While the national spotlight falls on Blue Diamond Stakes Day at Caulfield and Silver Slipper Day at Rosehill, there’s still plenty for Queensland punters to sink their teeth into at Doomben this Saturday.  The Brisbane card might not carry the same Group 1 headline acts as its southern counterparts, but it shapes as a competitive and betting-friendly program in its own right. The track is currently rated a Soft 6, though with fine weather forecast, conditions should improve as the day goes on and give every runner their chance.  As is usual with Doomben, race shape, tempo and positioning are likely to prove crucial.  I’ve worked through the form race by race, assessed the likely tempo and…

Eagle Farm hosts Wednesday’s midweek metropolitan meeting, with the rail out 12 metres and the track rated a Soft 7, though it’s expected to improve with fine weather forecast.  Early races will give us a guide, but with the rail out, settling in the first half of the field could be advantageous.  Here are the Eagle Farm runners I’m siding with on Wednesday.  Race 1 – Maiden Handicap (1800 METRES) No. 3 Wanna Kiss This isn’t a great race to kick off proceedings at Eagle Farm, but something must claim their first win and I think it could be WANNA KISS (3).   The Harry Richardson-trained mare returns to the grass after leading and nearly hanging on over 1900m on the Gold…

While the spotlight shifts south for the Black Caviar Lightning, first Group 1 of the Melbourne Autumn Carnival, and a strong black-type program at Randwick, there’s still plenty to keep Queensland punters engaged at Eagle Farm this Saturday.  The track is already a Soft 6, and with predictions varying from patchy rain to a proper soaking, the surface is something of an unknown heading into race day.  I’ve dissected the form, mapped out how each race should unfold and identified my best bets for Doomben.  Now it’s time to see if we can turn that into a winning day.   Race 1 – QTIS Two-Years-Old Handicap (1000 METRES) No. 1 Swift Dragon SWIFT DRAGON (1) has…

Doomben hosts Wednesday’s midweek metropolitan program, the track on the quick back-up after racing there on Saturday.  With the rail out 9.5m, the tight Doomben circuit is likely to place an emphasis on tactical speed and early positioning, with runners able to settle on or near the lead often proving hard to run down, particularly if the tempo slackens mid-race.  My best bet comes up in the last race of the day so read right through! Here are the Doomben runners that I want in my corner on Wednesday.  Race 1 – Maiden Plate (1600 METRES) No. 6 Paper Doll PAPER DOLL (6) has finished runner-up in eight of…

Doomben is back in the spotlight this Saturday with a strong 10-race card that offers plenty of angles for punters willing to get stuck into the form.  Fine weather is forecast, the track is rated a Good 4, and the rail sits in the true position, setting up what should be a fair and genuinely run meeting.  The program has a good mix of emerging talent and proven performers, with several races where speed, positioning and timing will be crucial around the tight circuit.  I’ve gone through the replays, mapped the races, and landed on my best bets for the Doomben meeting.  Let’s see if we can knock over…

Eagle Farm hosts Wednesday’s midweek program, the third metropolitan meeting in the past week at the track and on the quick back-up from Saturday.   With the rail out 10m, on-pace runners may hold a slight advantage, although the long straight should still give most horses their opportunity if the tempo is genuine.  I’ve laid out my Eagle Farm best bets below for you to play it out on Wednesday.  Race 1 – QTIS Two-Years-Old Maiden Plate (1000 METRES) No. 12 Cherry Bombshell CHERRY BOMBSHELL (12) needs two horses to be scratched to gain entry into this race, but if she does then she looks awfully hard…

Eagle Farm is the focus of Queensland racing on Saturday with a competitive program that should generate plenty of local interest.   The return of talented three-year-old Sunrays is a standout feature, adding extra excitement to the 10-race meeting.  Fine weather is forecast so racing should take place on a Good surface and with the rail returning to the 2m position, we should have a nice patch of grass on the fence.  Time to roll through the Eagle Farm meeting race by race for my best bets.  Race 1 – QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200 METRES) No. 2 Compel COMPEL (2) debuts here for the red-hot Chris & Corey…