Ballarat Preview & Best Bets – 18/08/2023

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

Ballarat Tips for Friday, August 18

BEST BET 🏆 (WIN)  

Race 4 No. 1 MEETMEINMELBOURNE – ($1.68)

A field of six in action here and I am willing to take the short quote on MEETMEINMELBOURNE. The four-year-old races well on the Synthetic and has placed in all four of her runs on the surface, winning two. She engaged in a bit of a speed battle early on last time in a BenchMark 64 before finishing 3rd behind Steel Jimmy. The daughter of Russian Revolution should get things on her own terms this time around and the 2kg claim gets her down to a winnable weight. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 (WIN) 

Race 6 No 3 FLYING ON A LIMB- ($2.60)

Nice race with some handy types featuring in a BenchMark 78. RED PHANTOM has had three runs on the surface for two wins and a narrow runner-up performance. That came behind Fiasco Tess on August 4 with those two putting a big gap on the rest. The Nick Ryan-trained galloper went five lengths faster than standard benchmark that day and should be right in the thick of the action from barrier 6 in this race. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 

Race 8 No. 2 COSMIC RHAPSODY – ($4.20)

COSMIC RHAPSODY can end the day a winner. The seven-year-old won two on the trot on the Synthetic at Ballarat before being tried down the straight at Flemington in a BenchMark 70 over the 1000m, coming 8th behind The Prodigal Son. This suits much better and she was a strong winner the only time she raced at the track and trip.