Moonee Valley Preview & Best Bets – 12/08/2023

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

Moonee Valley Tips for Saturday, August 12

BEST BET 🏆 (WIN)  

Race 5 No. 1 RECOMMENDATION- ($2.50)

Keen on RECOMMENDATION at his first run back from a spell and early market support suggests this guy should be ready. The Maher/Eustace gelding returns after a three-start summer campaign that culminated with a win at Group 3 level in the Zeditave Stakes (1200m). He settled handy and kept going in the straight that day and at his start prior, the son of Shalaa led them up at Canterbury to claim a BenchMark 64 by just under four lengths. He is likely to look to cross from the barrier and will be ridden by the 1.5kg claimer, Carleen Hefel. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 (WIN) 

Race 7 No 1 FLOATING ARTIST ($4)

Promising return by FLOATING ARTIST at Flemington on July 15 and the Maher/Eustace galloper can be an improver after running 5th that day over the 2000m. The 2021 Melbourne Cup (3200m) 4th placegetter has had some issues since that effort behind Verry Eleegant and has only started twice between then and now. She had a two start campaign in the autumn and was excellent when resuming over the 1400m at Bendigo before a bit of a luckless run in the Hawkesbury Cup (1600m) when 7th. This distance range looks her go and she has been excellent in her two career runs at the Valley. 

NEXT BEST 🥈 

Race 9 No. 4 OMNI MAN- ($2.90)

Willing to take on Inundation and it is OMNI MAN that should be hard to beat in Race 9 at the Valley. The Waterhouse/Bott galloper comes down from Sydney and has been on fire lately, winning three in succession. The five-year-old has gone 9.8 lengths faster than standard or better in all of those runs with a last start win coming in the July Sprint (1100m). His two efforts prior to that were over the 1000m and the form around him has held up since. The son of I Am Invincible has the racing pattern that should be suited at the Valley and draws the fence, which was red hot at the recent meeting here. Rail in the true this time so we should see a track that plays more fairly 

BEST VALUE 💰(EACH-WAY)

Race 10 No 9 CUTE AS- ($8)

Promising win by CUTE AS at Caulfield on July 22 and it might be worth sticking with the unbeaten galloper in the final event of the day at the Valley. The four-year-old claimed her debut at Seymour earlier this year and lined up at a bit of a price when returning at Caulfield over the 1100m but settled handy and drew clear late to score well from Tycoon Jenny. The daughter of Thronum went a healthy 7.9 lengths faster than standard benchmark and can go on with the job here.