Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Monday, October 14th.
After a huge weekend of racing in Australia, it's a fairly quiet start to the new week with meetings at Echuca nd Queanbeyan.
Luke Krahe has done the form for both meetings and offered his best bets below.
Horse Racing Tips: Monday, October 14th
Echuca Race 4 (Market)
A BM58 over 2100m is the first of our investments at Echuca, (2) Cracksman is only a lightly raced 4YO that won his maiden before going to the paddock at start 4. He resumed at Geelong over an unsuitably shorter trip, got well back and wide into the straight but hit the line well. He was at Geelong again last tie in a harder BM64, was well back again in the run and only got warmed up late and was clearly looking for further. Out past the 2000m for the first time, he should be fully fit here third-up and off the inside draw, will be getting a very soft run in transit. (3) Positive Mind is from the Hayes/Hayes/Dabernig yard and was strong through the line to win his maiden last start, he will keep coming in the straight but hopefully Cracksman is ridden for luck and saves the ground back nearer the inside and gets the jump on him.
Echuca Race 6 (Market)
(7) Valenciano was very disappointing at her last start, but I think she can bounce back and run a better race today. She resumed at Geelong on a soft track and got home ok over the 1100m she was then at Sale over 1300m and never got into the race and was very plain. This race certainly looks no harder and she certainly benefits getting out to the 7 furlongs, she has been to the trials since and should be a lot sharper today. Third-up last campaign she was only narrowly beaten at Sandown in a much harder race than this when ridden closer to the speed, hopefully they are positive early from the wide gate. Get on her each-way at the likely double figure odds.
Queanbeyan Race 3 (Market)
A Class 1 and maiden at set weights over the mile is our first race we have an interest in at Queanbeyan. It has been a while since (7) Vertex got that maiden win, all the way back at her second start and today will be start 18. She has had three runs back this campaign, two back at Goulburn she looked to have every chance after sitting behind the leader but found the winner too good. She went to town last start for a Class 2 Highway, a much tougher grade of race than what she is in today and she was easy out in double figures in the betting. She settled well back in the big field on the fence, made some ground in the straight before hitting a roadblock close to the line. She wasn’t going to win the race but she was certainly going to finish closer. She returns to her home track today (interestingly the first time she has raced here), gets a few gear changes and out to the mile I can see her settling closer and being very hard to beat in this grade.
Queanbeyan Race 7 (Market)
(2) Dalmatinka was on debut last start at Canberra, she was easy in the betting starting $8.50 on the soft track. She was beautifully ridden with the cold sit on the leaders off the fence, eased around them at the top of the lane and although she didn’t accelerate quickly, she wore them down and was string through the line. She has to take that step out of maiden grade on debut straight into a Class 1, but this doesn’t look overly strong. (1) Hiemal is likely to start the favourite, he won his maiden here at the track two back after leading all the way, he was favoured by the way the race was run and drawn out today, he may not get to the rail first. We saw last start at Wyong how he tired badly when forced to face the breeze outside the speed, it took him 16 starts to win the maiden and happy to take him on at the short quote here.
