The Championships are done and dusted in Sydney, and the action is slowly but surely making its way north of the Tweed.
It’s Gunsynd Classic day at Eagle Farm with the Victory Stakes thrown in for good measure, and both races look to offer intriguing betting propositions.
Rudy has come up as a $5.50 shot to win the Gunsynd Classic, and on first glance that looks a very juicy slice of value.
He’s tuned up perfectly for this with a pair of wins at Doomben, most recently pulling away from them late on over 1350m for an easy win.
He came with a storming run from the back on that occasion, and now looks ready to get out to the mile which he has won over before.
The most significant thing about that latest win was that it came on a good track – prior to that Rudy’s four wins had all been on a slow or worse.
There’s a little bit of rain forecast for Friday and Saturday up here, but it doesn’t look enough to turn the track too much.
In any event, he can go to a new level in this one which would make him very hard to beat.
NSW galloper Darci Magic is favourite after a three-length win on a wet track at Warwick Farm.
He’s super consistent and looks to be well on the way up, but Rudy looks to have him covered on weight-adjusted Timeform ratings.
Shiraz Attack hit the line well behind Rudy last start and looks well suited out to this trip while Bodega Negra goes well at the journey and should be finishing well.
But Rudy has beaten them both and looks an excellent play at $5.50.
The next race looks a ripper with the local band of Spirit Of Boom, Solzhenitsyn and River Lad looking to knock off Gerald Ryan star Snitzerland.
And I reckon they might just do it.
She’s come up a $1.95 shot with the market expecting her to simply bounce back from her TJ Smith flop behind Lankan Rupee in the wet.
I’m not so sure she can do it though.
Snitzerland generally produces her best run first-up, and then gradually wanes throughout her campaign.
Granted she won a Lightning Stakes down the straight at Flemington first-up this time in, but the pattern has rung true again.
She ran second to Villa Verde in the Challenge Stakes then never fired in the TJ.
Compare that with Spirit Of Boom who comes into this off a drought-breaking Group 1 win, in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
He’s no superstar but he’s ultra consistent, has been freshened up and is trained on the track.
This looks an ideal tune up for the winter carnival.
Don’t forget about multiple Group 1 winner Solzhenitsyn either. He’s coming back from a throat operation which is a concern, but on his best he’s capable of reeling these in.
The undercard on Saturday is very, very tough so I’ve settled on Elmantosh to place at $2.37 as the banker.
He lines up in the Gallipoli Medical Research Class 6 Handicap (1600m) over his favourite trip and is unbeaten in two runs at this track.
It’s a typical lottery race like a lot of these Class 6 handicaps are up here, but he’s never missed the top three in five runs over this trip and has a strong second-up record.
He found the line pretty well resuming two weeks ago and should be coming with a strong run again today.
The $2.37 to place doesn’t actually look too bad.
BANKER: Race 5 No 5 Elmantosh to place @ $2.37
BET OF THE DAY: Race 6 No 1 Rudy @ $5.50
LAY OF THE DAY: Race 7 No 7 Snitzerland @ $1.95
