3 minute read
Best Bets for Belmont Classic Day this weekend.
The girls and boys take each other on once again on Saturday with the running of the Belmont Classic for three-year-old's over 2200m.
Another wet track is anticipated with plenty of rain falling on Wednesday night and showers continuing in Perth on Thursday.
The Belmont Classic is an intriguing contest, with the Aqunita and Belmont Oaks the two main lead ups for the event,
In those lead ups a fortnight ago, the Oaks ran an overall time 0.78 seconds faster than the Aquanita, but the boys ran home 0.66 seconds faster at the finish.
Petrouchka continued her rapid rise through the grades, winning the Belmont Oaks in what rated an above average edition of the Oaks.
That win posted a rating clear of what her rivals have done and it's unsurprising to see she's opened an odds-on favourite.
She looks to have plenty of class about her and she's only six starts into her career.
William Pike teams up with Grant and Alana Williams once again and she looks set to bring up back-to-back wins.
The winner of the Aquanita doesn't appear, leaving Weeraechoux to do the heavy lifting for the boys.
Stepping out to 2000m for the first time, Weeraechoux settled last in the run before sprinting strongly to finish 1.1 lengths off the winner, Cool Memory.
He was definitely unsuited by the way the race was run there, posting the fasted last 600m sectional by some way.
He may appreciate a stronger tempo and a rise in trip, but will need to take another jump in his ratings to catch what Petrouchka produced in the Oaks.
I'm hoping Pike can get the job done earlier in the card aboard the Michael Grantham-trained BEST MOOD in race five.
The son of Playing God overraced in the middle stages last time out and felt the pinch late, peaking on the run to finish third after looming as the winner.
The slight drop in trip appears ideal and The Wizard remaining in the saddle is a positive sign as he drops back to a 1MW.
He should get a better speed to run at this time and he looks set to go a couple better in the fifth event of the day.
As for a Value Play, I'm thinking SONGAA out of the Mitch Pateman barn can run a bold race on resumption.
She worked through the grades nicely in her first campaign out west, winning first-up without a trial.
The daughter of Shalaa resumed in the Summer Scorcher in Januray (again without a trial), closing off well to finish 1.1L off the winner there and was given a slot in the Bluff Knoll at Albany in March.
She was put away following that effort and was good in a trial behind Berbere who came out and won last Saturday at Belmont.
The wet track suits, with two wins over this course and distance in her debut preparation for the Pateman barn.
Currently in double figures, there looks to be good speed engaged and Carbery shouldn't find himself too far back from a favourable alley.
If she can replicate what she's done her past couple of outings first-up, she'll be right in the thick of the finish.
The bet365 Best From The West
Best Bet: Race 5 Number 9 BEST MOOD @ $3.50* with bet365
Value Play: Race 8 Number 11 SONGAA @ $16* & $4.40* with bet365
*Prices correct as of 12:15pm, July 18th.
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