Placing a bet on a favourite – some punters can’t get enough of them, while others steer clear of them. Racing writer Justin Devine looks at some of the more fancied runners for this weekend’s horse racing and decides if he loves them 😍 or if he should leave ❎ them!
Happy Derby Day! It’s Christmas time for punters! At Rosehill, MASKED CRUSADER looks well placed in the Classique Legend Stakes and can atone for a luckless second in The Everest last start. THINK IT OVER continues to dominate his races and looks bombproof over the 2000m with nash to steer, the Rosehill Gold Cup is his for the taking. OXLEY ROAD was an effortless winner of the Caulfield Sprint last time and with the Moody polish applied he can make it back to back Group 2 wins in the Linlithgow Stakes 😍.
GREAT HOUSE drops down in class in the Hotham Handicap with a win getting him a start in the Melbourne Cup. While he is dour, I think the 57.5kgs will prove too big an impost. STELLAR MAGIC will need to carry topweight from a tricky draw in the small field at Eagle Farm and will be going around without my money on him, while SIDEARM will need to improve on an ordinary first-up record to win on his Morphettville debut ❎.
Good Luck Punters!
Flemington R4 – 7. Oxley Road @ $2.50 😍
OXLEY ROAD came with a well-timed run to win the Caulfield Sprint last start when well supported over 1000m (below). The lightly raced 4yo won at his only other 1200m run and the Moody stable is hitting top form. The Group 2 Linlithgow Stakes is his for the taking. Yes please! l
Good colt!@moodyracingpgm has a smart one in Oxley Road. pic.twitter.com/zoyiN5RxMA
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 20, 2021
BET ON LINLITHGOW STAKES HERE:
Rosehill R5 – 2. Think It Over @ $2.90 😍
THINK IT OVER is airborne this prep with wins in the Hill Stakes and Craven Plate (below) at his last couple of runs. He has won four times over 2000m and Nash Rawiller retains the ride. The 61kgs will not be problem and put simply, looks better than his rivals. Bad luck looks like his main danger.
You'd love to own Think It Over!
He's an absolute beauty for @kjparkerracing. pic.twitter.com/ln5r1VXOUF
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 2, 2021
BET ON ROSEHILL GOLD CUP HERE:
Rosehill R6 – 2. Masked Crusader @ $2.80 😍
You would have to be living under a rock to have missed MASKED CRUSADER flashing home to narrowly miss in The Everest (below) last start. Much has been written and discussed about his performance on that occasion and the $1m Classique Legend Stakes is an easier race. The Hawkes trained sprinter was placed at his only career 1300m run and his Everest run suggested that he is ready for the extra 100m. Expect him to zoom past his rivals in the straight. Yes please.
"He's king of the mountain this time."
Third time lucky for @cwallerracing star Nature Strip as he defies Masked Crusader and Eduardo to win the $15m #TABEverest at Royal Randwick. 👏 #EverestCarnival @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/NsQt08f5IE
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) October 16, 2021
BET ON CLASSIQUE LEGEND STAKES HERE:
Flemington R2 – 4. Great House @ $2.80 ❎
GREAT HOUSE won over 2300m earlier this prep and hasn’t been disgraced at his most recent two runs in Group 1 company albeit with 50kgs & 52kgs. He will need to carry 59.5kgs to win his way into this years Melbourne Cup and weight can stop a train. I think it will stop GREAT HOUSE. He might win. But he looks under the odds for mine. Pass!
Eagle Farm R4 – 1. Stellar Magic @ $2.15 ❎
STELLAR MAGIC was beaten less than a length when well backed first up and the market suggests ($2.2 – $1.9) she is ready to win. Will she need to work too hard from the widest gate in the small field? Can she carry 59kgs to victory? Will the 1000m be too short? There are more questions than answers! I will be betting around her.
BET ON EAGLE FARM RACE 4 HERE:
Morphettville R5 – 4. Sidearm @ $2.05 ❎
SIDEARM makes his South Australian debut for a new stable and after some nice trials he has been well supported. He finished midfield in the Wagga Guineas at his last start, 25 weeks ago. The majority of his racing has been done over longer trips and he has only one placing from four first-up attempts. They aren’t the sort of figures to have me jumping in at the short price. No thanks!
BET ON MORPHETTVILLE RACE 5 HERE: