Eagle Farm Preview & Best Bets – 17/02/2024

Eagle Farm Tips for Saturday, February 17

Our form expert provides Eagle Farm tips for Saturday’s horse racing at Eagle Farm Racecourse and gives his best bets.

BEST BET 🏆

Race 4:  No.6  BLUE SPINEL  

The Tony Gollan-trained BLUE SPINEL ticks every box known to mankind here and looks the best of the day. Last start, the Hellbent mare resumed off a 21-week break and gave her rivals a real hiding when she took out a BM68 Hcp, here over the 1000m sprint. On fresh legs, Angela Jones was legged aboard for her sixth ride on the mare and together they put 2.5 lengths on them, justifying the $2.80 favourite tag that she took to the gates. She draws out here but that shouldn’t play a role in the small field. She is a winner over the track and trip and a winner when second-up as Jones is locked in for the ride. She is up in grade here but will still take beating.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6:  No.7  MAJORELLE

Matt Dunn saddles-up MAJORELLE here who is in blistering form this time in and looks well up to this challenge. Last start, the Zoustar gelding made it three wins from his past four starts when he accounted for a Class 4 Hcp over 1200m at Doomben. Carrying Robbie Dolan and 57kgs, he ran the trip in 1:10 on a Soft 7 which is a fair effort. Leading from barrier rise, he had plenty up his sleeve that day and crossed the line a length clear of them. Now four starts into this preparation, he should at his peak for this and Dolan remains on board, looking to make it three-from-three. Ideally drawn in gate four, he maps to settle on speed and should prove hard to keep out here.

BEST VALUE 💰 

Race 1:  No.6  APOPHIS  

Locally-trained by Lindsay Gough, APOPHIS resumes here from a six-month absence and unbeaten when first-up, looks set to keep that record intact. Last start, the Super One Gelding ended a three-start campaign by finishing third in a BM70 over 1050m at Doomben. Coming off back-to-back wins, he stepped-up sharply in grade and wasn’t disgraced when beaten just over a length on the line. He finished a close-up second in a recent trial with Georgina Cartwright aboard and here, Cartwright is the new pilot for this assignment. The five-year-old is two from two on fresh legs and from a good gate (5), looks a major contender here.