Clare Preview & Best Bets – Sunday 10 March

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

Clare Tips 10/03/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 1 No. 4 LAILA’S A GEM ($3.10)

We backed the newcomer to John Dunn & Krystal Bishop’s stables in LAILA’S A GEM last start. This speedy mare has changed stables a few times since owner Graham Fryer went close to winning with her first four starts during her initial prep. Three of those runs were in the provincials while Laila’s A Gem was also run down late once by Who’s Clang in town. She was hunted through to lead first-up for the Dunn & Bishop stable when knocking up late in smart time on a Soft 7 track over 900m at Murray Bridge. We still decided to back Laila’s A Gem despite the wide gate, and it was that draw that ultimately proved her undoing. There looks to be less pressure at Clare on Sunday while Laila’s A Gem comes into this race third-up from a spell. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 4 No. 9 TUFF OPERATOR ($9)

One of the handier country maiden gallopers goes around at Clare Racecourse tomorrow in the form of TUFF OPERATOR. This horse badly deserves a win and he showed us last start that he can get over a trip. Tuff Operator got back to last from the outside gate under Callan Murray as the horses strung early at Port Lincoln. They backed the tempo off once they all found their positions with Tuff Operator being left as a clear and conspicuous last. He made many lengths of ground into the straight as the widest runner to just miss the placings over 1750m. Has drawn better here with trainer Dennis McMahon engaging Maggie Collett for the ride. Tuff Operator should land much closer in the running and looms as a major player on Sunday.

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 3 No. 10  WANNASCHMACK ($17)

Murray Bridge horsewoman Nicole Irwin has WANNASCHMACK resuming in a maiden at Clare Racecourse on Sunday. The horse led early in a good maiden on debut at Gawler before being claimed inside the furlong. Wannaschmack wasn’t beaten far from the winner in La Defense who has won four of his six race starts. Wasn’t the best away before being much the same throughout in another handy maiden race won by Magic Morriss. That horse and the second-placed First Tosen have shown glimpses of good form in their careers. Drawn ideally under Callan Murray on Sunday and might be a touch underrated by the market in a country maiden.