Pakenham Preview & Best Bets – Thursday February 9
Our form expert provides Pakenham tips for today’s horse racing at Pakenham Racecourse and gives his best bets.
Pakenham Tips 9/2/2023
BEST BET 🏆
Race 3 No. 12 ETERNAL FLAME – ($2.30)
A few unknowns here with a number of first starters in action but it might be worth having a crack at ETERNAL FLAME. The Mick Kent-trained filly was impressive on debut over the 1200m here on January 12, settling back in the field of 12 before running on strongly to fill the exacta behind Shaime, putting a four length gap on the rest of them. The daughter of Sacred Falls produced the fastest last 400m and 200m to go 1.4 lengths faster than standard. That suggests she should be winning sooner rather than later and the step up to the 1400m looks ideal.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 4 No. 11 MARBLE ARCH – ($2.30)
MARBLE ARCH can go on with the job in Race 4. The Ben & JD Hayes-trained galloper claimed her Maiden at Pakenham in emphatic fashion on January 19, overcoming a wide run throughout to win by more than four lengths from Star Magic. That was just her second career start and first since coming over from New Zealand. She looks right up to the rise to BenchMark 64 and comes in with the best last start benchmark figures of any runner.
BEST VALUE 💰(EACH-WAY)
Race 8 No. 6 SUNFALL – ($8)
SUNFALL can end a bit of a run of outs when he steps out in the final event of the evening. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper has not won in 19 months but has been unlucky not to win in his current preparation, narrowly missing out at Sandown before being caught wide without cover at that track earlier this year. At his most recent start, the son of Zoustar settled just worse than midfield over the 1400m here on January 25 and they absolutely crawled early on as the race developed into a bit of a sit sprint. Tempo looks a bit more genuine this time around and he looks like he is searching for the 1600m. Patrick Moloney rides and the pair draw barrier 5.
