18 January 2024 | Wayne Currall
It’s great to see 10 races back on the card for a Friday night meeting at Gloucester Park.
The members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have dissected the form around all runners and have come up with their best bets.
Ernie Manning, the pacing expert from The West Australian and The Sunday Times, believes former Victorian Post Game can make a winning debut at headquarters.
“Melbourne import Post Game looks hard to beat with a barrier one advantage in his WA debut for trainer Jemma Hayman,” Manning said. “The gelding won last August at Melton and ran second there at his final Victorian start in October. A total of seven interstate races have been won by the six-year-old, who landed a hat-trick of provincial victories. He tuned up for the opening of his Perth racing career with a Pinjarra barrier trial win last week.”
Matt Young, from TABradio, and Ryan Havercroft, the racing co-ordinator at The West Australian, are keen on Nullarbor Navajo in race nine.
“Nullarbor Navajo has returned in fine form and has the perfect draw to see her lead and win,” Young said.
And Havercroft is of the same opinion.
“Nullarbor Navajo’s first two runs this campaign have been good with a win at Pinjarra followed up by a placing in town,” Havercroft said. “This is harder again but the class rise is negated by drawing the prized inside barrier and she should be thereabouts again.”
Longshot guru Pat Harding has made Ideal Agent his star bet.
“Great to see 10 races back at GP this Friday night,” Harding said. “Could be a good night for Greg and Skye Bond. My best bet comes in race six with the Bond-trained Ideal Agent from barrier five. Resuming after a spell but has a lot of ability.”
Award-winning journalist Ken Casellas and Guild president Wayne Currall have waited until the last race to unveil their best bet on the program.
“One placing from his past 12 starts is hardly a convincing recommendation for Middlepage in the final event on Friday night in which he is awkwardly drawn at barrier five,” Casellas said. “But the Lindsay Harper-trained and driven seven-year-old should appreciate quite a drop in class and he should prove too speedy for his chief rival, the eight-year-old Baltic Ace, who ended a losing sequence of 22 on Tuesday of last week after racing without cover all the way.”
And Currall agrees.
“I’m tipping Lindsay Harper will take luck out of the equation with Middlepage and will drive his horse aggressively and as the best horse in the race,” Currall said. “Middlepage hasn’t tasted victory since May last year, but he drops in class and can put this field away.”
VALUE BETS
ERNIE: Six-year-old Rodger James has not won in his past 50 starts, but gate one gives him a chance to break the drought. He has run four Gloucester Park placings in his past six races. Last-start he drew the second line and faced a difficult task before finishing seventh. Capable of winning his first race since a Pinjarra success in 2022.
MATT: Tubbs Farquhar is racing well and has good early speed. If he could cross to the pegs he becomes a winning chance.
RYAN: Crowd Control is racing well with wins at four of his last five and he looks a chance in a race where the likely favourite is an unknown quantity making his local debut.
PAT: My double comes up in race seven with the Bond-trained Mighthavtime from barrier seven. A most consistent horse and I think she can record another win.
KEN: My Ultimate Chevron has disappointed in finishing last at his first two WA appearances. However, I suggest punters should overlook those efforts and support him in race eight. He looked more switched on when he revealed a sparkling turn of speed with 400m to travel in a 2150m Byford trial last Sunday and finished a most encouraging second to stablemate and pacemaker Ideal Tomado.
WAYNE: I’ve had some luck with my all-ups over the past fortnight, so I’m sticking with that formula. Post Game into Nullarbor Navajo and coming home with Middlepage. Go you good things!
Click Here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
