Eagle Farm Preview & Best Bets - Wednesday January 4
Benalla Preview & Best Bets – Thursday January 5
Our form expert provides Benalla tips for today’s horse racing at Benalla Racecourse and gives his best bets.
Benalla Tips 5/1/2023
BEST BET 🏆
Race 5 No. 1 MARCOLT- ($4.40)
This looks to be a suitable assignment for MARCOLT. The Patrick Payne-trained galloper resumed with a 6th at Sandown on December 21, running on from the rear to land two lengths off Lovin’ Laughs. The five-year-old was winless at his last preparation without much luck and did finish runner-up when second up at Sandown, while he was a strong winner at this stage at Moonee Valley at his previous preparation. He seems to save his best for the 1600m and shouldn’t be too far away in the run from barrier 6.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 7 No. 1 EMPEROR OF FRANCE– ($4)
EMPEROR OF FRANCE can improve off a first up effort that saw him finish 6th at Werribee over the 1600m on December 18. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper settled handy on a slow tempo and lacked the dash at the business end. At his last preparation he went from a 4th at Pakenham to a win at Ballarat when jumping from the 1600m to the 2000m, improving nearly 12 lengths on benchmark figures in the process. He then went 11.8 lengths faster than standard when 3rd in a strong race over the 2000m at Caulfield behind Elzamee. Class should take him a long way here and the son of Epaulette saves ground from barrier 1.
