Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for night racing at Moonee Valley on Friday, December 15th.
We have an eight-race card on a Good 4 track with the rail out 6m. In recent meetings it’s been particularly favourable to be up on speed, and with the rail in the 6m position there’s every chance that will be the case once again.
We have betting tips and comments for every race below.
MOONEE VALLEY RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 5 Belwazi
Best Value: Race 4 Mr Churchill
Race 1
Competitive start to the night and there’s two I’m interested in. SINJAREE was a solid winner two starts ago, defeating a small field at Sandown before being flattened at a crucial stage as favourite last start. Draws well here and may be able to bounce back. LADY SEABRING has a sticky draw in barrier 8 but she could be value at the $8. She was a very good winner on debut back in June, before finishing down the track at Flemington behind Royal Symphony at her second start. She won a trial leading into her first up run last week at Mornington, where she was held up until the 50m mark in the straight. Clearly taken no harm from that run given she’s on the quick back-up; I expect her to run well. The concern with both those horses is they come from off the pace, and whether it’s possible to make ground in the first race of the night with the rail out 6m is the issue. VUNGERS should kick up from barrier 3 and lead so gets his chance to win.
TIP: Sinjaree / Lady Seabring EW
Race 2
Not a great betting race given half the field are on debut. One thing is for sure – Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s runner LE BEAU ETOILE will go straight to the front. This horse won its most recent trial up in Sydney, and the stable had a debut winner for these same connections at Mornington on Wednesday, which was also ridden by Zac Spain. Happy to have something on at $4.80. Interested in Henry Dwyer’s debutante DAVIDBOOM, with Craig Williams a very eye-catching jockey booking. The horse has trialled publicly just once, when it was hard held the entire time and finished midfield. At $21 I can’t let it go around without something small on. There’s been good support for the Lindsay Park debutante REWARD THE CHASER so he has to be kept safe.
TIP: Le Beau Etoile / Davidboom EW
Race 3
Great little race. Four that really interest me. MAGNESIUM ROSE should have won first up at the Valley two weeks ago, but was badly hampered on the turn and that cost her the race. From barrier 10 tonight I’d expect them to either roll forward to sit outside the leader, or lead herself if she can get across. She carries plenty of weight and the draw makes it tricky, but I think she’s good enough to overcome those factors. EMAAN was another one from that same meeting that should have won. She jumped very slowly and ended up back in the field rather than right on the pace as expected. She led all the way first up, so from barrier 1 she should be up on speed if she can jump better. She’s definitely good enough and the 2kg claim for Fred Kersley is very handy. DOVES CRY was an impressive winner on debut at Ballarat. She has a big hike in the weights tonight and has to make the step up to BM64 company straight out of maiden grade, but she draws nicely and looks to have the ability to do so. TWITCHY FRANK is another at double figure odds that needs to be included. He was an easy winner on debut at Swan Hill and despite that being a low form race, Weir runners always improve when they come to the city. Hard to separate them all, I’ll be backing two and saving on two in all likelihood.
TIP: Magnesium Rose / Doves Cry EW
Race 4
Another good race. MR CHURCHILL looks ready now after three runs back from a spell and gets a huge jockey change tonight with Williams taking over from the likes of Stockdale, Thornton and Beriman. From barrier 1 I’m hoping he can poke through to sit prominently in the run, and if he gets a clear passage I think he can show something tonight at $9. SILENT GENERAL has won back-to-back races and looks capable of making it a hattrick tonight from the good barrier. SO SPLENDID would win this if it were to reproduce its run from two starts ago at Flemington behind Linguist. The horse was murdered last start at Sandown and you can put a pen through that, but if they employ similar tactics tonight they’ll struggle to make up the ground required. TENAPPY LADIES has run well at both starts this prep but typically Mick Kent runners get back in races and I’d much rather be on something else at those prices. SAVANERO looks the leader and should definitely be included at huge odds on the back of two wins in South Australia.
TIP: Silent General / Mr Churchill EW
Race 5
Looks a really nice race once again for BELWAZI here who has now won all three starts this prep and four of five in his career. He basically led all the way over this track and distance last time out and the horse he beat then came out and won its next start, so the form has stacked up. Still gets in well at the weights after Steph Thornton’s claim and there’s no reason he can’t win again. The two best roughies in the race could be KAKANUI and PORT TRIANO. We backed Kakanui first up when he failed but a return to his best form would see him be very competitive here. He does have a good second up record so if his first up failure was purely down to fitness then we could see sharp improvement from him tonight. There has been a bit of money to suggest he’ll run well. Port Triano is first up here and Damian Lane is a notable jockey booking for Mark Kavanagh. He’s one of just two rides on the night for Lane so I would include him in wider numbers.
TIP: Belwazi
Race 6
Tough race and nothing stands out here. It’s D-day for PIRAPALA. She comes out of two strong form races – two starts ago she ran 4th to Written In Stone, before failing on a heavy track behind Debonairly last time out. Back in grade here, draws well and should be competitive. SALLYBROOK was a big winner first up before a midfield finish last start in a handy race. Draws well here and can sit forward in the run. Carries a big weight despite the claim for Jordan Turner but she’s a good each way price. She won third up last preparation so expect her to go well. Weir’s OUR CHIQUILLA broke through last start at Terang and now that it’s fully fit it should be able to measure up in this sort of grade in town. Will need to come from well off the pace given its wide draw though. ROSEWEDGE backed up a nice trial to win first up in maiden grade at Sale. Looks progressive. Happy to take on PONTE ROMA and SCAPPARE at the prices.
TIP: Pirapala / Sallybrook EW
Race 7
Only three I really want to make mention of here. LAST WEEK was beaten as the short-priced favourite here last time out but it was a big run considering the pattern of the night where it was very hard to make ground from the back of the field. He drew wide, went back, came with a sustained run around the outside and did well to run 2nd, but he was never a winning chance. From barrier 2 here he’ll need a slice of luck, but this isn’t a strong field and he’d just need to run up to standard to win this. KNOWABLE put together a string of good performances before failing on heavy going last start. A repeat of his performance two starts back when 2nd to Oncidium Ruler would see him go very close. We were with GALILEO’S PEARL at huge odds last start and while she didn’t do much, it could pay to stick with her third up here. She is the blowout chance at $26.
TIP: Last Week / Galileo’s Pearl EW
Race 8
Tough way to round out the card with the market currently showing $5 the field. GOLDIE’S FORTUNE produced a quite remarkable performance when bolting in as a $41 pop last start at Sandown. She’s failed in two third up runs previously and also failed at her only attempt at this track, but on the strength of that win you’d have to consider her a chance here. ROSEBERRY STREET is the way I’ll be playing at $7.50. I think that’s a good enough price for a horse coming off two wins, the latest of which was at this track. She’ll be right up on the pace and she might just show them a clean pair of heels once again. In an open race, she looks a good each way bet. I’d strongly recommend throwing STAR CIRCLE in the quaddie. The horse hasn’t shown anything for quite a while now, but if you look at its record it typically needs a few runs back from a spell before it fires. Its record in its first three runs back from a spell reads 13 starts for just one win and one third placing. After that, she’s raced 12 times for four wins and three placings, so she should be ready to do something soon and from the good draw she’s worth including at big odds. WINKELMANN gets the blinkers on first time and is Damian Lane’s second ride for the night. He wouldn’t be coming here if it wasn’t some chance. Happy to take on PRIA ECLIPSE, GOLD BLUSH and LA FLEURETTE at this stage.
TIP: Roseberry Street EW / Star Circle EW
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