The members of the WA Trotting Media Guild were on fire last week with all best bets saluting.
Alta Blues, Lawrence, Miss Boudica and Born To Boogie recorded easy all-the-way victories and paid the handsome dividend of $5.80 for anyone playing the all-up market.
This Friday night’s meeting seems a little harder, but there’s plenty of confidence in the camp with horses such as To Fast To Serious and Rakasinc capturing the attention of a few Guild members.
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning and award-winning journalist Ken Casellas are keen on To Fast To Serious in race seven.
“To Fast To Serious looks primed to regain form which made him a boom horse when he won at eight of 10 starts last year and quickly went through the grades,” Manning said. “He later finished third in the RWWA Cup and ran a WA Pacing sixth. The Ray Williams-trained gelding should now be fitter than when a first-up sixth two weeks ago. He won a trial last Sunday and has drawn favourably in gate three for his second-up race.”
And Casellas agrees with Manning.
“A massive class drop for a pacer who contested the WA Pacing Cup last summer makes it a simple and logical task to select To Fast To Serious as my best bet on Friday night,” Casellas said. “The five-year-old is handily drawn at barrier three in the 2130m Perth Metalwork Pace, and at his second start after a spell, he should prove too classy for his nine rivals. He warmed up for this assignment with a splendid trial win at Byford on Sunday morning.”
TABradio’s Matt Young and longshot guru Pat Harding have made Rakasinc the best bet on the 10-event card.
“Rakasinc has been racing really well and this looks a much more suitable race,” Young said. “He has become quite versatile.”
And Harding is thinking along the same lines.
“Should be an interesting nigh at GP this Friday with a few stand-out favourites coming home,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race eight with No. 5 Rakasinc. He hasn’t had a win for a while but is a quality horse and I would not be surprised if he bobs up for a good win.”
Guild president Wayne Currall is confident the “little champ” Chicago Bull will bounce back from Friday night’s defeat where he finished last – the first time he hasn’t beaten a horse home in his illustrious career in Australia.
“Chicago Bull has done it tough at his two runs back from a spell,” Currall said. “He only finished 13.5m behind stablemate Whozideawasthis last Friday night after tramping three wide a lap from home. He’s drawn the pole on Friday night and Gary Hall Jr will be looking to post an all-the-way victory on ‘Bully’. He won’t be at any fancy price but will serve as a banker for all-ups.”
The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft has opted for Power And Grace as his star bet.
“Power And Grace is drawn to continue his strong recent form, which includes three wins and three placings since transferring to the stables of Michael Brennan,” Havercroft said. “He led and won comfortably as a $1.28 favourite four starts ago at Pinjarra and I expect a similar scenario to unfold on Friday night.”
TABradio’s Hayden King is keeping his powder dry until race nine, where he believes Will I Rocknroll will rock and roll.
“Will I Rocknroll has a decided class edge over rivals and looks supremely hard to beat,” King said. “He has been contesting eminently deeper races than this and the poor draw may inflate his price. Providing he does everything right, I expect him to salute.”
VALUE BETS
ERNIE: Jesse Allwood, who attracted a following when winning at six of seven starts late last year, is capable of breaking a drought after not recording a victory in his past 22 starts. There were encouraging signs from his first-up fourth at Northam last Saturday night.
KEN: For value, I suggest Byford trainer Trevor Wright’s five-year-old Cordero in the second event, the Myaree Ceramics Pace. The gelding was an $81 outsider last Friday night when he finished strongly from ninth at the bell to be third behind Alta Blues.
MATT: Jesse Allwood was a really nice run first-up off a handicap. This is a suitable race and he looks a decent each-way chance.
PAT: My value bet comes up in race nine with No. 4 Machlani. He certainly has been unlucky in recent races but I think he can give the Brennan/Grantham team a much-needed win.
WAYNE: Rock Me Over was only eight metres behind Whozideawasthis last week. He should get a lovely run trailing Chicago Bull and can place at odds.
RYAN: Nota Bene Denario has consistently been thereabouts from wide draws and will again be at an each-way quote this week.
HAYDEN: Bettor Copagoodone ran a frightfully slashing race on Monday. Personally, she ran a sub-55sec. final half. Although I’ve selected Rakasinc to win, I’m scared of what Bettor Copagoodone can do from a soft run and if Rakasinc is made to work.
Click here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.
