Winning Form share all of their best bets and tips for Saturday’s racing coming your way from Doomben on 13 May 2023.
Best Bet: KOVALICA (Race 7)
Value Bet: COMRADE ROSA (Race 9)
Jackpot (race 6 – 9)
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
8 | 1 | 8 | 14 |
3 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
2 |
| 2 | 9 |
Cost: R54.00
Race 6
KALAPOUR has consistent formlines to his name and followed up his penultimate run victory over nine furlongs with a second place finish next time out over 1100M, 0.8L back from the winner, but he had to be held up entering the home straight that day, before finishing off his race well. He will have to overcome a wide draw thirteen, but he should be doing his best work late.
CEPHEUS won over 1500M three runs back and then put his disappointing penultimate run over a mile in heavy going behind him when finishing second over the same journey, just a length behind the winner. The gelding jumped awkwardly on that occasion but finished well over the closing stages. He gets the blinkers removed for the day’s run and if this move has the desired effect, he should be a big runner here, jumping from his kinder gate six.
YONKERS has posted two solid last starts and although recorded as finishing tenth last time out over a mile, he was just three lengths back from the winner, this after his jockey dropped his crop. He gets a wideish draw eight but will be having his peak run after returning from an 18-week break.
Race 7
KOVALICA has won two of his last three runs and finished third in the other, the latest victory coming over a mile by a neck in a Group 2 event. He raced three wide throughout in that event but still managed to finish strongly, notwithstanding hanging out down the home straight. He faces a wide draw ten, but he will be having his peak run after returning from a 16-week rest and is taken to be the best bet on the day’s card.
STROKE OF LUCK jumped awkwardly bumping another runner and then raced three wide without cover when ending up in eighth place last time out in a Group 1 race over twelve furlongs, five lengths off the winner. He has finished third in a subsequent barrier trial and from a handy draw three, he could turn out to be the biggest danger to the top choice.
THE VOWELS missed out on his quartet of victories after two wins over a mile and one over seven furlongs, when finishing third last time out over a mile, just over a length behind the winner, but he ran on from too far back that day. On that effort, the extra ground on offer today should be to his liking.
Race 8
GIGA KICK had his consistency in Group races rewarded with a victory in a Group 1 event last time out over seven furlongs, by 1.8L. That win was made more impressive by the fact that he was bumped at the start, resulting in him being some way back, forcing him to come the widest of them all into the home straight, but he produced a powerful finish to complete an impressive victory. He has a useful draw four and has won a subsequent barrier trial and could prove hard to topple.
AFT CABIN also has consistent formlines to his credit, winning his latest outing in a Group 2 contest over six furlongs by 0.8L, despite being slow away and having to be steadied off the heels of another runner at the 500M pole and coming the widest straightening. The colt is drawn one inside the top pick and has finished fourth in a subsequent barrier trial.
MAZU was a tad disappointing when finishing sixth last time out when stepping up to seven furlongs, six and a half lengths adrift of the victor, but that was in a Group 1 event. He raced just behind the leaders that day, but shifted in from the 250M mark, costing himself valuable ground. The gelding jumps from gate seven and should do better back over what appears to be a more suitable trip.
Race 9
The day’s value bet, COMRADE ROSA goes for her hat-trick after victories over 1300M and the latest over seven furlongs by one and a half lengths. She had to be held up approaching the home turn on that occasion but finished well to win going away and the form of that race has stood up well with four runners out of that contest subsequently winning. She has a cozy draw four and will be looking to chalk up her fifth career win today.
A VERY FINE RED is seldom far off the action, finishing second last time out over 1100M, just a half-length back from the winner, but it should be noted that she raced three wide without cover and came four wide into the home stretch, before battling all the way down to the wire. She is drawn one outside the former and will have her peak run after returning from an 18-week spell.
EXTREMIST has cracked pole position and finished second last time out over six furlongs, just a half-length behind the winner, when also returning from an 18-week rest. She tried to go from jump to wire that day and was only run out of it very late and is likely to attempt similar tactics today.
