The carnival has certainly left town but an even card of handicaps at the Valley this weekend still throws up a couple of decent betting opportunities.
The first of which comes in the best race on the card, the 1000m sprint, where Planet Voyage will look to build on a solid return last time.
That was behind the handy Lankan Rupee, who has since franked that form, and showed Planet Voyage ready to pick up where he left off last campaign.
He runs into an always-honest Vatican, a talented enigma in Sea Lord, and a couple of promising sprinters first-up from SA in Argee McLaren and Impulse Buy, but at early prices he is the one to be with.
One worth playing early on the card is the David Hayes-trained Packing Empire who tackles a field of well exposed sluggers over the 3000m.
He appears fairly limited himself but his latest couple (despite being well beaten at Bendigo) have produced numbers good enough for this and if any of these are capable of going on to better things it is him.
Another potentially going places is three-year-old filly Mokoro who steps out in the opener.
She ran solid figures winning on debut at Seymour and there was a bit there to suggest that she is capable of winning a race like the one she tackles today but at early odds, shorter than 6/4, she is best avoided in a race where few are without hope.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL:
Banker: Race 5 #4 Planet Voyage @ $4
Play Of The Day: Race 2 #8 Packing Empire @ $8
Lay Of The Day: Race 1 #6 Mokoro @ $2.3
