Eagle Farm Preview & Best Bets – Saturday December 17

Steve Bennett

in Bets of the Day 15 Dec 2022

Eagle Farm Tips 17/12/2022

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

BEST BET 🏆

Race 9: No.9 MISS HIPSTAR ($4.40 with Neds)

Kelly Schweida saddles-up MISS HIPSTAR here who is second-up and in line for back-to-back wins in tis event. Last start, the Star Turn mare was fresh off a 20-week absence when she clobbered a BM80 field over 1100m at the Gold Coast. She settled just behind the pace and in the run home, finished best, putting 1.5 lengths on them that day. She also posted the fastest final 800m to 200m sectionals for the race. Larry Cassidy has been aboard for 17 of the mare’s 19 career starts and is in pride of place in this contest. She has the outside gate here but has enough early gate speed to cross and settle just behind the pace. Already a second-up winner and has saluted at the track and distance previously, she poses a real threat to this field.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 6: No.6 STREET DANCER ($5.50 with Palmerbet)

Back in top form, the David Vandyke-trained STREET DANCER comes in nicely at the weights here and looks a real threat to this field. Last start, the Pride Of Dubai gelding brought up career win number five when he beat home Open company over 2000m at Doomben. He ran his last 600m, 7.5 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this field. Michael Cahill was aboard that day and has the reins for this contest. He maps to settle just behind the speed and with a trouble-free run, he is more than capable of back-to-back victories here.

BEST VALUE 💰

Race 2: No.5 LUSKIN HERO ($7.50 with Palmerbet)

The locally-trained LUSKIN HERO is three starts into this preparation and back on his home track here, should be ready to give his best. Last start, the Kaphero gelding stepped-up in distance and was a little disappointing when finishing unplaced in a Class 6 Plate over 1350m at Doomben. He ran the trip out, 2.6 lengths quicker than benchmark which is the best last-start effort here. He drops back to the 1200m here where he has already saluted and has Martin Harley sticking with him as well. He will get the gun-run from gate one and should be at peak fitness with those three runs behind him now. He maps to settle in the first half-dozen and with the home-track advantage, he looks a genuine contender here.