3 minute read
Racing at Eagle Farm this weekend and Mick Bennett has your specials.
A nine-race card at Eagle Farm this Saturday and the first signs that the Stradbroke Carnival is near with two Listed races to close proceedings.
We'll steer away from the features with the best bet of the day coming on Race 2, a Benchmark 70 over 1000m.
The Michael Freedman-trained mare MANUKAU has been flying in NSW this prep.
Back-to-back wins at Kembla and Canterbury were followed by a courageous second at her latest appearance over Saturday's 1000m journey at Warwick Farm. Tommy Berry rode her quietly that day from a wide alley before she burst on the scene late but just failed to run down Wootton Lass who has subsequently run a respectable race in the Group 3 PJ Bell during the Championships.
The four-year-old has enjoyed a 45-day let-up since the run at the Farm, a timely reset after five good runs since the campaign started in mid-December.
Saturday's assignment looks no harder than those last couple of runs in Sydney, and with the claim for gun apprentice Jace McMurray she gets in well on 56kgs.
There as abundant pace in the race, with the likely leaders coming from gates one, two and four. From gate three, McMurray gets the perfect map in behind that trio. Key rival and pre-post favourite Balance The Books draws wide so she will give Manukau a start and 2.5kgs which may be too much to overcome.
A value bet appears in Race 5 over the mile.
Matthew Dunn has been racing MOON SWEEPER in Brisbane this prep and he looks ready find peak form at the third run back.
A sound first-up effort over 1350m behind the in-form Sir Winnie was followed by an eye-catching run last time out when he stepped up in trip. Partnered by Ben Thompson, who stays aboard this weekend, the four-year-old went back from a wide draw before closing in good style to get up for third over 1630m at Doomben.
Although going from midweek company to Saturday grade, the son of Puissance De Lune has been highly competitive at this level in the past.
It is also worth noting that both runs this time in work have been on soft tracks, not his preferred surface. A soft 5 has been posted at the time of writing, but a couple of 30-degree days coming up in Brisbane will probably see an upgrade.
A nice gate should allow Thompson to settle a lot closer this time. In a wide-open race with $5.00 the field being bet, Moon Sweeper looks a sound each-way proposition.
BRISBANE BEST
Best: Race 2 No. 9 - MANUKAU at $3.70.
Best each-way play: Race 5 No. 6 - MOON SWEEPER at $7.00/$2.60.
