Echuca Preview & Best Bets – Thursday August 18

Adam Cusworth

in Bets of the Day 17 Aug 2022

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

Echuca Tips 18/08/2022

BEST BET 🏆

Race 5 No. 2 STORM KING – ($1.60)

This should be an easy kill for STORM KING, who is one to throw into multi’s as we head towards a big weekend of racing. The Ben Brisbourne-trained galloper has been racing in excellent fashion this preparation and has narrowly missed at his past two starts, which have come in Saturday grade in town. He was luckless behind Duke Of Hastings two starts ago at Caulfield over the 2000m with those two putting a gap on the rest. Last time out he led and went for home before just being grabbed late by Shock Em Ova at Moonee Valley over the 2040m. He has gone more than seven lengths faster than standard at his past two, which is more than 12 lengths better than the class average and six lengths better than what any runner in this race has proceed in the past two years. He is a lock.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 3 No. 1 FUNNYIFITWON – ($4)

FUNNYIFITWON can get the chocolates in Race 3 of the day at Echuca. The Patrick Payne-trained galloper has had just the one career start with that coming at Warracknabeal over the 1200m on July 25. On that occasion, the son of Starcraft settled back in the field of 10 in what was a slowly run race before working home well to fill the exacta behind Miso. Step up to the 1400m looks to be right in his favour and his last start benchmark figures are five lengths better than his rivals. Billy Egan just needs to negotiate the wide barrier.

NEXT BEST 🥈

Race 8 No. 2 MENNEA – ($4)

MENNEA can end the day a winner. The Maher/Eustace galloper has had the three career runs with two of those coming more than a year ago when winning on debut at Donald before only managing 8th in the 2YO Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington. But he returned off a long break at Mildura on July 22 and looks to have come back in good order. Stepping out over the 1200m he overraced a fraction early before running home nicely to just miss behind Screwed Down. I expect improvement to come at his second run back and the early betting suggests he can fight out the finish here