Another great slate of harness racing on the schedule this Saturday, the 16th of February! Before You Bet are back with another round of best bets for Albion Park and Menangle harness meets below!
Albion Park Harness Tips
Race 2
Speedy beginner Comply Or Die will be looking to cross Weedons Express at the start in order to take up the running over the 1660m which is his preferred trip. The 10-year-old gelding has won his past two starts in claiming grade with victories in 1:53.6 and 1:54.6. Even if he has to death seat, he can still be a strong winning chance, as shown by running second to Stirling William three starts ago in 1:54.0.
Menangle Harness Tips
Race 1
A big 10-race card at Menangle for Chariots of Fire Night! I’m keen to kick off in the opening race with the in-form Wrangler for trainer Craig Cross. Wrangler should be able to find the lead from barrier four; that will become three if the first emergency drawn inside him doesn’t gain a start.
Wrangler has won two of his past five starts, with the other three performances second-placings behind Rackemup Tigerpie and Afterdinnerspeaker. This looks a suitable race for him and he will prove hard to beat.
Race 5
The gloss appears to have come off Village Witch at the moment and I am happy taking the mare on with Eye See Diamonds. A blistering beginner, Eye See Diamonds should be able to lead for fun as she returns to the track for the first time since the start of December. A lack of race fitness is obviously going to be a concern but she has trialled twice at Bathurst.
Her last start was a victory in the Group 3 Teeny Teeny Stakes (1609m) when defeating Rocker Band and Bridget Blue Chip in 1:51.6. They both line up in this race. Four starts ago Eye See Diamonds was narrowly beaten by Village Witch in the Group 3 Norms Daughter Stakes (1609m). As mentioned, I don’t think Village Witch is in that same form so happy to go with Eye See Diamonds in an open race.
Race 7
Good luck to anyone taking odds on about Majordan in this race. The likely leader has galloped in two of his past three starts, and in the other, he was beaten by Maximan. That horse is flying but he isn’t as good as Thefixer who represents Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen. The New Zealand Cup and Ballarat Pacing Cup winner was forced to do it tough in the Hunter Cup and he was entitled to finish a long margin away from Tiger Tara.
The outside barrier over the 1609m is far from ideal but Thefixer is the best horse in the race and has a superstar driver at his disposal with Rasmussen driving. Thefixer’s class should take him a long way in this race.
Race 8
The big one comes up in Race 8 with the Group 1 Chariots of Fire (1609m) for four-year-old pacers. This is a stellar line up and the barrier draw ensures that Chase Auckland or Picard leads from barriers one and two respectively. Ignatius is most certainly the breeze horse in the race and Poster Boy should be in front of him early so that he can obtain one-one cover.
Poster Boy ticks all the boxes in this race. He is a backable price at $7. He has champion reinsman Chris Alford driving. He is trained by Victoria’s powerhouse stable – Cardigan trainer Emma Stewart. And he maps well as mentioned before.
Returning to the scene of his NSW Derby victory, Poster Boy has won both starts at Melton this preparation and all signs point towards him running a huge race in the Chariots of Fire.
Chase Auckland looks the main danger from the inside barrier with Natalie Rasmussen having options – either lead or trail Picard and look to gun him down the long Menangle straight.
Ignatius might be a freak and if he wins from the breeze, then he is the top four-year-old in Australasia. He won the Paleface Adios Stakes from the breeze after out-toughing Chase Auckland in 1:50.2, but they might go a second or two faster here and he will have very good horses stalking him.
Picard won the Hondo Grattan Stakes in 1:49.4 before failing in the Newcastle Mile. He could bounce back.
