08 February 2018 | Wayne Currall
Bettors Fire and Runrunjimmydunn are two horses that members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have earmarked as star bets for Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park.
Last season’s leading tipster Stuart Lowe and veteran tipster Bill Brindley are both keen on Bettors Fire.
Lowe spoke for himself and Brindley when he said Bettors Fire was poised to return to the winners’ list.
“My best bet is Bettors Fire, who is a speedy beginner and should be able to lead from the pole,” Lowe said. “If he does find the top, he will be very hard to beat.”
TABradio’s Matt McDermott and Guild president Wayne Currall are fans of Runrunjimmydunn.
McDermott summed up his and Currall’s thoughts when he said Runrunjimmydunn had found the right race on Friday night.
“Runrunjimmydunn finished a close second in the Village Kid Sprint at Northam last start,” McDermott said. “On that occasion, he met a bit of early trouble, went wide to race around to the breeze and finished a neck behind Bettor B Chevron. Returning to his preferred distance where all nine wins have come. Looks very hard to beat.”
Longshot king Pat Harding is looking forward to the three-year-old fillies clashing in the Dainty Daughters and has singled out the promising Lady De La Renta as his star bet.
“This is a great field of fillies and it should be an excellent race,” Harding said. “I think there are plenty of chances in a race which has great depth. However, I think Lady De La Renta coming out of barrier five might have the edge on the rest. This Annie Belton-trained filly has Chris Voak aboard and has some great form to her name.”
GPTV’s Ken Casellas, who is in great form and is leading the Guild’s tipping competition, has made Major Catastrophe his best for the night.
“He’s big and tough and determined – that’s Major Catastrophe, who is my star bet on Friday night in the stand over 2503m,” Casellas said. “The nine-year-old, trained by his breeder-owner David Young, is racing with great heart and has bright prospects of notching his 25th win at his 101st start. He raced wide early and ran home powerfully to finish a half-head second to Tas Man Bromac in the 2560m Northam Cup last Saturday night.”
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning is keen on former Kiwi pacer Arthur Lowe.
“Arthur Lowe has strong prospects of maintaining an unbeaten WA record when he makes his Gloucester Park debut,” Manning said. “To be driven for the first time by Gary Hall Jr, the gelding was most impressive when he opened his local career with three Pinjarra wins last month. The New Zealand import, a winner at only four of 48 starts before arriving in WA, appears to have improved sharply for trainer Nathan Turvey.”
TABradio’s Matt Young feels punters can get off to a flyer by supporting Overboard Again in the opening event.
“Overboard Again returned with a great run on Tuesday night and strips fitter here and looks very hard to beat,” Young said.
Racing co-ordinator at The West Australian Ryan Havercroft is at odds with Young and has made his best bet Real Lucky in the same race.
“Real Lucky, though up in grade here, was very impressive when leading and saluting last week,” Havercroft said. “He looked to have something in reserve in the run to the line, even after rattling off a 55.6 last half.”
VALUE BETS
Stuart: The value bet is Infinite Symbol, who followed a Northam win with a fast-finishing fifth here last week. Draw brings her in with big claims.
Bill: My value bet is Madam Meilland in the last race.
Matt M: Mon Lillies has exceptional gate pace to take advantage of barrier one to make it four wins this prep.
Wayne: Go West U Terror returns to the track after 10 months and has raced against better fields than this. Can run a race at odds if his fitness levels are there.
Pat: Mac Tiger should give punters a good sight. Michael Grantham will drive and I believe he can prevail in a field where there is not a great deal of exposed form.
Ken: For a shade of value, I’m looking to C C Chevron. She has been unplaced at her past seven starts, but she should be in a commanding position from her pole draw.
Ernie: Mac Tiger would only need to reproduce form shown in a first-up GP win last November and he could be prominent. The widely-travelled gelding has won 14 races.
Matt Y: Mighty Flying Thomas, coming from a last-start sixth in the Albany Cup, will get the trip. Just needs some luck from the draw.
Ryan: Ella Gant Player has the draw to surprise in a strong Daintys Daughter 3YO Fillies feature. The better chances have drawn wide.
To view all of the Media Guild Tips for this week click here.
Good Punting.
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