Belmont 22/06/2019
Conditions
Rail – 8mTrack – Good 4 (but expect a downgrade with the amount of rain forecast) Forecast – Max 21 Degree, rain, chance of a storm, windy
Race 1 – Powelly’s Punters Plate – 1300m – 12:09pm
Snippy Miss goes on top in the first. She has many positives going for her including handling the soft and Pike riding. She has a good turn of foot and fought on hard last start. Eye of the Day has been placed on a soft track and has form behind Snippy Miss and Marocchino. She is nominated for Wednesday so there is a concern that connections think she’s not ready. Montelena as trialled well and the stable is flying at the moment. Kelvin has placed on a soft track in a group 3 race. The 2kg swing on Marocchino means he can turn the tables on him.
5 – Snippy Miss
6 – Eye of the Day
8 – Montelena
1 – Kelvin
Race 2 – TabTouch – Better Your Bet Handicap – 2100m – 12:49pm
Eye Art, this horse is just flying at the moment and it’s not hard to see him winning again here. Scorse (an apprentice not from WA) does replace Pike though. Musical Art looks to have come back just as good after his year off. Unending has the form behind Eye Art but I can’t see her turning the tables this time. I believe Defiantly is better than last start when she just got too far back. The win at Albany does show she can win from the back on a soft track.
3 – Eye Art
7 – Musical Art
9 – Unending
8 – Defiantly
Race 3 – Darren Richardson 50th Birthday Handicap – 1000m – 1:29pm
Festival Miss was second to The Velvet King last start and has a great first up record (2:1-1-0). Must respect the cerise and white silks, Pike and Williams combination. Lido Beach is in form, having only placed outside of the top 3 once in his 6 starts, where he came fourth. Route Eighty Eight came second to Battle Storm last start, who is my best bet of the day and the 1000m seems to be his ideal distance. Double Jeopardy hasn’t lived up to the hype in my opinion and I’ll be looking to see him improve here.
9 – Festival Miss
6 – Lido Beach
11 – Route Eighty Eight
3 – Double Jeopardy
Race 4 – Crown Perth Handicap – 1000m – 2:09pm
Battle Storm is just a brilliant horse. He hasn’t lost in all three starts and I can’t see him losing here. Macroy was going well before her spell and her first up record is good (3:1-1-1). Ambient carried 61kg before and won but gets in here with 58kg due to the claim, with his soft track record (2:1-1-0) he should be right up there. Don’t Fuss is a consistent horse but he faces some better horses here.
13 – Battle Storm
12 – Macroy
1 – Ambient
4 – Don’t Fuss
Race 5 – Happy 60th Birthday Diane Williams Handicap – 1600m – 2:50pm
This was one of the toughest races to tip today and I’ve gone with Send My Love on top. If you cross out last start she was going very well. That start was over 1650m, similar to today’s race, which is a slight concern. Salon Du Cheval travels well on a soft track and has won at this distance before. It seems that Royal Strata didn’t handle the heavy track last week, but she had good form before that. Spiritual Warrior comes from the same race as Royal Strata. Hard to see him winning but does have a good record on a soft track (2:1-1-0).
14 – Send My Love
1 – Salon Du Cheval
7 – Royal Strata
16 – Spiritual Warrior
Race 6 – H.G. Bolton Sprint – 1200m – 3:25pm
Valour Road is two for two on a soft track. Combining this with his form from South Australia, he should be right up there. Market Ruler was a winner last start and also loves a soft track (4:3-1-0) but the step up to 1200m has a question over it when 1000m seems to be her favourite distance. Electric Light was second to Market Ruler last start and can definitely turn the tables here. Floyd could surprise with his love of the track (5:2-3-0) but doesn’t seem to have come back as good as his 2018 form.
10 – Valour Road
2 – Market Ruler
3 – Electric Light
6 – Floyd
Race 7 – WAROA – Belmont Guineas – 1600m – 4:00pm
Flirtini is one of the best three year old’s going around and loves a soft track (3:1-1-1). This is a tough race and with terrible conditions last start, I hope she’s ready to go. True Attraction has fantastic form and is two for two on a soft track. The only concern is that Pike chose Mystery Miss over him. Mystery Miss is going well but I’m not convinced that she’s the better Peters’ runner here. She has however beaten Flirtini in the past. Flower of War’s only mark on her perfect record is running second to True Attraction. I wouldn’t be surprised if she won.
7 – Flirtini
1 – True Attraction
9 – Mystery Miss
11 – Flower of War
Race 8 – Glenroy Chaff Handicap – 1400m – 4:40pm
Military Ruler looks to have come back strong, winning his last start. I’ll be hoping that he improves on that run. Great Again is unbeaten on a soft track (4:4-0-0) and at this track (6:6-0-0) can definitely win here again. Diablerie showed a fantastic turn of foot two starts ago and I’m willing to forgive last starts run which was raced in terrible conditions. Touch of Silver was performing well prior to last start. He’s had a month between runs so hopefully the fresh up has done him good, though he’s never placed on a soft track (3:0-0-0).
11 – Military Ruler
3 – Great Again
14 – Diablerie
2 – Touch of Silver
Best Bets
Race 4 – Battle Storm
