We’ve got some cracking fields to dive into for another Friday Night of racing with quality horses all around Moonee Valley and Canterbury. There looks to be a few smart types resuming and plenty of horses who look to have a heap of untapped ability.
Billy Bestford is back with today's best bets from both Canterbury and Moonee Valley! Of course, if you're looking for more in-depth analysis from every race on the card, then head over to our dedicated horse racing site at www.racingbet.com.au.
Horse Racing Tip Friday 26th February
Canterbury Race 1
All eyes will obviously be on the hot-pot in (1) Forbes with the Freedman runner on a Golden Slipper path but I think there might be some value in and around the favourite. Also happy to take him on after drawing barrier 17. Keen to speck (13) Conrad who makes his race debut tonight after trialling three times in recent months. Kim Waugh looks to have taken her time with this 2 year old gelding and going off what he has shown in the lead up to his debut, has to be respected. Comes into this off the back of two trial wins where he didn’t appear to be completely tested and can definitely run a race here fresh over 1100. Will be having something on each-way while also throwing in the exotics with the favourite.
Moonee Valley Race 1
The best bet on tonight’s card at The Valley comes up here in the opening race with (1) Treporti. The O’Brien trained runner drops back significantly in grade after running in black-type races across his last couple of starts. The most recent of those was a solid 4th placing behind Ingratiating who we all know ran extremely well in last week’s Blue Diamond. That form is plenty good enough for a race of this quality and I am expecting him to start reasonably short. The step up to 1200m is a positive as well as the booking of Damian Lane from barrier 5. Frosty will have options from the gate and you’d expect he sits in the front half of the field. With only the 7 runners it looks hard to see any bad luck in transit and Lane will just need to bide his time before flicking the switch. Expecting the 2-year old to break his maiden here and looks the best bet of the night.
Canterbury Race 3
We’ve got a benchmark 64 over the 1900 here and I am pretty keen on the chances of the Chris Waller trained (1) Mightybeel. Was a well-deserved winner last start where he bolted in over the 1550m at this track two weeks ago and this step up in trip here looks ideal. Being such a lightly raced colt, there looks to be a lot of upside with this horse and he seems as if he may go onto bigger and better races if he can win here tonight. Happy to see McDonald sticks on him and will just need to find some cover early and leave gas in the tank for the sprint home. Confident he has most of these covered but (3) Macleay could be the danger. He is still stuck on just one win but has looked close to breaking through in recent starts. A string of placings shows he is racing in solid form and drops a little in weight here tonight.
Moonee Valley Race 4
Probably the highlight of tonight’s racing is this Benchmark 78 over the 955m. You can always guarantee they’ll be burning the turf in these short and sharp races around The Valley and this looks no different in a competitive race. Happy to side with one at each-way odds in (8) Lesage. The godolphin mare is an absolute short course specialist with 2 wins and 2 placings from 7 starts over this distance while she typically does her best work first-up from a break. She recently trialled impressively and looks to have come back in top order for this prep. Was seen last prep narrowly being beaten fresh before matching it with the likes of Alfa Oro and some other top class horses up in Sydney. As mentioned, there is obviously plenty of pace engaged with (1) Sartorial Splendor and (2) Ms Catherine vying for the lead so I am hoping the James Cummings runner may be the one to get the last shot at the front runners. Concede those two horses are hardest to beat but happy to have something on Lesage at the each-way price.
Moonee Valley Race 8
Will be looking to have two bets in what is a very open race to close out the night at The Valley. One of the more interesting runners is (3) Mystery Love who obviously has struggled to find some of it’s early career form but has been going around in some high-class races of late. She finally drops back in grade here and at around the $20 mark I am happy to find out if she can bounce back tonight. Comes out of a hot race at Caulfield a few weeks ago where she was 5L off Probabeel and the finishing position didn’t do justice to the run. Looks a big improver 2nd up tonight. Also interested in the Freedman trained (1) Open Minded who has hit his straps recently winning it’s last two. A likeable horse who generally races up on the speed and proves hard to get past. Beat (6) Zoushack two starts back who lines up as favourite in this race and while he may have to do some work early, with a bit of luck he will take some running down.
