Welcome to our harness racing preview and betting tips for racing at Albion Park and Gloucester Park on Saturday, July 13th.
It's an outstaning night of racing with four Group 1s on the agenda - three from Albion Park and one at Gloucester Park! Trent Orwin has offered his thoughts on all four feature races below, as well as his other best bets of the night.
Harness Racing Tips: Saturday, July 13th
Albion Park Race 2 (Market)
A stable change for (1) Thatswhatisaid who joins Queensland trainer Jack Butler after racing in New South Wales with Brad Hewitt. The 4YO gelding should have no trouble holding up from the inside barrier over the sprint distance and is a last start 1:52.7 winner at Menangle in an M0. A pair of placings behind Vega Star prior to that at Menangle reads well for this class. He should take some catching. (8) Classie American, (10) Smooth Sailor and (12) Air Time are the main dangers.
Albion Park Race 3 (Market)
The early money has been for (2) Vasari who will be searching for an all-the-way win over the 2138m. The odds-on quote doesn’t appeal to me for this horse and I think he will have a danger racing on his back in the form of (1) Ashi Jetsun. The 5YO mare isn’t a prolific winner but she has been running competitive sectionals and with a lovely pegs run, she could be dangerous via the sprint lane. She was runner up from a poor draw last time over course and distance. (8) Somwhereovarainbow will likely be three pegs and can sprint home strongly.
Albion Park Race 6 – Group 1 TAB QUEENSLAND OAKS (2138m) – 7:33pm AEST (Market)
The Queensland Oaks will go to New Zealand with $1.10 favourite (4) Our Princess Tiffany a class above her rivals. She only just got past (10) Miss Streisand in the Group 3 South East Oaks (2138m) last week. This time around, the draw has cruelled Miss Streisand’s hopes and Our Princess Tiffany will dominate. (8) Wahs Fire Bug finished third in the South East Oaks and with a soft peg run, most likely three back trailing Our Princess Tiffany and (1) Write About Lexy, she looks to have strong place claims.
(8) Wahs Fire Bug (place)
$1.80
Albion Park Race 8 – Group 1 GARRARDS SUNSHINE SPRINT (1660m) – 8:39pm AEST (Market)
Queensland’s best horse (2) Colt Thirty One will be very hard to beat in the Group 1 Sunshine Sprint. Five consecutive wins and a career record of 44 starts for 31 wins, Colt Thirty One looks destined for further Group 1 glory. He should lead from barrier two and run them along. His last win came over the 2680m in the Listed Lucky Creed when rating 1:57.0. Prior to that, he raced outside of the leader in the Listed Wondais Mate (1660m) in a quick 1:51.3 mile rate. (9) Majordan has already pulled the plug and been scratched which leaves (4) Our Uncle Sam and (3) Alta Orlando as the main dangers. Place hopes to (1) Ohoka Punter and (10) Northview Hustler.
(2) Colt Thirty One
$1.55
Albion Park Race 9 – Group 1 PRYDE'S EASIFEED QUEENSLAND TROTTERS CUP (2647m) – 9:12pm AEST (Market)
The Queensland Trotters Cup is not a race where you can have a great deal of confidence about which horse will win. Many of them are capable enough with the right run and even some of the main fancies can put in a very sub-par performance. Driver Luke McCarthy is a big-race driver and one of the best in the business. He will drive (6) Lavros Texas for trainer John Edmunds. Lavros Texas was a winner off 20m five starts ago in a T2-T7. His manners can be a let-down so there is certainly an element of risk that we could be out of play early. His best form, however, shapes up well in this race and beginning off the front line will help his cause. He dashed home in 56.1 seconds three starts ago which is quick for a trotter. He was held up in the Redcliffe Trotters Cup before breaking at his last start. Heaps of chances in the race. (3) Justabitnoisy hasn’t won in almost two years but a pair of runner up performances suggest he could win with some luck at massive odds.
Value: (3) Justabitnoisy $61
Albion Park Race 10 – 9:43pm AEST (Market)
Juvenile pacers battle it out over 1660m in the final race on a big night of racing. The early lead should be contested between (1) Torque Onetwothree and (2) Rocks Or Diamonds. Hopefully it is the latter with the number two horse because he will run a big race if leading. Rocks Or Diamonds has won once and been placed a further five times from eight career starts. Two starts ago he death seated in 1:55.2 and a repeat performance would see him victorious if he lands the pegs. (3) My Ultimate Star is a New South Wales visitor that will measure up well here. (11) Mistery Road is next best despite the horror draw.
(2) Rocks Or Diamonds
$7.00
Gloucester Park Race 6 – Group 1 2YO GOLDEN SLIPPER (2130m) – 9:55pm AEST (Market)
Perth’s premier two-year-old harness race is the Golden Slipper and we have a great race on our hands on Saturday night. (1) Jaspervellabeach has been one of the top juvenile horses this season with three wins from five starts. He has been beaten at his past two, including a last-start fifth to (9) Poisedtopounce. Barrier one makes him the horse to beat and he should prove hard to run down in front. (11) Major Martini must have had an issue because the gap between his best and his worst is enormous. Last start, we saw his very best when capturing the Group 1 2YO Colts & Geldings Westbred Classic (2130m). Major Martini raced 1 out 1 back and dashed away to score by 6.8m over stablemate (5) Aristocratic Star. He should map well enough to come with one run. (10) Power And Grace gets a soft run and will be an each-way chance. (4) Some Copper Beach is also a chance from barrier four.
Gloucester Park Race 9 – 11:27pm AEST (Market)
A competitive 3YO race where we will learn more about (2) Papinik who has shown a lot of potential in two runs. The Ross Olivieri-trained gelding has a lot of speed and will need it racing against (5) Its Rock And Roll, (6) Back In Twenty, (7) Gee Jay Kay and (9) Shockwave. Gee Jay Kay is the class runner and will sit outside either Papinik or Its Rock And Roll in the run. Gee Jay Kay sat parked to win in 1:56.5 against easier opposition last time. He was second in the Group 1 3YO Colts & Geldings Westbred Classic (2130m) before that. I’m happy to back both Gee Jay Kay and Papinik but I give the former stronger claims and he is the horse to beat.
