Belmont Preview & Best Bets – Wednesday, February 8
Our form expert provides Belmont tips for today’s horse racing at Belmont and gives his best bets.
Belmont Tips 08/02/2023
BEST BET 🏆
Race 7 No. 9 VONSNIP – ($5.50)
Cool headed apprentice Keshaw Dhurun produced a peach to score when strung-up and nowhere to go on VONSNIP. This was two starts ago in a slowly run maiden over this trip at Pinjarra with Vonsnip letting down brilliantly once clear. Loved the way he pinged the ears back to attack the line for strong victory. They ran along a bit quicker when David Harrison sent him around this track and distance last start. Vonsnip did strike some trouble between horses early before dropping his head and running on okay for Dhurun late. Harrison has reached for his go-to senior in Brad Parnham and those two are drawn for a nice run.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 1 No. 2 CRUISEY ROY – ($15)
We believe the market has this wrong re- Megami vs CRUISEY ROY. So much so that we considered making the latter our Best Bet. Punters love the filly Megami who can do plenty wrong, particularly at the start of her races. Cruisey Roy ran a terrific race first-up when finishing second to Cia Luna in a 1200m maiden. He then knocked us off when we were pretty keen on a hotpot fav in Madame Magic. She’d put Megami to the sword. Cruisey Roy then settled back in a small field on a day that Megami gained the softest of runs in front. She may have been early into her prep; however, Cruisey Roy ran past to beat her into the placings that day. He now finds a 3.5 kilo weight swing on the filly who has had plenty of racing since.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 3 No. 1 RUUCA – ($7.50)
We liked the trial of RUUCA over 1000 metres here when leading-up to his first-up run. Time was just okay with Ruuca jumping sharply for Brandon Louis before coming back underneath his rider. Louis didn’t have to ask of Ruuca who took the runs as they appeared to hit the front by the furlong. Ruuca was never knocked about in going onto record a comfortable trial win which is important for such a gross horse. He will also strip fitter again for his effort when slow out over 1100 metres on resumption. Finds himself back in class and we’ll look for Louis to stalk the smallish field on Ruuca who has blinkers on again.