The return of the highly promising Smoko appears the key highlight at Belmont on Saturday and given what he has displayed to date he is expected to make a winning return.
Stepping up to stakes company for the first time in his short career the son of Snitzel has proven most impressive in his five career starts to date and appears well and truly up to the challenge.
A noted front-runner the rising five-year-old is yet to be headed in any of his career starts to date and expect Pike to adopt similar tactics from the awkward draw on Saturday.
The Jim Taylor trained Magnifisio has continued to raise the bar this time and is clearly the main danger however she does concede 4.5 kg to her talented rival on the weekend.
This significant difference in the weights leaves us in Smoko's corner as they currently sit equal on Timeform weight adjusted ratings.
Given the latter does appear to possess the most scope out of the two we do expect Smoko to return a new career peak on the weekend and hence he will make it very hard for Magnifisio to continue her winning run.
Touted a serious Winterbottom chance, Smoko is expected to take the first steps towards that goal on the weekend and should prove very hard to beat in the Beaufine Stakes.
Currently installed a $1.75 chance it is quite clear more expectation is built into that price than bare form however on predictive ratings we can easily get him that short and are more than happy to side with him on the weekend.
The George Daly trained Trade Down has returned in sparkling form this time in appears poised to notch up the hat-trick in the seventh event.
Successful in narrowly defeating the Adam Durrant trained Gladstone last start the rising five-year-old is clearly racing in a purple patch of form at present and can continue his winning run on Saturday.
In what does appear a fairly open race on paper the son of Trade Fair does appear good value at his current quote of 4-1 as we have him rated closer to a 2-1 chance and hence he presents a solid overlay.
Forced to settle back in the field from the wide draw last start expect Carbery to settle him up closer to the speed this time around from the good draw.
He displayed a remarkable turn of foot to salute last time out and he should prove very hard to hold out on the weekend.
The Simon Miller trained Sujet appears a very likely winner on the weekend however we can't get him as short as his current quote on bare form.
Our market has Sujet at $2.70 and Stagnite at $2.90, given Sujet is currently installed at $2.10 he does appear well under the odds and hence we are more than happy to lean towards the latter.
BEST FROM THE WEST:
BANKER: Race 6 #9 Smoko @ $1.75
PLAY OF THE DAY: Race 7 #9 Trade Down @ $5.00
LAY OF THE DAY: Race 2 #3 Sujet @ $2.10
