Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Thursday, February 13th.
There's five meetings to get stuck into throughout the day. With Doomben in a bit of doubt due to the wet track, we'll be focusing on Wagga, Kyneton and the night meeting at Pakenham.
Find Luke Krahe's best bets below!
Horse Racing Tips: Thursday, February 13th
Wagga Race 3 - (Market)
(5) Sassy Annie has the wide draw but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of speed under her so she should be able to amble across from the gate and get a comfortable lead. She debuted here at the track against the girls in early January, she was beautifully ridden behind the leaders and although left a little flat-footed when they sprinted up, she kept coming and wasn’t beaten far into second. She then went to Canberra and was on the speed, accelerated well early in the straight and would have traded short in the running but was run down late. She does have to step up to the 1300m but finding the rail will be an advantage and hopefully the jock can save that burst of speed until the furlong pole and she will run it out strong.
Wagga Race 7 - (Market)
The feature of the day and I am sticking with the poorly drawn (3) Shokora on an each-way basis. There is $7 about him at the time of writing and that looks a great each-way bet to nothing, even from gate 18!! She resumed at Caulfield in a much harder race against the girls, settled well back and wide and never really got into it. Although she was beaten three lengths she wasn’t really suited the way the race was run. Back on a big track here she will need to be ridden a treat from the extreme gate and the in-form Blaike Macdougall gets the ride. I can see her sitting wide with cover and on the big track here, should have plenty of time to let down out wide. She won a BM90 on the spacious Flemington circuit last campaign, she was a winner when second-up at her first campaign when running on fro, the back also. The big field should ensure they go crazy early and he actually could roll forward and look for cover, if that’s the case, go again in the run!
Pakenham Race 4 - (Market)
Surely this is (6) Finesse Tess race to lose? She has placed at all three career runs, on debut at Mornington she was narrowly defeated after being annoyed in the lead all the way. She then went to Cranbourne and took a sit behind the leaders, was three-wide to the turn and kept coming in the straight to run second again, two horses from that race have won again. She then rocked up to Werribee two weeks ago, sat up outside the speed, took over at the top of the straight but was headed at the furlong and stuck on well, again for second! She has the good draw to take up the running and make her own luck, Brett Prebble rides again and with her main danger drawn wider, she should be able to kick up and lead for a long way. (3) Cliffsinger is that main danger and gets the blinkers on, she was disappointing after leading last start when beaten at a very short quote. I can’t see her sitting outside the leader here and winning. If she does settle in that spot, lay her in the run.
Kyneton Race 4 - (Market)
(7) Yulong Wall was on debut at Wangaratta last start, a tough ask straight to the mile at start one. He sat up outside the speed, took over early in the straight but was no match for the impressive winner who had the cold sit throughout. The beaten margin was large but he would have taken a lot form that run, the winner has since come out and been narrowly beaten at 64-grade at the Bool as an even-money favourite. He steps out to the 1850 at start two in what looks a very winnable race, from the good draw should be able to lead for a long way.
