Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Sunday, May 17th.
There's plenty of good country and provincial racing around Australia on Sunday, including Cup meetings at Parkes and Casterton! There's also a solid card at Bendigo where two bets on the program stand out.
Luke Krahe has previewed the day's features and offered his best bets for Bendigo below!
Horse Racing Tips: Sunday, May 17th
Bendigo Race 1 - (Market)
(11) The Bride is a first-starter form the Freedman yard, she has had two recent jump-outs, the most recent at Flemington is the one that impressed the most. She jumped ok, whilst the leader got away early, she then was clicked up and made good ground to join in around the turn. She went to the line untouched to win the un-official trial and was strong through the line. A replay of that latest jump-out can be found here. Although she is drawn wide, if she jumps away with them, she should be able to get up outside the speed and control the race from there. She looks to have plenty of ability.
Bendigo Race 4 - (Market)
Race 4 is a maiden for the 3YO fillies over 1000m. (7) Mzuri Star debuted at Sale back in late December, she was easy in the betting before making good ground late from worse than mid-field. She was sent straight to the paddock and had a 17-week break before resuming at Ballarat three weeks ago. She sat a lot closer to the speed in a harder maiden than this against the boys, sticking on fairly to run second. A horse that finished alongside her that day has since come out and won a Ballarat maiden. If she can show that speed again with the blinkers on for the first time, she should be stringer at the bac-end. Take her each-way, there may be double figure odds available at some stage of the betting assuming there isn't a stack of scratchings.
Parkes Race 7 - (Market)
The feature of the day in NSW is the Parkes Cup over a mile. (2) Assault’n’bathory has been up for a while and had only been racing fairly in much harder races than this prior to his return to form at Canberrra last start. He was in a BM70 over a mile on a soft track, assumed his usual role in front and after settling a solid tempo, ran them off their feet and bolted in by more than 4 lengths off. He was very heavily supported from each-way odds to officially start favourite at $3.80. He is drawn wide but should just roll on and lead, who is going to run him down in this field? I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t start a lot closer to even money than the current 6/4 quote.
(2) Assault'n'bathory
$2.50
Casterton Race 6 - (Market)
Whilst the Parkes Cup is the feature in NSW, Casterton is centre stage in Victoria for their Cup Day. (2) Grand Crown has won three races this campaign and rarely runs a howler, mostly due to the fact that he makes his own luck up on the speed. He won a BM78o two starts back across the border in SA by a comfortable 2.5 lengths, he then had three weeks off before coming back to town in Vic. It was a month ago that he was at Caulfield in the Vobis Gold Heath, a $200K race where he started well on the market. He was slowly away before working up outside the speed, he stuck on well but was beaten 3 lengths after doing plenty of work. If he can get across and be first to the rail, unload again in the run.
