Moonee Valley Preview & Best Bets – 23/03/2024

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

Moonee Valley Tips 23/03/2024

BEST BET 🏆   

Race 6 No. 4 MOLLYNICKERS- ($2.50) 

MOLLYNICKERS should be hard to beat in the Alexandra Stakes for the fillies. The Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained galloper has had two runs this time in and has finished 3rd in both of those. She stepped out over the 1600m at Flemington last time and settled worse than midfield but was held up when the race was on at the top of the straight. She eventually ran home to fill the minors, going down half a length. The daughter of Pierro went 11 lengths faster than standard benchmark, which is a better figure than what any horse in this race has set. She should be ready at her third run back. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 3 No.1 STRAWBERRY ROCK – ($3.50) 

STRAWBERRY ROCK can go close in Race 3. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper will have to do it with the 61kg but should be at his peak fourth up and drops slightly in grade after placing 3rd behind Aramco at Flemington in a BenchMark 84 earlier this month. The lightly raced seven-year-old has performed well at the track and trip in the past and will be ridden by Ben Melham, who strikes at 30% for the stable, providing a 49% profit on turnover for punters. 

NEXT BEST 🥈   

Race 5 No. 2 WISHLOR LASS- ($4.80) 

We can expect some improvement from WISHLOR LASS in the Group 2 Sunlike Stakes. The five-year-old resumed in the Tressady Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last month and went down as a $2 favourite but did have an excuse or two as she pulled up with an issue, while she was also held up late in the piece. She was an improver when second up at her last preparation when going from a 4th at Sandown to a win at that venue, while the highlight of her preparation was her dominant win at the track and trip on Cox Plate day. She can push across from the barrier early on in a race that lacks a genuine leader. Expect her to be hard to run down. 

BEST VALUE 💰   

Race 9 No. 4 GUMDROPS- ($8) 

GUMDROPS shapes as a major player in Race 9 for the fillies and mares. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper has won two of four and resumed at Flemington on March 9 over the 1100m with a 4th behind Hedged. She cost herself at the start of that race with a poor getaway but was solid through the line. Second up at her spring campaign, the daughter of Written Tycoon improved 18 lengths on benchmark figures when going from a Ballarat Maiden win to a win in Listed grade on Cox Plate day at the track and trip.