16 March 2023 | Wayne Currall
An interesting 10-event card is in store for punters at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The feature race on the program is the $50,000 Aaron Bain Racing Governors Cup (2130m).
The race has brought together a top-class field with WA Pacing Cup winner Diego likely to be sent out as the odds-on favourite.
However, the majority of members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have looked elsewhere when settling on their best bets for the night.
But Guild president Wayne Currall is quite happy to take the short price on offer about Diego in the cup.
“Diego is racing in career-best form,” Currall said. “He’s won four of his past five starts, including the Pacing Cup and his last-start victory in the Pinjarra Cup. Maddison Brown is establishing an enviable partnership with the Gary Hall Sr-trained pacer and he’s the one to beat.”
TABradio’s Matt Young is keen on the chances of Raven Banner in the night’s only stand.
“Raven Banner can step safely and finds a suitable race to roll to the front,” Young said. “And from there he should be winning.”
Award-winning journalist Ken Casellas and veteran tipster Pat Harding have settled on Steel The Show as their star bet.
“Steel The Show has ticked all the boxes in winning very comfortably at his first three starts in WA, and I’m making him my best bet this week to continue in winning vein when he starts from an awkward draw at barrier six on Friday night,” Casellas said. “The Greg and Skye Bond-trained six-year-old gives every indication in developing into a star.”
And Harding agrees.
“Looks like being another excellent night for the Greg and Skye Bond stable with some well-fancied runners on the 10-race program,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race six with the Bond-trained Steel The Show from barrier six. With only a small field, Deni Roberts should be able to bring him home in style.”
The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft has made Hes Never Been Beta as his best bet.
“Hes Never Been Beta has trialled in preparation for the start of his three-year-old campaign, defeating stablemate and rival here, Star Lavra, at Pinjarra last Thursday,” Havercroft said. “That’s enough to suggest he will be primed for this and he has shown enough in his first six starts to suggest he has his fair share of ability.”
The West Australian and The Sunday Times’ pacing expert Ernie Manning has waited until the last to unveil his best for the night.
“Barrier one looks the key to success for Xceptional Arma over 1730m, after her two seconds when facing the breeze,” Manning said. “Trained and driven by Colin Brown, she was only narrowly beaten at her debut in a 2YO Fillies Sales Classic heat last month. She fought on gamely in the final, when enduring a tough run from gate two.”
VALUE BETS
WAYNE: Aussie Scooter is racing in great heart. His stablemate, Raven Banner, will probably go around in the red, but if he blows the start then this bloke can win at a price.
MATT: Simply Shaz is racing really well and can sustain high speed for a long period of time. Should be running home powerfully at odds.
KEN: For value, I suggest Hoppys Way, who possesses blistering gate speed and is capable of leading from the No. 4 barrier in race two over 1730m. He is racing first-up for 19 weeks, but showed that he is ready for a splendid effort when he led and sped over the final 400m in 27.4sec. in winning a 2150m trial at Byford last Sunday.
PAT: My double comes up in race one with No. 3 Dominus Factum. There’s not a great deal of form in this race but he should run well over the sprint distance.
RYAN: Ignore Henwood Bay’s two ninths including when he galloped away at Albany prior to a last-start ninth when put into the race early but forced to restrain to the rear when he couldn’t get into the moving line. He’s better than his last two runs read.
ERNIE: Widely-travelled mare Queen Shenandoah can improve sharply on an unplaced run two weeks ago, when having her first race for 15 months. She has won six Gloucester Park events since victories in New Zealand, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Click Here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.
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