Eagle Farm Preview & Best Bets - Saturday February 4
Randwick Preview & Best Bets – Saturday February 4
Randwick Tips 4/02/2023
Our form expert provides Randwick tips for Saturday’s horse racing at Randwick Racecourse and gives his best bets.
BEST BET 🏆
Race 2: No.4 COSMIC MINERVA ($3.80 with TAB)
The Bjorn Baker-trained COSMIC MINERVA is yet to miss a podium finish in six career starts and looks set here to bring up win number three in this contest. Last start the Deep Field gelding finished a close-up third in a BM72 Hcp over 1500m at Rosehill. He recorded the fastest final 400m and 200m sectionals for the race where he was beaten less than a length on the line. He finished runner-up in this grade two starts back and from gate four, maps to settle behind all the early pace here. He is joined by James McDonald for the first time here and the stable fit the blinkers for the first time as well. With J.Mac in charge, he looks a genuine threat to this field.
NEXT BEST 🥈
Race 9: No.1 STAR SPARKS ($6.50 with Palmerbet)
The Tulloch Lodge galloper STAR SPARKS is third-up here and ticks enough boxes to suggest he is the one to beat in this event. Last start, the well-bred Medaglia D’oro gelding fought hard to the finish but second-up, his condition just faltered in the dying stages, leaving him to collect second prize in a BM88 over the Randwick mile. He ran out the trip, 5.6 lengths quicker than benchmark, the best in this line-up and a new personal best for him as well. He is a three-time winner on soft tracks and has already saluted when third-up. Josh Parr has the ride here after steering him to victory at Canterbury three starts back. Fitter for those two runs back, he looks the testing material here.
BEST VALUE 💰
Race 5: No.4 PRETTY WILD ($3.90 with Palmerbet)
Chris Waller saddles-up PRETTY WILD here who will be out to make amends for the hiccup at Randwick last start. The Brazen Beau mare’s first four race starts all ended in top-two finishes but last start, she looked all at sea, finishing second-last in a BM78 Hcp over 1100m. She meets similar company here over a longer trip and winning rider James McDonald returns to the saddle after steering the mare to her maiden win when on debut on a heavy Warwick Farm track. Placed at this track and distance previously, we can forgive her last-start effort and run with her again in this contest.
