Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Friday, August 2nd.
The new racing season is underway and we prepare for a big weekend ahead with our best bets for Ballarat Synthetic and Gatton.
Get Luke Krahe's three selections below!
Horse Racing Tips: Friday, August 2nd
Ballarat Synthetic Race 1 (Market)
(7) Hafaawa will start one of the shortest priced favourites all week in this off some good city form, she most probably wins as the price will suggest but I think there is just a good a thing to run a place, and at a much better price. With just the eight starters it looks a great race to target the place, (3) Better Together has good tactical speed and will try to lead all the way. She has had one run back this prep, it was here on the synthetic track where she was three and four wide the trip without cover and stuck on well after a torrid run to only be beaten two and a half lengths. With the added fitness on her side, the fact she will be making her own luck and the experience/ability to handle the synthetic track, I would be shocked if she didn’t run the Quinella with the fave. For those that are thrill-seekers, have something small the win as well, the fave looks to have plenty of ability but coming onto this surface for the first time there must be an element of risk. You would surely rather be a bookie than a punter at the 10’s on?
(3) Better Together to place
$1.75
Ballarat Synthetic Race 3 (Market)
(2) Gone Rogue has only been to the races once, importantly it was on the synthetic track at Pakenham where he placed. Not enough can be said about horses having experience on these all-weather tracks, some handle it and some don’t. He was slowly away at that debut run and was unwanted at double figure odds, very green mid-race, he swung wide and kept coming I the straight without ever looking the winner. The tempo of the race suited those up on the speed, he looked like he needed further and gets the extra 300m here out to the 7 furlongs. The second horse out of that race Paperboy came out and won at Sale yesterday quite convincingly, with a better get away today and the extra trip, Gone Rogue should be able to settle closer and finish off too well. (4) Jay Pee Bee is an interesting runner, an ex-Kiwi who placed at Murtoa on a heavy track at his Australian debut, I predict him to be a big drifter in the betting though closer to jump time.
Gatton Race 5 (Market)
(3) Sugar Buzz is a locally trained chestnut gelding that seems to love racing here at his home track. He has started here twice earlier this prep for two thumping victories, both wins by over three lengths when up on the speed. He was then narrowly beaten at Ipswich as favourite and outclassed last time in the city but looks well placed to get another win back here where he has not tasted defeat> the Gatton track is quite a unique shape, he really does favour horses that have an inside run and on the speed. From the 1400m start, there is about a 300m run to the first turn and from there it is gradually easing around a continual bend into the short run home. (10) Ready Set Boom has a couple of duck eggs next to her name but drops sharply in class and has tactical speed. She gets the blinkers off, she will be on the speed also and looks a good option for a chop-out if you need one.
