Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Wednesday, December 11th.
We race on three of the best city tracks today, with meetings at Rosehill, Sandown Hillside and Ascot - the latter two being twilight meetings.
Tim has provided his best bets for both tracks below.
Horse Racing Tips: Wednesday, December 11th
Rosehill Race 1 (Market)
Kicking off today's betting by backing Chris Waller's two-year-old (2) Blondeau. Unfortunately we've already missed the price and he's been backed from $3.10 into $2.35, but he does look the one they have to beat. All of Waller's two-year-olds have been racing well in the city so far this season and this colt's trials suggest he should be very hard to beat on debut here. He's run 2nd in both his trials with James McDonald aboard, and JMac also rode the Godolphin horse at the trials but chose to stick with Waller's horse today. He's been indisposed for today's meeting so Glen Boss picks up the ride. I don't think it's a race with that much depth so provided he runs to his best, he should win this.
Rosehill Race 6 (Market)
I think (3) Arriagnment is a decent roughie here at $11. He's had two runs back from a spell and comes into this third up. First up, he was beaten 1.2L into 4th at Canterbury in what was a decent return. Last start he finished 7th of 9 and was beaten just under 4L, but I think you can overlook that and here's why. He's had a total of 12 starts when first and second up for just one win, and that was back when he was in New Zealand, so that would suggest he always needs the first couple of runs. Third up, he's placed in three of his five starts, so he starts to improve. He's placed in all three starts at the track and distance and importantly, gets the blinkers back on today. He should at least give us a run for our money.
Rosehill Race 7 (Market)
Competitive race to end the card at Rosehill. (11) Yamakazi makes her stable debut for David Pfeiffer, having previously raced in Brisbane with Chris Anderson. She goes well first up and she's trialled well enough to suggest she can go close fresh today. Two of her three career wins have been at this distance, she gets a few little gear changes and Kerrin McEvoy is booked to ride. He's had four winners from eight rides for David Pfeiffer this season so clearly when he goes on they race well. (1) Destiny's Own should run in the money. He get sthe blinkers back on third up today. He's never missed a place third up, never missed a place at the track and distance, draws well and gets a useful claim for Billy Owen. (8) Excellent Proposal is worth following. She wasn't bad first up but the query here is she's likely to get a long way back again from the wide gate. (9) Musume looks the value at $26. She always needs her first up run. She's never placed from four starts when first up but tends to improve second up, with a win and a 2nd from three starts. She goes well at the distance and from the wide gate she should roll forward to be right up near the lead. She can run a cheeky race at odds. Backing Yamakazi and Musume.
Sandown Hillside Race 2 (Market)
(7) Right You Are looks exceptionally hard to beat here. He's had two career starts and has placed in both. He didn't get a whole lot of luck on debut at Echuca and then he was run down in the very last stride last time out. There was a 4.75L gap back to the 3rd horse in that race, which generally is a strong indicator that the first two can go on to better races. The blinkers are replaced by winkers today and he steps up slightly to 1500m. Should prove very hard to beat.
Sandown Hillside Race 3 (Market)
Two I'll be backing here. (4) Pierrless has had two runs back from a spell and has returned in good order. She had no luck first up when caught wide without cover throughout at Seymour, but she bounced back from that with an easy win at Mornington last start. She's undefeated at the distance, she's won third up previously and she should give herself every chance by sitting up on the speed. The one little query is the booking of apprentice Simon Kok. He's only ridden five winners in the past 12 months and he's never ridden here at Sandown before. (5) Front Of Stage was very disappointing at Moonee Valley last start, where he drifted in the market and ran accordingly. His run there two starts ago behind Talenti was super and notably, he was firm in the market that day. The blinkers go back on today, so if he's firm again in the market I'd be pretty confident of him running a good race at each way odds. Backing both.
Value: (5) Front Of Stage $8.00
Ascot Race 3 (Market)
(5) Classy Lassy resumes from a spell here and should go straight to the lead and prove hard to run down. She's had five career starts for two wins, with both of those coming first up and both being over this distance. She resumes without any public trials today but that didn't matter last preparation when she was fit enough to win fresh on heavy ground, so I suspect she'll be in good enough shape again today. The clear value in the race is the Bruce Watkins-trained (8) Shesapocketrocket at $21. She had no luck at all fresh at Bunbury, held up most of the straight looking for runs. Whether she has the class to measure up in town is the query but Bruce is an astute trainer and doesn't send them to town if they can't win.
Value: (8) Shesapocketrocket $21
Ascot Race 7 (Market)
It's not often you get $10 for a Pike runner in the last but you are today and I think it's a good each way bet. (9) Roadrager comes into this third up from a spell. He drops back to 1200m after peaking late over 1200m last start, but he always tends to need his first couple of runs back from a spell. Notably, he gets the blinkers back on today and Pike sticks with him, rather than riding the Durrant horse down the bottom. If he can't perform here then he might just be no good, but with the blinkers on third up back in trip, I have to take the odds on offer.
