Overview
Highland Kitty is the best bet on Friday. It has finished in the first four at four of its five starts since the start of August, its last three runs read 3, 2, 2, and it meets a weak maiden at Ipswich with barrier 2 and a light weight over 2395m on heavy ground.
That is three selections from two meetings, Ipswich and Moree, drawn from six full previews. Two have live prices. The third, Zavega, runs in the last race at Moree, and its market wasn’t open when this was written.
The best bet
Highland Kitty, Ipswich Race 1, 1:34, 1.75 with Ladbrokes.
Highland Kitty keeps turning up at the business end without quite getting there, and this is the softest race it has met. Four top-four finishes from five runs this campaign is the profile of a maiden that is ready to win, and the 54.5kg is a real help over a staying trip on heavy ground. Barrier 2 lets Jett Newman save ground all the way.
The price is short, so this is a bet for strike rate, not for value. She Loves Me, at 4.40 with Bet Right, is the danger: its last three runs read 2, 3, 4, and it has finished in the first four at two of four starts this window. Win bet on Highland Kitty, and it is the leg to build a multi around.
The value bet
Tralee, Moree Race 2, 2:10, 8.00 with Palmerbet.
The market has Always A Rainbow as a short favourite, but its latest run was a seventh and it carries 59.5kg. Tralee carries 56kg, three and a half kilos less, over 1750m on a Soft track where weight starts to bite.
The form stacks up too. Tralee has won two of five starts since the start of August, won on its only visit to Moree, and ran third last time. Melissa Dennett trains and Ashley Butler rides; Butler has won on three of eleven rides at the track. Endless Applause, with two placings from its last three, is the other each-way threat. Each-way on Tralee.
The quaddie angle
Zavega, Moree Race 8, 5:55.
Zavega has won three of its last four starts, and the only blip was a sixth. B Looker rides for A & T Sweeney, a partnership with three wins from five rides at Moree, the best combination on that card. Barrier 2 over 1039m lets Looker take a forward spot, and four scratchings have taken some of the speed out of the race.
Peregrina Pearl is the danger. It has won both its starts since August for Melissa Dennett and gets in three and a half kilos lighter than Zavega. If it finds the lead, the last leg of the Moree quaddie becomes a duel. Use Zavega as the single in the final leg.
How these were picked
All three come from our full previews for Ipswich, Kilmore, Launceston, Moree, Pakenham and Wagga. Price decided between similar picks: most markets were still closed when this was written, so horses with a live price got the nod over unpriced ones of similar standing.
That is why the top picks from Launceston, Pakenham and Wagga missed out. Fighting For Gold (two from two at Launceston), Bee Admired at Pakenham and Gettin’ Tipsy at Wagga all run in races that had no market open. Switz, the Ipswich NAP, was also unpriced. At Kilmore, Manchego had no price, and All Eyes On Erin at 5.00 with Unibet came close for the value slot, but Tralee‘s weight edge and course win made a stronger case. Zavega gets the quaddie slot even without a price because no horse in any meeting’s quaddie races was priced, and it is the strongest of them on recent form.