Ballarat Preview & Best Bets – Monday August 7

Our form expert provides Ballarat tips for today’s horse racing at Ballarat Racecourse and gives his best bets.

Ballarat Tips 7/8/2023

BEST BET 🏆 (WIN)  

Race 4 No. 4 SMOKIN’ PRINCESS- ($1.85)

SMOKIN’ PRINCESS is worth another chance despite flopping at Flemington on July 15 at a recent Saturday meeting. That came over the 1700m and she was never really in it after jumping awkwardly. At her only other start, the Michelle Payne galloper smashed them at the track and trip by four lengths, despite being posted wide without cover throughout. She has to be respected on that effort and drops from headquarters to a BenchMark 64. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 (WIN) 

Race 5 No 7 JAZ TYCOON- (2.45)

Nice debut effort by JAZ TYCOON and the Greg Eurell-trained galloper can go a few spots better here. His first start came on the Synthetic at Pakenham over the 1200m on July 3 and he settled back in the field of 12 before reeling off the fastest late splits to run 5th. The son of Written Tycoon went 1.5 lengths slower than standard benchmark, which suggests a win shouldn’t be too far away in this grade. Step up to the 1400m looks perfect and he should be hard to hold out at the business end. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 

Race 7 No. 1 PHILOSOPHERS STONE- ($3.30)

PHILOSOPHERS STONE gets his chance in Race 7. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained galloper has been knocking on the door in recent times, missing out behind Cosmic Rhapsody in narrow fashion at his past two. The five-year-old drove hard to finish 3rd behind that galloper at the track and trip on July 18, missing out by half a length. He went a healthy 1.7 lengths faster than standard in that race, which is seven lengths better than the next best last start figure of any rival in this race. He drops from BenchMark 64 level and the 2kg claim for Jaylah Kennedy gets him down to a winnable weight

BEST VALUE 💰(EACH-WAY)

Race 3 No 10 SIMMONTAVI- ($5.50)

Going with the Symon Wilde-trained SIMMONTAVI in Race 3. The new season four-year-old has had the four career starts for three minor placings and comes off a runner-up performance behind Lord Pierro when stepping up to the 2000m for the first time at Casterton on July 23. She has the experience of a run on the Synthetic and was solid when resuming here back in June with a 3rd placing behind Smokin’ Princess. That experience should hold her in good stead and the daughter of Tavistock comes into this with the fitness now.