Geelong Preview & Best Bets – 06/01/2024

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

Geelong Tips 06/01/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 10 No. 4 YELLOW SAM- ($4.80) 

YELLOW SAM can end the day a winner. The Lindsey Smith-trained galloper comes into this second up and was solid on resumption at Moonee Valley when 3rd behind Holly Lolly. She settled leaders back in that race but was held up from the 400m to the 200m before landing under a length away. Second up at her last preparation, the four-year-old was a big improver on benchmark figures when going from a Donald win in a BM64 to an unlucky 3rd behind Viviane at Caulfield. She draws to get the gun run from barrier 2 for this. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 1 No. 17  CRADLE OF LIFE-  ($4.60) 

Hoping the first emergency, CRADLE OF LIFE, can sneak into the field in the opener. The Richard Laming-trained galloper has had two runs this preparation and needed the hitout when resuming with an 8th at Sandown before heading to Moonee Valley and filling the exacta behind Raetihi over the 1600m. The four-year-old went 2.8 lengths faster than standard benchmark in that race, which is the best last start figure of any runner. He performed well at this distance range at his last preparation and is an early chance on the card for Luke Currie. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 5 No. 1 EXPLORING- ($6.50) 

EXPLORING might have the class and early speed to overcome the wide barrier in Race 5. The Godolphin galloper returns as a three-year-old and won three of six as a juvenile, including two first up runs. Last time, she just had the one winter start for a strong win at Flemington in a race that produced some handy performers in the likes of Archo Nacho and Ouroboros with those two filling the minors behind her over the 1000m. The daughter of Brazen Beau should be ready after a couple of trials and gets the 1.5kg claim for Celine Gaudray.