Winning Form share all of their best bets and tips for Friday's racing coming your way from Wellington on 12 April 2024.
Best Bet: ROYAL BOMBADIER (Race 5)
Value Bet: SAUCE DRAGON (Race 7)
Jackpot (race 5 – 8)
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
1 | 6 | 7 | 2 |
3 | 4 | 10 | 6 |
| 1 | 13 | 9 |
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| 5 |
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| 3 |
Cost: R90.00
Race 5
ROYAL BOMBADIER won his maiden race over 900M three runs back, finished second in his penultimate start over five furlongs and then fourth in his latest outing over the same c&d, two lengths behind the winner. He showed plenty of toe that day and was only run out of it late. The gelding gets cheek pieces re-fitted for today’s run and if this move has the desired effect, he could prove hard to topple, jumping from a handy draw four and is thus taken to be the best bet on the day’s card.
SPARKINGLY finished second last time out over 900M, just two lengths back from the winner, but he had to be eased in the early stages and then eased again at the 600M mark when overracing. The form of that race has been franked and from gate seven, he may well emerge as the biggest danger to the top pick.
DUPENNY is a 5-year-old mare taking on the boys, but she stayed on well from just behind the leaders to end up in fourth place last time out over 1100M, 5.3L off the victor. She returns from a 29-week break without having had the benefit of a barrier trial, so her fitness will have to be taken on trust, but she gets the blinkers re-fitted for today’s outing and although drawn wide in gate twelve, she should use her early gate speed to move across without expending too much energy.
Race 6
AVALICIOUS is a 5-year-old mare taking on males, but she is seldom far off the action, finishing second last time out over a mile, 2.3L back from the winner, but she overraced throughout, before striking the front at the top of the straight, only to be run out of it late. She jumps from draw six and should turn in another honest performance here.
BLUE GUITAR raced three wide without cover when ending up in third place last time out over ten furlongs, three lengths adrift of the winner. The gelding has pulled a useful draw two and should be right up there when they hit the line.
He renews her rivalry with WEAVE THAT WEB who won that race over ten furlongs referred to above, but as he is 2.0kgs better off than the latter at today’s weights, who is drawn wider in gate eight, he may well be able to reverse that last result. Either way, there should not be much separating the pair when they arrive at the finishing post.
Race 7
The day’s value bet, SAUCE DRAGON followed up his penultimate run victory over 1100M with a third-place finish next time out over five furlongs, just under four and a half lengths back from the winner, but he was trapped wide throughout that day. Nevertheless, he battled all the way down to the wire and from his cosy draw two, he will be hoping to bounce back to winning ways today.
SIMPLY BETTER is a 4-year-old filly taking on boys, but she had to be held up approaching the home turn, before making good late progress over the closing stages to finish fourth in her latest outing over five furlongs, just under five lengths adrift of the winner. She will have to negotiate a wide gate twelve, but she should be doing her best work late.
INJADA won his penultimate start over six furlongs and was then slow away and eased at the 100M pole when finishing fifth last time out over the same sprint trip, 4.8L behind the winner. The gelding is drawn one inside the latter and should be included in all bets.
Race 8
This looks to be a tricky race with plenty of runners in with a realistic chance of finding the winner’s box, so some caution is suggested. PACKER won over seven furlongs three runs back, finished fourth in his penultimate start over 1300M and then seventh in his latest outing when stepping up to a mile, just under four and a half lengths behind the winner. He stayed on well that day and the form of that race has stood up well with two runners out of that contest subsequently winning. The gelding jumps from gate six and could give jockey Aaron Bullock the opening and closing legs of the day’s Jackpot.
INCENDIO went from jump to wire when putting 3.8L between himself and the opposition to win his last start over a mile and from one gate inside the top choice, he is likely to attempt similar frontrunning tactics today. The gelding returns from a 23-week spell, but has had the benefit of two barrier trials.
TIGER TOWN is the stable companion of the top choice who also won his last start but in his case over six furlongs by one length. He came wide into the home stretch in that event, but finished strongly from some way back, suggesting that the extra ground on offer here would be to his liking. The gelding will have to deal with a wide gate seventeen, but he is likely to be dropped out of it in the early stages and then start to pick off the front runners over the latter part of the race and makes a solid back-up for the yard.
