Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Ascot on Saturday, December 22nd.
We’ve got eight races on a Good 4 track with a twilight meeting as a result of the extremely hot temperatures in Perth today.
Check out our betting tips for every race on the card below!
ASCOT RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 4 The Big Show
Best Value Bet: Race 3 Kakadu
RACE 1
Looks a race between the top two here. The jockey change from Damian Lane to Kate Witten certainly isn’t a positive but they’ll be wanting to take weight off Market Ruler who saluted over the 1000m last start in decent style. Up to 1100m today is no issue, she just needs to ride it well to win again. Fire And Rain is drawn to her outside and has a good record at the track and distance. Third up today should be at its absolute peak and he gets a positive jockey change with Tayla Stone taking over from 3kg apprentice Jade McNaught. Market Ruler beat Fire And Rain last start and gets a 1.5kg weight swing today so with even luck should be winning again.
RACE 2
Only three chances here but the standout is obviously Nordic King who has returned in good order with two wins from two starts this preparation. Draws barrier 1 for Pike here and with any luck he’ll win again. Let’s Twist was sound when 3rd first up and has a good second up record. He’s yet to win at Ascot but I’d follow him next start if he runs well today as his third up record is outstanding. Glimmer Girl is a former Peters horse who resumed for her new connections with a dominant win at Mount Barker. That was the best form she’s shown in a long while and if she continued to produce her best, she’d be very competitive in a race like this.
RACE 3
This is a ripper little race. They’ll have to be good to beat Angelic Ruler who was simply brilliant winning first up from a spell last week. She now comes into this on the quick back-up and steps up to 1400m. Gets a handy claim for Tayla Stone and if she reproduces what we saw last week, she’ll win again. Assetro returns from a spell. She was very good as a two-year-old and this is the first time she steps out as a three-year-old. That’s always a little query. Kakadu is once again value at double figure odds. He’s had no luck this preparation so with a clear run today he could feature. Archant is an obvious chance having won two straight and Euphonious with Damian Lane aboard isn’t hopeless.
RACE 4
The Big Show looks a complete moral here having won easily over this track and distance four weeks ago. He gets Damian Lane aboard today from the good draw and if he runs anywhere near the 4.75L demolition job from last start, he’ll go in again. Like A Butterfly had no luck last start with the blinkers on for the first time. She’s had plenty of chances but you can’t completely dismiss her off that last run. Brother’s Keeper next best.
RACE 5
Another good little race. Damian Lane takes the reins on Double Jeopardy, who ran a very good 2nd on his WA debut. Drew barrier 11 on that day and draws barrier 1 today so with some luck in running he should be hard to beat. Ambiente returns from a spell with a record of five wins and two 2nds from nine starts. She’s got a great first up record but my little concern is her being first up with 61kg on a 39-degree day. That can’t be easy. Shackleton ran well first up and should go well again today and Alpha Sky was the horse who beat him first up so must be considered again today.
RACE 6
The scratching of Material Man unfortunately makes this a non-betting race with Galaxy Star the $1.30 favourite, as she should be. She just needs to continue the form she’s been in this prep and she’ll be too good for this lot. Gatting is the logical danger.
RACE 7
Another short-priced favourite here with Celebrity Dream, who steps up to the mile for the first time since winning this exact race last year. She’s going to have to come from the back of the field after drawing the widest gate but she finds a very winnable race here and she’s probably just better than this lot. The only way she’ll be beat is if the leaders get too easy a time of things up front. One of those will be Lucky Roar, who sat outside the leader last start and couldn’t be run down after taking over on the turn. Expect her to go forward in search of the lead and if she gets it, she’ll be tough to run down. Royal Missile was good from the back last start and has a great third up record. She’s a chance in this at each way odds.
RACE 8
Going to have a throw at the stumps here and hope Damian Lane can weave some magic on Miss Swindle. Simon Miller usually has a good deal of success when using interstate jockeys and this mare comes off a solid win at Pinjarra. She’s now third up and her form from Belmont last prep suggests she’s up to winning a race like this if she gets the right set of circumstances. There looks a decent amount of speed in the race so I suspect she’ll be ridden a bit quieter today and at $12 she looks a decent each way bet. Beat The Devil is another Simon Miller runner who has two wins from two starts this prep. He’ll look to go forward but as mentioned, there looks to be a bit of competition for the front today. Moet De Vega is another one that will go forward and if you can forgive him for his last start, where he pulled up with slow recovery, then he is right in this race.
