Race 1 is a maiden for two-year-olds and of the eleven confirmed starters, two will be making their debuts.
I’m happy to wait for the second to open my account for the day.
No Bet
Karbors has returned two competitive efforts from as many career starts and is primed to break his maiden at Ladbrokes Park on Wednesday. The Shooting To Win gelding stamped himself as a horse to follow when he ran on to fill the minors at Geelong on debut, before another decent performance that saw him finish just over a length from the winner at this track and distance last time out. He’ll take further improvement into this race.
2 Units Karbors
Kentucky Tornado will take winning form into the third at Ladbrokes Park and looks beautifully placed to continue her rise through the grades. The Mizzen Mast mare has continued to improve with each start this time in and relish a rise in trip when recording a near six-length win at Newcastle last time out. Craig Williams jumps into the saddle and as long as she handles the change to the Victorian way of going, she’ll take a power of beating again.
3 Units Kentucky Tornado
There is no doubt that Yulong Captain will improve from whatever he does here and as he gets further out in trip, but he is yet to run a bad race and looms as a live chance of saluting in what is a wide-open race. The Galileo gelding didn’t miss a place in three starts during his debut prep, culminating in a lovely win over 2000m at Wangaratta. He’s returned two lovely trials in the lead-up to this and can fight out the finish again.
1 Unit E/W Yulong Captain
Golden Gorge had excuses when finishing four lengths off the talented How Womantic last time out and looks well placed to bounce back into the winner’s stall on Wednesday. The Mossman gelding mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to finish over the top of his rivals on debut at Bendigo and was found to be harbouring a minor issue at Caulfield last time. This is a drop in class and he has options from the rails draw.
4 Units Golden Gorge
This looms as one of the better races at Ladbrokes Park on Wednesday and at publish, we’re looking at just under $5 the field.
Shush harbours further improvement into her campaign start and with even luck, will fight out the finish. The Redoute’s Choice filly was a dominant winner at Geelong when resuming before returning a relatively luckless run in a Saturday race at Caulfield last time out, which still saw her finish a length and a half from the winner. She’s drawn ideally and will take beating.
3 Units Shush
The Closer will need some early luck to find a position on pace without spending too much energy, but she is an above-average racehorse and still looks the one to beat in the penultimate. The Dundeel mare resumed with a fair effort to finish second at The Valley, before running on for fifth down the straight at Flemington. She was rewarded for her form with a good win at this track and distance last time out and looks to be at peak fitness for Wednesday’s contest.
2 Units The Closer
This is a tough way to end the day from a betting perspective and there is a case to be made for several in the market.
Sydney raider Big Parade has returned to the races in excellent form this time and looks tough to beat fourth-up. The Deep Field colt scored easily at Gosford when resuming and has since finished within a length of the in-form Embracer at Randwick and second behind Enfleurage at Rosehill; both Saturday race.
I’m also eager to have a small each-way saver on Bag Raider, who is also stepping back from Saturday company into this and looks over the odds at his current price ($21 at publish). The Bago gelding needed the run when tenth at Flemington first-up, before another decent effort in BM84 company last time out that saw him finish a couple of lengths from the winner.
2 Units Big Parade
1 Unit E/W Bag Raider