Saturday’s Best Bets: Eagle Farm, Rosehill, Caulfield

KING PEDRO (9) was stiff not to win over 2000m here last start, and I’m in agreeance with the great man Timmsy that he’s the best bet of the day. He’s firmly in our Q-Zone.

The Tom Charlton-trained gelding settled near the rear of the field before looming large in the straight, only for his momentum to be checked by the eventual winner. He rallied strongly, but ultimately missed victory by a nose.

That followed an excellent second-up run where he finished a neck second over 2100m at Gosford.

He rises in class but drops 5kg to just 54.5kg and will strip fitter given he was five weeks between runs.

PESHWA (4) returns to defend his title in the Ladbrokes Battle Of The Bush. Am I a madman for making my best value bet in a tough race like this? Possibly, but he looks like a genuine winning hope.

The grey was trained by Lindsay Hatch when producing a mammoth effort to win last year, having raced wide before being hampered in the straight.

He carried 53kg that day and rises to 56.5kg this time, but that is still considerably less than the weights he has been lumping recently.

Now back with Ben Waldron, the gelding was last seen carrying a hefty 62.5kg to a narrow win over Roll Up in the Cunnamulla qualifier.

Two starts back, he let down powerfully to win the Quilpie qualifier, so he could hardly arrive at the Final in better form.

The booking of Tommy Berry is significant, particularly given many of his rivals will be partnered by country jockeys.

GOD’S WINDOW (4) is racing in great form and looks well placed in the Listed WJ McKell Cup.

The Chris Waller-trained gelding loved the wet track two starts ago at Randwick when charging home to win by whisker.

He worked home strongly along the fence last start to finish just over a half-length second.

To help him handle the rise from a mile to 2000m, he’s had a trial where he produced a pleasing piece of work.

Any give in the track will be to his advantage.

FUTURE HISTORY (2) looks ready to win after two very good runs to start this preparation.

Now in the care of Greg Hickman, the eight-year-old gelding fought on gamely first-up in the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben, where he raced wide throughout before finishing 1.76 lengths away in fourth.

Last start, he picked up strongly late to finish a neck third in the Group 3 Lord Mayors Cup, finishing ahead of Encoder, who subsequently just missed in the Ipswich Cup.

He’ll appreciate the rise in distance and gets in well under the set weights conditions of the race.

The outside barrier isn’t ideal, but it’s only a small field and Nash Rawiller should be able to find a forward position given the lack of speed in the race.

MANAAL (3) was stiff not to win the Group 2 Moreton Cup when resuming last start.

The Michael Freedman-trained mare enjoyed a nice run in transit but struggled to secure clear air in the straight, and when she finally did, she was squeezed inside the final 100m by the eventual quinella horses before finishing 1.23 lengths away in third.

She has an excellent second-up record, boasting three wins and a second from five starts, with all three victories coming at Group 2 level.

The rise in distance is ideal, and she won the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ over this trip earlier in her career.

Ben Melham should be able to land in the first half of the field and give her every chance.

KING PEDRO (9) returned with a solid effort at Randwick in April, finishing seventh but beaten little more than a length, and he has continued to improve with runner-up performances at both Gosford and Rosehill against handy opposition.

His most recent outing over 2000m suggested he was looking for further, and the rise to 2400m this week therefore looks ideal.

Coupled with a significant drop in the weights, he looks well placed to strike this week.

READY TO SHINE (8)  has enjoyed a consistent preparation and has finished outside the top two only once in his past five starts, highlighted by a pair of metropolitan victories at Warwick Farm.

He resumed from a freshen-up with a narrow defeat in BM88 grade at Canterbury earlier this month, and with that run under his belt, he looks capable of improving again. At the price, he shapes as a worthwhile outsider who can give a strong sight.

The McKell Cup looks an ideal target for ZAPHOD (6).

Although he is still searching for his first win of the preparation, the gelding has improved with each run back, going down narrowly in the Gosford Gold Cup before another strong performance when placed behind the likes of Portland in the Lord Mayor’s Cup over this distance last month.

He has been kept fresh since that effort and lines up under very similar conditions this time around. With a touch of luck in transit, he appears to have a genuine opportunity to break through.

POUNDING (5) really has wound back the clock in recent weeks, and after only just missing ballot-free entry into the Melbourne Cup when second in the Andrew Ramsden at Flemington, he arrived in Brisbane to finish second in the Q22.

In peak order this week and in what does look to be a weaker race, he’s primed for a return to winning form.

With a case to be made for more than half the field, SAVAGERY VIBE (12) is one that stands out to be at huge Tattersall’s Tiara odds ($19 at publish).

She’s been low flying this time in, and after winning the Helen Caughlin Stakes at any old price two runs back, Savagery Vibe was doing her best work through the line again in the Dane Ripper here a fortnight ago.

She’s yet to miss placing here at Eagle Farm, winning three times, she’s drawn well and can fight out the finish again.

BIG SWINGER (7) looks a big player in what is a pretty open 1400m contest.

He’s been kept to his preferred four-week spacing and was hard to miss at Sandown last start, charging home from well back to grab third, beaten just three-quarters of a length behind Meridius under similar conditions.

The Traralgon trial since was tidy enough, and with Ben Allen going back on, the key could be landing a touch closer in the run. If he does, he’s right in this.

TAKEKO (4) looks one of the key chances here for Grahame Begg.

The lightly raced five-year-old put together some handy efforts against the mares at Moonee Valley last prep, including a dominant two-length win in similar BM74 grade before heading to the paddock.

She’s been away for close to 12 months, so there’s always the chance she improves from the run, but her recent Pakenham jump out suggested she’s in good order.

Given she’s proven fresh and gets in nicely with the claim, she looks a strong winning chance.

FUTURE HISTORY (2) looks ready to peak third-up in the Tatt’s Cup with Nash Rawiller booked.

The old boy was solid fresh in the Chairman’s Handicap, finishing within two lengths of Middle Earth, before dropping back to 1800m in the Lord Mayor’s Cup, where he rolled forward and kept finding to the line.

Now out to 2400m with those two runs under the belt, he looks much better suited, and from the wide draw, expect Nash to let him stride and take up the running. If he gets control, he’ll give them something to catch.

GERRINGONG (6) doesn’t win out of turn, but she looks a real improver second-up in the Tatt’s Tiara.

The Munce-trained mare was excellent in the Dane Ripper Stakes a fortnight ago, charging through the line out wide to go within a whisker of She’s Got Pizzazz.

The wide draw makes things a little tricky, but if she can reproduce that turn of foot, she looks well placed to break through for a deserved win.