Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Wednesday, September 25th.
It's a solid day of metropolitan horse racing this afternoon and we've provided our best bets for Flemington and Canterbury below.
Horse Racing Tips: Wednesday, September 25th
Flemington Race 2 (Market)
(1) Soul Patch won on debut at Ballarat back in March and was put out for a spell straight after that. He returned at Sandown three weeks ago where he carried 59.5kg and started from barrier 13 over the 1300m. He got well back in the field and charged home to run 2nd, beaten a length by The Lifeline, who has since measured up in Saturday grade. I think that form is reasonable and this horse is better suited today stepping up to 1400m. He carries 60kg but that's no issue as the weights are very compressed here (the minimum is 57kg). He should prove very hard to hold out. I'm wary of (4) Lake's Folly and likely to save on him. He was a very well-backed favourite first up in that same race where Soul Patch ran 2nd, starting $1.75. If you're one to follow SP profiles, I wouldn't be jumping off him just yet.
Flemington Race 5 (Market)
I'm not certain this is the ideal set up for (2) Ruban Bleu but he might yet prove too good. He's probably better suited on a bit wetter ground and over 1200m, but he's in great form and should take some beating back to Wednesday grade today off a six-week freshen up. He's won two of his past four starts and has run 3rd in another; the one race in that bunch that he missed a placing he was caught three-wide no cover the trip after being $3.20 into $2.40. If he performs as well today off the freshen up then he should prove hard to beat.
Flemington Race 6 (Market)
It's notable that Tim Clark comes down from Sydney to ride (1) Celestial Falls, who looks set for the Oaks during the Spring. She returned with a good run behind Subpoenaed first up in Sydney and I think that's a reasonable form line given Subpoenaed then tackled the likes of Funstar, Probabeel and Libertini last weekend. The only concern I have here is the filly stepping up from 1300m to 1800m second up, which is never a great set up, but Mark Newnham knows what he's doing and the fact Clark comes to Melbourne for this ride says a lot.
(1) Celestial Falls
$2.80
Canterbury Race 2 (Market)
I'm not sure there's a great deal of depth at all to this race so (3) Relucent should be very hard to beat. He comes to Sydney after three runs in Melbourne, the latest of which he was beaten a head. He's improved with every race and he won't find one much easier than this to win. JMac jumps off the stablemate to ride him so as long as he gets even luck he should be winning this.
Canterbury Race 3 (Market)
(1) Californiafirebird looks one of the better each way bets on the card at Canterbury. He's around $10/$3.10 and I'd be happy to have a 1x3 sort of play on him at those odds. He's had two runs back from a spell and he improved from his first to his second run. But third up is really when he hits his straps. He's never placed in eight starts when first or second up but he's got two wins and a placing (beaten 0.4L) from three starts when third up. He's placed over this track and distance in the past and that was also on soft ground so he looks very well placed to run a big race today.
(1) Californiafirebird
$10
Canterbury Race 4 (Market)
I suspect (1) Falcon Turbo will improve third up from a long spell today with the blinkers going back on, but I'm happy to stick with two others in the race. (2) The Bald Eagle has won four of his six starts this prep, including his past two which have both been over this track and distance. He gets a soft draw once again so should take a sit on the leaders' heels and at $5.50 he looks a good price to have something on once again. (6) Johnny Vinko ran 3rd to The Bald Eagle first up and gets a 3kg weight swing in his favour today. With that, as well as the added fitness from that run, he should be right around the mark today. Happy to have something on both.
Save on (6) Johnny Vinko $4.80
(2) The Bald Eagle
$5..00
Canterbury Race 5 (Market)
I backed (4) Duchess Of Lennox first up when she had absolutely no luck whatsoever and I was keen to back her again last week but she was scratched from that race. She lines up today with JMac replacing Brenton Avdulla and she finds another very winnable race. She showed a bit of ability last prep and with any luck she probably would have won first up, so as long as she gets clear running today I suspect she'll be very hard to beat.
(4) Duchess Of Lennox
$3.10
