24 October 2019 | Wayne Currall
Polemarker Vampiro looks like returning to winning form at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to the majority of WA Trotting Media Guild members.
Two in-form members – The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft and Radio Great Southern’s form expert Warren Wishart – have made the Greg and Skye Bond-trained pacer their best bet on the program.
“Vampiro led and won at $1.38 when last drawing the coveted inside barrier here back in July,” Havercroft said. “Looks hardest to beat and well positioned to return to winning form.”
And Wishart agrees.
“ Vampiro gets his chance to show his class … will dictate terms from the front and be too strong,” Wishart said. “Couple him up with Wildwest earlier in the night and just wait to collect.”
Both Havercroft and Guild newcomer Wishart are in red-hot form. Havercroft tipped seven winners last week and is a clear leader in the tipping competition with a very healthy percentage of more than 50 per cent.
Wishart, with six winners to his name last Friday, is not far off the pace and is running equal third.
Longshot guru Pat Harding, who is yet to land one at cricket-score odds, believes it could be a good night for favourites.
“My best bet has to be Wildwest in race four,” Harding said. “This horse is all class and just keeps winning. Coming out of barrier two in an eight-horse field, I expect him to literally romp home.”
The West Australian’s Ernie Manning, a veteran of Melbourne Cup carnivals and Inter Dominions, is keen on another Bond runner, El Jacko, in the seventh race.
“El Jacko, who showed class when a close second behind Rocknroll Lincoln in the last WA Pacing Cup, gets his chance to end an eight-run losing sequence,” Manning said. “The gelding impressed last month when narrowly beaten into second place in races that Our Jimmy Johnstone and Our Corelli won. He now drops slightly in class and will be fancied to notch his 22nd victory.”
Form expert Ken Casellas believes Pradas Ideal Dahling can score in the ninth race.
“Pradas Ideal Dahling has returned to top form with a vengeance and he is my best bet on Friday night,” Casellas said. “He was a gallant second to Beltane over 2130m last Friday night when, from barrier seven, he settled down in eighth place before surging forward to work hard in the breeze over the final 1400m. That followed a strong win over 2536m at his previous outing.”
However, Guild president Wayne Currall disagrees with Casellas.
“I’m making the much-improved Cyclone Jim my best bet in the same race as Ken has gone for Pradas Ideal Dahling,” Currall said. “The lightly raced four-year-old entire has been racing in career-best form since entering Hayden Reeves’ stable and is shooting for three on the bounce. I think he can do it from his favourable draw in gate three.”
TABradio’s form analyst Hayden King, who also landed seven winners last week, believes punters can start the night on the right foot by supporting Livura in the opening event.
“Livura is drawn to get the run of the race over the long trip,” King said. ”There looks to be sufficient pressure throughout and he can get out and fly past them.”
TABradio’s racecaller Matt Young, the winner of the tipping competition for the past two years, has opted for Just Rockon Bye in the third race.
“Just Rockon Bye ran a superb third in last Friday’s Group 2 sprint,” Young said. “She drops back to mares company and looks the leader and the winner. She is the standout on the program.”
VALUE BETS
RYAN: Tubbs Farquhar will sit on the well-fancied Wildwest and look to get sucked into the placings. He will get the right run to fall into the minor money here.
WARREN: The Trilogy’s recent efforts have been good and this draw suits him. The indicative price of $6 looks very appealing and if correct is definitely the best value bet of the night.
PAT: Atmospherical is coming off 10m in the stand and I think is ideally placed to win this race from his stablemate Carrera Mach.
ERNIE: Gordon has been unplaced at his past 10 starts, but could surprise when racing first-up after a transfer to trainer Tony Svilicich. The gelding, a Wagin and Narrogin winner, should appreciate gate one. Svilicich has developed prolific winners including Mysta Magical Mach and Has The Answers.
KEN: Major Pocket should appreciate a drop in class after his wilting 10th behind Argyle Red in the Mount Eden Sprint last week.
WAYNE: Gangbuster has been running some good races from the strands. Morgan Woodley jumps in the bike and he’s capable of getting the horse into a prominent position from his frontline draw.
HAYDEN: Carrera Mach is in hot form and should be at an each-way price. He was strong to the line when victorious last week.
MATT: Maximum Demand will be each-way odds again and back to his more preferred start type of the standing start. Short-course stand and will kick home strongly. He’s overdue for a win.
To view all of the Media Guild tips click here.
Good Punting
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