21/9/19 Belmont best bets and tips
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- Author: Mike JohnsonSep 20, 2019 06:19 PM
- Photo: AAP
Best in the West
We witnessed something very special last Saturday, when Jade McNaught rode six of the nine winners on the card including her first Listed win aboard Neurological.
It was a day that will live long in the memory, but in this game we must move forward and onto this week's meeting.
With 5mm of rain falling in Perth mid-week, the Belmont track is likely to dry out in time for race day and be rated a Good 4.
The rail is out 7m the entire circuit and the last time it was in this position, runners in the first half of the field were winning the shorter races.
I suspect we will see a similar pattern this time around.
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Belmont Race 2 Tip #5 Drinkwhatyoulike $2.70
This looks like an intriguing early speed battle, with Drinkwhatyoulike to go forward from the widest draw and sit on the outside of Joyrize.
Mia Dolce typically pushes forward and you'd think rider Brodie Kirby will latch on to the back of Drinkwhatyoulike to get a nice trail across.
Eye Of The Day and Mia Dolce have drawn to lob into trailing positions.
Drinkwhatyoulike won a very smart three-year-old race out at Northam last start, destroying a field that included Wilchino and Warfish.
She drops 1kg from her last start and with Chris Parnham aboard, this promising type can make it back-to-back wins.
Mia Dolce returns off a superb two-year-old campaign, that saw the Patronize filly amass 6 wins from 14 starts.
Coming here off a freshen, her last run at this track was back in July. She was very good that day, leading all the way to win over this distance very nicely.
This looks her stiffest test to date, but with the 2kg claim for Kirby and her great record over the 1000m, she'll be fighting out the finish.
Miss West Coast also returns from a spell here and compared to Mia Dolce, is lightly raced.
She is yet to miss the placings from her six starts, which includes two placings at Group level last prep.
She won a trial last week down at Lark Hill and looked very good under a nice hold.
Jade McNaught takes the ride, where from the inside alley looks to get a lovely run in behind the speed.
Mike's Race 2 Tips
1st Drinkwhatyoulike
2nd Mia Dolce
3rd Miss West Coast
Belmont Race 3 Tip #5 Black Ducati $2.50
Black Ducati showed good improvement last start and although she didn't win, there was plenty to like about her run.
Stepping up to the 1400m, she jumped well enough to race handy but was nabbed late by Beat The Bell.
There was daylight back to the third placed horse and Black Ducati now gets an opportunity for revenge with a 2kg swing in her favour.
Drawn wide, Chris Parnham will look to get across early without spending too much petrol. She's bred for these types of trips and will prove hard to beat.
Stairwaytothemoon resumed in a decent midweek race, running fifth behind Abby Lane, Tonkatuff and Next Stop The Moon.
She should be suited by the extra trip here and has won when second-up. The services of McNaught are a huge plus and she should be landing midfield in the run, with a plan to wind up very late.
Beat The Bell showed a lovely burst of speed last start, getting over the top of Black Ducati at a shorter distance.
She settled towards the rear of the small field on that occasion, before peeling wide and flying over the top late.
Emma Stent retains the ride, but she'll be forced to carry an extra 3kg. Drawn barrier one, she'll need the breaks to come.
Mike's Race 2 Tips
1st Black Ducati
2nd Stairwaytothemoon
3rd Beat The Bell
Belmont Race 7 Tip #11 Some Sort $2.60 (Best Bet)
Expecting Some Sort to lead here, with Excise Free and Dia de La Raza also booting forward from wide draws to trail.
Keen on Some Sort, who lobs in open company for the first time but is down in weight.
He drops back to the 1000m after three runs over 1200m, but did win on debut over this trip.
McNaught will do the steering and after the 2kg claim, he is in very well in with just 52kg.
Night Voyage has a great 1000m record (18:3-3-8) and won very impressively two back with a huge weight.
Chloe Azzopardi goes on today, so it's 62.5kg for the third successive run for this boy.
He's the class horse of the race, but with the huge weight he'll find it hard to chase down Some Sort giving away 10.5kg.
Excise Free comes here second-up after resuming over this class and trip three weeks ago.
The mare sat on-speed there, before running last after being eased up at the 200m. She then trialled on the Monday to see if there were any issues and she got through with no worries.
Chris Parnham sticks on board and will look to ping the wide gate in order to sit behind Some Sort in the run.
With a great record at this distance, she looks set to fight out the finish.
Mike's Race 2 Tips
1st Some Sort
2nd Night Voyage
3rd Excise Free
