12 October 2017 | Wayne Currall
Members of the WA Trotting Media Guild expect champion reinsman Chris Lewis and Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri to dominate Friday night’s nine-event card at Gloucester Park.
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning has made Motu Premier – trained by Olivieri and reined by Lewis – his best bet. “Motu Premier is 21st in the second round of Inters rankings and he is primed to advance to the top bracket with a first-up win,” Manning said. “The gelding showed class when a Chandon Final and Marathon Pace winner at his last two starts before going out in August for a let-up. He won eight races in New Zealand before scoring two victories during a brief NSW stint early this year. Since joining Ross Olivieri’s stable four months ago, he has won at five of six starts.”
Manning likes Ona Happy Note as his value selection. “Ona Happy Note has not won in his past 21 starts, but he drew barrier three in moderate company and the Michael Brennan-trained gelding only needs to be somewhere near his best to figure prominently,” he said. “He won in New Zealand before recording eight Victorian victories. Three Queensland wins preceded his move to WA last year and he was a GP winner at his debut here.”
Veteran tipster Bill Brindley believes the Lewis/Olivieri combination can win with Itz Bettor To Win and Motu Premier. “My best bet is Itz Bettor To Win,” Brindley said. “He’s a classy type who should have benefited from his first-up run and can win this race. I also like Motu Premier as a star bet.
Brindley has selected King Lebron as his value for the night. “If he’s anyway near fit he could give them something to catch,” he said.
TABradio announcer Matt Young has started the new season in “hot form” and is the current leader in the Media Guild’s tipping competition. Young is another expecting big things from Lewis. “My best bet comes up in the first with the Chris Lewis-driven Rockin The Boys,” he said. “She’s back to mares company and looks well placed here. She’s come on this preparation and I think she can win from the breeze … pretty keen to start the night off well.”
Young has opted for Cut For An Ace as his best value. “I think Cut For An Ace is racing super and has the gate speed to either lead or put himself in a top spot to get over the top,” he said. “His last run was very strong in FFA company off the pegs and this is a suitable race.”
Longshot maestro Pat Harding, yet to tip his once-a-year-winner at cricket score odds, is also a fan of Rockin The Boys. “With another tough night coming up at GP on Friday and very few standouts, I thought punters could get off to a good start in the opening race with Rockin The Boys,” he said. “This mare has quite a bit of good form and Lewis should see her home.”
Harding agrees with Manning about the chances of Ona Happy Note. “Not a great deal of form in the fourth, but with barrier three I thought Ona Happy Note might just provide that for punters,” he said. “Michael Grantham takes the drive for trainer Michael Brennan and that combination has had a good deal of success and it’s certainly worth a bet.”
Last year’s leading tipster Stuart Lowe has gone against some of his colleagues by throwing out Millview Sienna (in the same race as Rockin The Boys) as his best. “My best bet is the former New Zealander Millview Sienna, who has won two of her four WA starts,” Lowe said. “She covered plenty of extra ground, before winning here in 1.56.9, over 1730 at her last start. Drawn to lead and the one to beat.”
Lowe likes Rycroft for his value selection. “My value bet is Rycroft, who has not enjoyed much luck at four starts this season and his form is better than it reads,” he said. “Should appreciate barrier two and will go well.”
On-course announcer Ken Casellas has labelled Fifth Edition as his best bet. “Eight-year-old Fifth Edition is bursting at the seams to break through for another win and he gets a perfect chance to notch his 15th victory when he starts from the prized No.1 barrier on Friday night,” he said. “He is my star bet on the nine-event program.”
Casellas is also keen on Rycroft. “Noted frontrunner Rycroft is my value bet when he takes on quality opposition in Itz Bettor To Win, Mach Time and Bronze Seeker in the Celebrating Melissa Renouf Pace,” he said. “Rycroft, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, is favourably placed at the No.2 barrier and he appeals as the likely pacemaker and gets an ideal chance to end a losing sequence of seven.”
Media Guild president Wayne Currall has opted for the Nathan Turvey-trained and reined Livura as his best for the night. “Livura could only manage a third and a sixth at his past two starts, but that was against far superior opposition to what he meets on Friday night,” he said. “Despite starting from outside the front line, Turvey should be able to put his horse into the race at some stage over the longer journey of 2536m and prove the testing material.”
Currall likes Rudimental Sol as his value selection. “This bloke has drawn the pole in the last and Dylan Egerton-Green will be attempting an all-the-way victory on the David Thompson-trained gelding,” he said. “Could prove hard to catch in a race where many runners are out of form.”
To view all of the Media Guild Tips for this week click here.
Good punting.
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