Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Monday, December 23rd.
Four race meetings kick off the new week of racing in Australia, and we'll be looking to build the Christmas bank with today's best bets. All four selections come from the Wangaratta and Tamworth meetings; find them below!
Horse Racing Tips: Monday, December 23rd
Tamworth Race 2 (Market)
(2) Krayzelburg looks the best of the two Paul Perry horses engaged in this mile maiden. He debuted in a much harder race at Newcastle back in the winter and was well beaten, immediately sent to the paddock after that first look around. He resumed at Port Macquarie and after having a soft run in transit, was left a little flat footed but hit the line well enough. He then went to Scone over 7 furlongs and sat up outside the speed, he stuck on ok but never really looked like winning in what was a harder maiden than this. He gets out to the mile for the first time and interestingly gets the tongue tie for the first time, from the good gate and in form Sam Clenton going on, should be looking for the top early. He will be very hard to run down if he does land on the bunny.
Tamworth Race 3 (Market)
We stick with the Paul Perry team again in the second of the tips today from Tamworth, (3) Schemer. He has been up for a while this prep but has really turned the corner after a slow start to his career. It took him 17 starts to break the duck, that was two starts back at Scone when he was very well backed and sat outside the leader, proving too strong. He then stepped up to the 7 furlongs at Gunnedah last time and after only being fairly away, recovered to be mid-field on the rails. He came around heels and ran on well to win in what has been a very good form reference. The third, fifth and ninth horses across the line that day behind him have since come out and won their next starts. This is harder again but I like him coming back in trip, look for him late at the likely double figure odds.
Wangaratta Race 2 (Market)
(2) Firefight has been to the races once in his career, back in the winter on the synthetic track at Pakenham. He was well supported late and started under each-way odds, sat up on the speed but faded badly and was most disappointing. He was sent straight to the paddock. He has had two jump-outs in preparation for this, the latest at Flemington was impressive and shows that he has come along nicely. He jumped well enough, cruised up outside the lead and when asked over the last 50m showed that he still had plenty up his sleeve. Admittedly most of them did and the time was not the best by far, but that little acceleration at the back-end was encouraging. The video of the jump-out (heat 10) can be found here . He gets a very winnable race to resume in and should be on the speed for a long way.
Wangaratta Race 3 (Market)
At the time of writing there is double figures available about (9) Wyandra Ruby, she looks a great each-way bet at that sort of price. She doesn’t have a great SP profile after debuting at 50/1+, but there was a lot to like about the run. She was slowly away and well back over 1000m here at the track, chased hard along the rails to only go down a length and narrowly miss the placings. That maiden has been a terrific form reference, the winner is the smart Talaaqy which has won again since at 58 level, as have the third and seventh placegetters across the line in the same race to win their maiden’s. She draws closer in today and if she can get away better, she can settle closer and hit the line well again.
