Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for night racing at Ballarat on Sunday, May 12th.
There's eight races on the card, with the meeting transferred to the synthetic track.
Check out our preview and betting tips for every race below.
Ballarat Racing Tips: Sunday, May 12th
Best Bet: Race 5 – Ocean Knight
Lay Of The Day: Race 6 - Orbost
Race 1 – Maiden Plate 1200m
(4) Elegist is a first starter from the Henry Dwyer yard. He gets a very winnable maiden to win on debut, if he runs up to his impressive trial he will be in and out of maiden grade with just the one run. He sat just behind the speed and wide, joined in under a grip and ran past the leader. His main opposition, in the betting at least, will be (7) Amenti. She has had enough chances and happy to take her on.
UPDATE: Selections scratched.
Race 2 – 3YO Maiden Plate Set Weights 1500m
(1) Agente Fiscale was officially beaten more than 12 lengths when he resumed but forget the margin. He was wide and on the speed throughout, he was checked when under pressure about a furlong from home and was ridden out. That race has proven to be a very good form reference with 2 winners coming out of it, maybe three by the time of the race as Our Sunny Girl goes around as a very short-priced, well backed favourite on Friday night. He has good tactical speed as he showed at his first prep, from the middle draw should be able to lead or control the tempo from outside he speed. HIs main danger comes from the stable we are backing in the first, (8) Sadente is still a maiden after 7 starts but was most unlucky last time. He was bolting most of the last furlong and never got out, don’t have him going around a loser for you.
Race 3 – Maiden Plate Set Weights 1500m
(10) La La Lola has placed at four of her five career starts, including on debut in a synthetic track so she has raced on this surface previously. She was beaten a long way by a very impressive winner at Geelong last time, this looks easier. Not a lot of confidence in the race, the two main dangers look to be (1) Able Fun who has been tried in Qld, then NSW and now comes to Vic, and (5) Exclaim who has not placed in four starts but was brave in defeat after doing plenty wrong last time.
Race 4 – BM70 Handicap 2100m
(1) Angelucci is having his first go on the synthetic track today, he was beaten almost 10 lengths at Flemington last time in a much harder race, but the margin was unfair. He had to do a stack of work in the run, was three-wide without cover and that’s a tough ask around that very long sweeping bend at Flemington. He wasn’t beaten far at his two previous runs, gets the blinkers off for the first time and should be up on the speed for a long way from the good draw.
Race 5 – BM64 Handicap 1200m
Could (2) Ocean Knight be the best of good things here? He bolted in on debut, was sent out for a Spring campaign and resumed at the Valley beaten only 2.75 lengths by Brutal? Beaten under 3 lengths by the dominant Doncaster winner and probably the most exciting horse we have left in racing, back against 64 grader’s! These are his two fresh runs! Sure, he has been off the scene for 34 weeks but if he comes back and runs to within 3 lengths of his last fresh run, he is winning this! He had a jump-out at Flemington last week where he wasn’t used up but was right on the heels of the winner in the quickest of the day. Surely, it’s just a matter of handling the track?
Race 6 - BM64 Handicap 1500m
This looks a match race between (7) Orbost and (9) Titan Blinders on paper. When first doing the form for a wet track before the transfer, I would have had the latter a moral. I still might! He has shown a lot more tactical speed this campaign, if he jumps well off the inside barrier he should be able to lead for a long way. If he gets the front and is left alone mid-race, load up again. Orbost was good winning against the girls last time and this stable must be respected when coming here, but he will be giving Titan Blinders a start and will have to improve off that up in this grade.
Race 7 – BM70 Handicap 1500m
No confidence here as I was looking to bet around the favourite (10) Think I’m Dreaming but have struggled to come up with anything to beat her! One that I can entertain a place bet on is (5) Buena Veloz. The last time he had the blinkers go back on, was on the Geelong synthetic and he improved, he was only fair at two runs this time in but is a winner on the surface previously. Expect him to get back and find the line, have something small the win also!
(5) Bueana Veloz to place
$4.60
Race 8 – BM64 Handicap 1000m
(4) Expansion will be short, deservedly so? What is going to beat him? He was a good inner on debut, a couple of placings before a nice effort at group Three level. Was sent to the paddock for a 3-month spell and resumes today off a solid jump-out at Flemington last month. He sat on the speed, was urged along to take the front and eased down late. It looked like they wanted to give him a decent hit-out, resulting in him being ready to go fresh. Not much of a first-up record to go off with only the sample size of one, but it was a dominant debut win.
