Benalla Preview & Best Bets – 07/05/2024

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

Benalla Tips 07/05/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 5 No. 1 SLANE- ($2.90) 

This looks to be a suitable assignment for SLANE. The four-year-old rarely runs a bad race and dropped back to BenchMark 64 on April 18 at Pakenham, placing 3rd over the 1400m behind The Big Heist. He was back on a slow tempo before closing steadily. The step back up to the mile should suit and the son of Highland Reel draws perfectly in barrier 5 with the 2kg claimer, Luke Cartwright, to ride. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 7 No. 6 THE LONGEST YARD – ($7.10) 

THE LONGEST YARD can be an improver in Race 7. The three-year-old has had just the one run this time in and finished last of the nine runners at Sandown over the 1300m. This is much easier and at his last preparation, the Matthew Brown-trained galloper improved more that 14 lengths on benchmark figures when going from a Bairnsdale Maiden win to a 5th at Sandown in a BenchMark 64. He won’t be far away in the runs and is capable of being a surprise packet. 

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 4 No. 3 SCHEYVILLE- ($23) 

SCHEYVILLE is worth thought at the each-way quote in Race 4. The Steven King-trained galloper has had two runs at the distance and performed well in both of those, finishing runner-up at Ararat three starts ago before returning to that venue and placing 4th behind African Pioneer on April 26. He closed off steadily in that race to go 3.4 lengths slower than standard benchmark, which is more than five lengths better than the next best last start figures of any runner. This is not a strong maiden and Lachlan King just needs to find a spot early on from barrier 11.