3 minute read
Best bets for Bendigo on Golden Mile day.
Competitive card assembled at Bendigo on Saturday with some big fields in the features offering up plenty of value.
The Golden Mile itself is a fantastic edition – eight horses rated 110 or better on the Racing & Sports scale with two topping the table at 115.
It's not always as simple as that but that pair are the two bets in the race I'm keen to have, starting with a very interesting import, Zahrann.
Formerly with Johnny Murtagh, this gelding by Night Of Thunder has raced six times, winning a Listed race and Group 3 in that time.
Diving deeper into his form, he won the Listed King George Cup in good time at Leopardstown, then sent around second favourite in the King Edward at Royal Ascot.
He was sent around 11/4 second pick in that race and just found the favourite a touch too good, but it's worth noting they ran around seven lengths faster than Ethical Diamond in the Duke Of Edinburgh, who went on to beat Rebel's Romance in a Breeders Cup Turf.
That performance saw him start 11/2 ($6.50) in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes behind top colt Delacroix. He struggled there but that's proper world class form and the expected rating has him miles clear of this.
A mile will be short of his best but nearing double figures, he simply has to be kept on side if you're betting in the race.
The other one with the peak to win is Von Hauke who got home well first up at Caulfield on a very fast deck in track record time, finishing fifth.
His win over this trip in the Crystal Mile in the Spring has him as one of the hardest to beat and I fancy up in trip suits him much better than the winner Hughes who had a beautiful 'suck' run in behind them.
The other race I'll label a best in is the seventh where the unbeaten Yes Yoshi resumes off a let up having looked the bit in two runs to date.
Notably, he's been very well supported both times and the clock backed up his last win at Caulfield when putting good gaps through the field. The second horse Savitri has gone right on with it since and he looks a horse who will measure right up here, especially from a good draw with 54kg.
The Melbourne Mail
Bet of the day: Race 7 #15 Yes Yoshi at $5.00
Each-way play: Race 9 #5 Zahrann at $9 and #2 Von Hauke at $15
