finds this race at the right stage of his preparation. He's yet to race on heavy ground so that remains a query but he's won on a soft 6 previously. (3) Silent Explorer finished 11th of 14 first up from a spell but I'm not too perturbed by that. He finished last when first up last preparation before coming out and running 3rd second up. His record on wet ground is good and he won his only start at this track and distance, so don't be surprised to see a big turnaround in his form.
Also backing: (1) Kurnel Jaxon $8.50
2) Silent Explorer E/W
$9.00
