Welcome to our preview and horse racing betting tips for racing at Warwick Farm on Saturday, February 9th.
We’ve got nine races on a Heavy 8 track with the rail in the True position.
Check out our betting tips for every race on the card below!
WARWICK FARM RACING TIPS
Best Bet: Race 2 Noble Boy
Best Value Bet: Race 9 Cisco Bay / High Low Bet
RACE 1
Time To Reign should prove too classy for this field. He’s two from two in his career, which includes a 2.3L win on debut over his closest market rival Bivouac, which was on a Soft 7, so the heavy ground should prove no trouble. Cosmic Force is bred out of a Commands mare and has trialled well on the soft ground so no surprise to see him run a good race first up, while Steel Diamond has trialled well on three occasions leading into her debut today and looks a bit of value at $12.
RACE 2
Noble Boy returns as the $1.85 favourite here having won three from three to start his career. It’s often said that the best form for Highway Handicap races is Highway Handicap races and the last time we saw him at the start of December, he won comfortably as the well-backed favourite in a Class 2 Highway. The obvious query is the Heavy ground but he has trialled well on soft ground in the past so I’m happy to back him first up here. Sausedge is the other undefeated runner in the field with two wins from as many starts. She also comes into this first up, just like her other two career starts. She’s obviously been a horse with problems as she’s had a 15-week break followed by another 14-week break between his races. Definitely in the right stable to be very competitive here. Zardoro looks a blowout at $26 having placed in Highway races in her past two starts.
RACE 3
Very tricky race. Super Too returns from a spell after failing badly in three starts last campaign. Her best form and the form she showed around this time last year would see her very hard to beat in this race so it all depends on how she’s returned. She looked in super order with a 16L trial win but she did win a trial by 10L before her first up run last prep and as mentioned, she failed badly. Two wins on soft ground but nothing to go off on Heavy so the market will tell us the story with her. Single Bullet is going well this time in, with two wins from four starts and a luckless run first up to go with them. He’s another with two wins on soft ground and he’s at least got two placings on heavy ground as well. No reason he can’t go close again today. I’m going to stick with She Knows first up with Bowman on. She’s yet to win first up but she has run 2nd on two occasions and she does have some good form on heavy ground. From three starts she’s recorded a dominant win and a runner-up placing, where she was beaten a nose. With $6.00 on offer I’m going to be backing her. Akasaki could be the value at $19. He’s never missed a place from four starts when first up from a spell, has never missed a place at the distance and has also won on heavy ground. He’s worth something small at the odds.
RACE 4
Gone with the favourite Sandbar here but basically by default only. He ran 2nd in the G2 Roman Consul last time we saw him and that was on heavy ground so he’s ticked that box and returns to the races with two good trials under his belt. First up last preparation he beat Charge by a nose and today he gets a 6kg turnaround in the weights based on that race. While Charge did win first up last preparation, he hardly performed well at all on the Heavy ground in that Roman Consul race. The Zoustar colt has trialled well but I have to take him on under the circumstances today. Master Ash failed badly in his only run on heavy ground and he’s also not trialled too flash on it either but he comes into this first up and that’s probably best for runners from this stable. Gem Song could be the hardest to beat. She probably hasn’t performed at the level of the likes of Sandbar but she’s bred to love the wet today.
RACE 5
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a blowout result at all here. Golden Slipper winner Estijaab returns after 46 weeks off the track. Evidently, she’s had plenty of issues since that Golden Slipper win and it doesn’t shock me to see her returning with synthetic hoof filler on. If she was able to replicate that two-year-old form as a three-year-old, she’s belt these, but that’s the big query and that’s why we’re getting $3.80 rather than even money. Golden Slipper winners have hardly set the world alight upon their return as three-year-old’s in recent times and it’s no help that she’s had problems that have delayed her return for so long. Add in the heavy ground and it’s enough for me to take her on, even if I would love to see her win. Fiesta is the one I’ll be with. She won the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes first up last preparation which continued her good fresh record. These Star Thoroughbred horses just seem to continue turning up preparation after preparation and delivering. She’s also yet to be tested on heavy ground but she has some good form on soft ground. Coterie is the one at value I also want to have something on. There’s $11 available and you can guarantee Gerald Ryan will have his horse tuned up for this million-dollar race. Hugh Bowman takes the ride, which in itself is a good hint, and he returns with the blinkers back on today.
RACE 6
Champagne Cuddles looks one of the classier runners in the race but there’s no way I could take $2.25 here. She’s run five placings since her last win back in May and those have been at prices of $6, $5, $2.60, $5 and $3.20. She ticks plenty of boxes today but she’s too short in the market so I’ll be looking elsewhere. Egyptian Symbol was impressive when winning the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sprint first up. It was a welcome return to form and backed up her two good trials leading into the race. The form out of that race can sometimes be questionable but she’s got a good second up record, has wo on heavy ground before and should be hitting the line hard again. Cool Passion is another classy mare but she took a few starts to come good last preparation so she might be vulnerable first up at 1200m. I’ll be saving on Alassio at $5.50.
RACE 7
Dawn River was ultra-impressive on debut when winning by 3.3L. He trialled well on soft ground on two occasions leading into his debut and overcame difficulties when winning that suggested he may be a horse of some quality. Going to stick with him here and he’s certainly bred to handle the wet. Accession ran 2nd to Athiri on debut and that horse lines up in Melbourne today so we’ll get a good guide as to how the form lines up. Following that runner-up finish Accession has gone on to win his next two starts, the latest of which was by 4.3L. Drawn wide here but that’s probably not such a bad thing on the heavy ground and he has obvious claims. The value could be Pandano who bolted in at Newcastle on debut following two trial wins. He ran away to win by nearly 4L and was eased down the last 50m. While it was only a Newcastle maiden, he did it in terrific style and I’d back him to measure up to some degree here at double figure odds.
RACE 8
Not sure whether Tangled might need one more run or whether he’ll have done enough to win second up at the mile today but he returned with a sound 3rd placing in the Listed Carrington Stakes behind Tom Melbourne and should improve greatly off that into today. The big query is the heavy ground with him and whether he might be looking for 2000m, but he’s threatened to be a good horse for a while now without managing to get his head in front in a big race. Bowman goes on today and although he’s yet to place from three attempts at the mile, I’ll put him on top. New Universe managed to win another race last start and might be able to go on with it today. He drops in weight and has won his only start on heavy ground so that shouldn’t be a problem. Gresham will be the one they all have to catch with just 51kg on his back.
RACE 9
Going to have a throw at the stumps with two roughies here. Cisco Bay only brings moderate form to this race but all three career wins have been on soft ground, which tells me he’ll relish the bog track today. Goes straight up to the mile from a 1200m race first up and carries just 50.5kg with the claim for in-form jockey Robbie Dolan. Definitely having something on at the $17. High Low Bet is another at the bottom of the weights that I’m tipping will appreciate the wet track. The only time she’s really showed anything has been on soft ground so at her first go on heavy ground today, she might be able to improve enough to feature at $14. Sondelon looks the obvious horse to beat but Honey Esprit and Looks Like Elvis are a couple of others at odds that can be included.
Also backing: High Low Bet $14
