Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing on Tuesday, February 18th.
Four race meetings take place on Tuesday afternoon, and our focus will be on the meetings at Benalla and Muswellbrook. Luke Krahe has studied the form and offered four selections for us to back; find them below!
Horse Racing Tips: Tuesday, February 18th
Benalla Race 1 - (Market)
(10) Miss Stunning is a first-starter for the Snowden yard and gets a very winnable race to win on debut. She has had two jump outs at Flemington, the latest was impressive, the replay can be found here (heat 6). She was away well enough, sat just off the speed and was never asked the question in running third. I would obviously like to see support for her but this camp has to be respected when coming here with a first-starter. (1) Hard Border has been given plenty of time, four official trials dating back to April last year, has won the last two. If there is no money for him, the confidence will grow with Miss Stunning.
Benalla Race 2 – (Market)
This really does look (5) Protagonist’s race to lose and am happy to take tomato sauce odds about him. He was runner-up when resuming at Cranbourne after doing a lot of chasing when the leaders went hard, he closed well and that race has proven a good form reference with 2 winners coming through it. He then had three weeks between runs and went to the Lakeside track in a much harder maiden than this. He settled mid-field and after coming wide, stuck on well enough in the straight but did race a little flat second-up. I like the fact that he is coming back to the 6 furlongs, should settle mid-field and be too good for them in this much easier maiden.
(5) The Protagonist
$1.80
Muswellbrook Race 3 - (Market)
(3) Captain Solo was scratched from Newcastle yesterday in what looked a very winnable race. He has run second at his last two starts, has good tactical speed and should be up on the speed for a long way. He is untried on the heavy going, all three career starts have been on a good track. He had a year off racing so should be fully fit here third-up, has placed at two trials on a wet track so am willing to gamble he will handle it. Would like to see some support for him though. (8) Moinda looks the obvious danger after two good runs this campaign and has placed on a heavy track, happy to be against her though as she will be giving them a start.
Muswellbrook Race 7 - (Market)
The feature of the day is the Country Champs Preview, a very open race on paper and I think I have found one with some value on an each-way basis. (8) Belle De Vega is first-up and has placed at two previous fresh runs, untried in the heavy going but has placed on a soft track previously. She is a likely to be giving them a big start but they should be sweeping home out wide by this stage of the day with the track a bog. She won two in a row last prep, has trialed well and looks a good hope each-way at the likely double-figure odds.
