Winning Form share all of their best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Randwick on 31 December 2022.
Best Bet: KETTLE HILL (Race 9)
Value Bet: TOO MUCH CAVIAR (Race 7)
Jackpot (race 7 – 10)
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
5 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
10 | 12 | 12 | 6 |
2 | 6 | 8 |
Cost: R54.00
Race 7
TOO MUCH CAVIAR went from jump to wire when winning his last start over a mile, albeit by just a head. He battled all the way down to the wire that day, suggesting that the extra ground on offer today should not present an issue. From draw six, he is taken to be the value bet on the day’s card.
THREE WISE MEN has produced two solid last runs, the latest, although recorded as finishing sixth over a mile, was just 1.2L behind the winner. He raced wide without cover that day and drawn one outside the top choice, he should be right up there when they hit the line.
AIN’TNODEELDUN put his disappointing penultimate effort over a mile behind him when finishing a short-head second next time out nine furlongs and the form of that race has stood up well with two runners out of that contest subsequently winning. He in turn is drawn one outside the latter and will get 2kgs taken off his back thanks to his claiming apprentice, Zac Lloyd, son of ex-SA champion jockey, Jeff Lloyd.
Race 8
DEHORNED UNICORN followed up his penultimate run victory over 1100M with a second-place finish next time out when stepping up to six furlongs, 1.3L back from the winner, but he was bumped at the start that day and did not get the clearest of passages in the home straight, only seeing daylength at the 250M mark, before finishing off his race well. He has his peak run after returning from a 19-week rest and gets a handy draw five.
VOWMASTER was slow away and found himself towards the back of the field before unleashing a powerful finish to end up in second place last time out over five furlongs, beaten a short-head when returning from an 87-week spell. The gelding is drawn the widest of them all in gate twelve, but the fact that his connections have brought him back into racing after such a lengthy absence would seem to suggest that they believe that he still has something more to offer them.
SACRIMONY is the stable companion to the top choice who has finished second in his last two runs, the latest over 1100M, beaten 0.8L, but he was bumped shortly after the start on that occasion and overraced in the early stages before coming three wide into the home straight. He has pulled draw six and will be having his peak run after returning from a 21-week break and makes a solid backup for the powerful Chris Waller yard.
Race 9
The day’s best bet, KETTLE HILL has consistent formlines to his name and jumped awkwardly and was denied a run twice in the home straight when finishing fourth last time out over seven furlongs, one and a half lengths back from the winner and can be considered an unlucky loser. He was returning from a lengthy 63-week absence that day and whilst drawn wide in gate eleven, he could prove hard to topple.
ARNOLD is seldom far off the action, finishing sixth last time out over seven furlongs, just over three lengths back from the winner, when returning from an 11-week rest. He was slow away in that contest but made good late progress over the closing stages. From his useful draw three, he could emerge as the biggest danger to the top pick.
BANJU has finished fourth in his last three runs, but closer to the winner, lengths-wise, in each of those runs, the latest when 1.7L adrift of the victor. He jumped awkwardly that day and whilst draw wideish in gate seven, on the plus side, he gets 1.5kgs removed from his allocated weight courtesy of his claiming apprentice and should be involved in the finish.
Race 10
WITH YOUR BLESSING has won two of his last three starts, the latest over six furlongs by 1.3L, this despite over racing in the early stages and coming three wide into the home stretch. He faces a wide draw fifteen, but he should use his early gate speed to move across without expending too much energy.
QUEEN BELLISSIMO is a 5yr old filly taking on the boys, but she struck the front at the 300M mark before being run out of it late, ending up in fourth place last time out over six furlongs, 1.2L behind the winner. She has pulled a wideish gate eight, but gets the services of 2kg claiming apprentice Zac Lloyd to aid her cause.
SHOW SOME DECORUM won his penultimate start over six furlongs and then finished second next time out over the same six furlongs sprint, 2.3L adrift of the victor, but he was bumped shortly after the start that day and did not get the clearest of passages in the home straight, so that effort was encouraging. The gelding will have to negotiate a wide draw 14, but will get 1.5kgs taken off his back thanks to his claiming apprentice and should be included in all bets.
