Winning Form share all of their best bets and tips for Sunday’s racing coming your way from Coonamble on 17 March 2024.
Best Bet: GALLANT STAR (Race 7)
Value Bet: MRS BULL (Race 5)
Jackpot (race 5 – 8)
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
8 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
9 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
1 | 7 |
| 10 |
Cost: R54.00
Race 5
Two 3-year-old fillies could fight out the finish to this race and complete the exacta, but the day’s value bet, MRS BULL is taken to lead the field home. Her last six runs have yielded two seconds and four third-place finishes, the latest over a mile, just over three lengths behind the winner. She battled all the way down to the wire that day and will be hoping to get that illusive maiden victory here. She jumps from a handy draw three and will have 2kgs taken off her back thanks to her claiming apprentice.
PEONY SURPRISE showed marked improvement to finish fifth last time out over 1100M, 1.7L back from the winner, when having her first run for her new trainer. She would have come on further with that run under her belt and from one gate outside the top pick, she should be right up there when they hit the line.
PLATINUM WARRIOR is seldom far off the action, finishing second last time out over 1300M, just a half-length back from the winner. He tried to go from jump to wire that day and from one gate outside the latter, he is likely to attempt similar frontrunning tactics today. The gelding will also get the services of a 4kg claiming apprentice.
Race 6
ROUGE MOULIN followed up his penultimate run victory over six furlongs with a second-place finish next time out over the same C&D, just a head off the winner. He stayed on well that day and whilst drawn wide in gate nine, on the plus side, he will have 4kgs removed from his allocated weight courtesy of his claiming apprentice.
GREEN RUN is drawn one inside the former and won over a mile three runs back and then did not stay the trip when stepping up to nine furlongs last time out, ending up in 10th spot, eight and a half lengths adrift of the victor. That was however at a stronger center, and he has moved yards since then. The gelding now has his first run for his new trainer and if fully settled into his new surroundings, he should give a good account of himself here, dropping back to what could be a more suitable trip.
PLENITUDE had solid form prior to being a tad disappointing when finishing seventh last time out over seven furlongs, just over six and a half lengths off the winner, but he was slow away in that event and never got into the contest, so that effort is best ignored. He gets draw two and the blinkers are re-fitted for today’s run. If this move has the desired effect, he should be a big runner here.
Race 7
GALLANT STAR has consistent formlines to his name and was bumped at the start before not getting the clearest of passages in the home straight, only seeing daylight at the 200M mark, before finishing well, ending up in fourth spot last time out over 1250M, 2.3L behind the winner. The gelding has pulled draw five and with better luck in running, he could be the one that they all have to beat and is taken to be the best bet on the day’s card.
LISTEN TO THE BAND is a five-time winner from nine starts and completed four on the bounce when winning by a length last time out over seven furlongs, despite racing three wide throughout. He returns from a 53-week spell, but did win the last of three barrier trials to showcase his well-being and 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.
SIZZLE MINIZZLE is the stable companion of the top choice and was returning from an 18-week break when ending up in seventh place last time out over 1300M, nine and a half lengths behind the winner, but that was at a stronger centre, and he was hampered at the 1200M and 800M mark. In addition, his jockey put up 1kg overweight. The gelding will have to deal with a wide draw eleven, but nevertheless, he makes a solid back-up for the yard.
Race 8
DONT CALL ME HONEY has only had two runs to date, finishing second on debut over five furlongs and then showing the expected improvement to win by 1.3L next time out over the same sprint trip. He showed plenty of toe that day and whilst taking on stronger here, he may well be up to the task at hand, starting from gate five.
CANNY PROSPECT has won two of his last three starts and finished third in the other, the latest victory coming over 1100M, by 0.8L. He had to weave his way down the home straight on that occasion, striking the front at the 100M pole to record a well-timed victory. The gelding goes from draw seven and a quick double is certainly on the cards.
LOVING ANGEL is a 5-year-old mare taking on boys, but she has cracked pole position and missed out on her hat-trick after victories over 900M and five furlongs when finishing third last time out over five furlongs, just a length behind the winner. She was returning from a lengthy 41-week spell that day and raced three wide without cover, but still managed to battle all the way down to the wire.
