Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Thursday, July 18th.
There's plenty of racing to get stuck into today, with meetings at Gosford, Ballarat, Gatton and Moree.
Luke Krahe has provided his best bets for each track below.
Horse Racing Tips: Thursday, July 18th
Gosford Race 1 (Market)
(2) Dambulla has only been to the races once in his career, debuting at Hawkesbury he was double figure odds and settled well back in the field. He was wide without cover before the jock decided to move forward and get the spot outside the leader. He shared the lead into the straight but layed out and looked very new, he stuck on ok with a big margin back to third. It is always a tough ask in Oz racing to debut at 1500m, he looks well suited stepping up to the mile at start two and he will no doubt go forward again. He gets a very winnable race to break the maiden status and expect him to be well backed, his main danger looks to be (7) Zenardini but he has had enough chances lining up at start 10 today. He gets in well with the claim but will need to be in front of his main opponent and our top pick early.
Ballarat Synthetic Race 1 (Market)
The betting will probably tell us that it is a very open race on paper, but I really like the chances of (4) Namimo back at this level. She placed in the feature Elvstroem Classic at Swan Hill over the carnival, a $100K race where she sat up on the speed, hit the lead in the straight before being headed at the 100m and beaten just over a length. That has proven a good form race with 2 winners coming through it since. She then went to Geelong and was forced to sit three-wide with no cover on the speed and didn’t shirk the task to only be beaten just over a length again. This looks easier, she maps well and the small field suits. She may have some opposition in the betting as she has had enough chances and her first go on the synthetic track, but she is racing well and this is a good class drop.
Ballarat Synthetic Race 4 (Market)
The key here for (8) Cimota is that she has the experience here on the synthetic track racing here at her last three runs. She sat up on the speed at the first two of those to place, she clearly handles the track well and has the speed to go forward. She was poor last time but obviously had a problem or needed a quick break, she has been given 5 weeks between runs so should be ready to go again fresh. Drawn wide will not be a problem if she gets outside the speed easily enough, she looks a great each-way bet at the likely double figure odds.
Moree Race 1 (Market)
(8) Glamour Factor has been to the races eleven times previously and only placed twice, but this looks the easiest of recent maidens and she has shown improvement. She missed the kick badly and was tailed off early fresh, went to Dubbo second-up and was four-wide without cover and never a chance after being trapped. Last time she was at Dubbo again and jumped better, led and kicked on the corner before being run down late. She drops back in trip to the flying 950m, if she jumps from the perfect middle draw, she will be too quick and gets the near side blinkers for the first time. There is some speed inside her but she should be able to sit off the fence and still win.
Gatton Race 2 (Market)
(2) Rockuzzo interests me in a maiden where there is very little form to go off, well quality form at least. He is coming back from the mile last start and has raced past 2000m earlier in the prep, but the class drop could be the key. He has been getting back but around here he will get a good trip on the rails, races like this the field can really string out and gaps usually appear a long way from home. She ran on hard at Ipswich two back in a Class 1 then was t Deagon at BM55 level last time and placed again, dropping back to a maiden with not much talent engaged she should be able to run over the top.
