Best BetBunbury r5 Chin Strap; Things went amiss before a freshen up but before that had very strong form for this maiden. Should go very close if back to best.
Best Bet Morphetville r3 Yulong Yongxing: Weir is a genius at placing his midweek horses in Adelaide. This horse won a Terang maiden impressively on his first dry track run and ran good races before that. Stable jockey has traveled with and black figures looks acceptable.
Caulfield r9 Duke of Brunswick; Has a good 3rd up record including a 2nd to Voodoo Lad and with 54kgs, barrier 3 and Olly riding looks tough to beat.
Randwick r4 Dal Cielo; Has recently changed stables with great effect. Simply one too impressively last start not to tip.
Best Bet Canterbury r5 Reach for Heaven; Ran a tough 3rd in Saturday grade first up in a race where the form has stacked up very well. One for One second up, drawn well.
Mundine v Green. My interest in this fight has dwindled immensely but from a punters point of view the $4 for Mundine by decision looks best value.
Best Bet Ascot r4 Pinzu; Looks a hot speed that will help him swoop past them like last start. Only worry is sharp rise in weight.
Rosehill r5 Australiana ; Always an ask to jump from a Newcastle maiden to 100k Saturday race but was so impressive bolting in what turned out to be a hot form race when well supported. I'm happy to back Waterhouse in.
Best Bet Mooney Valley r7 Black Heart Bart; The WFA conditions of the Group 2 Australia Stakes makes it very hard to go past the WA champ. Flies fresh including a nose 2nd in a Newmarket Handicap and has impressive distance stats of 7 goes for 4,2,0. One knock is he is yet to be proven at track with his only start a last in the Cox Plate but this is a completely different race. There looks to be enough speed on to swoop if they can make ground. Big strong weight carrier, multiple group one winner, meeting rivals at equal weights.
Gloucester Park r3 Ideal Alice; Has the gate speed to overcome tricky draw and is always extremely hard to beat back in mares company.
Best Bet Bunbury r7 Miss Sondrio; Very interesting clash between the up and coming fav and more seasoned horses in the feature race on the card. Miss Sondrio stats are 4 from 5 starts including2 from 3 at distance and 3 from 3 at track. Down in the weights to counter the jump in class can definitely make it 5 in a row and remain unbeaten this prep. Flytego is very well weighted after the claim, loves the track and distance and is dropping in class. Already supported from $10 to $6, worth a saver. Close 2nd fav Just Act Natural is a risk at 1200m in my opinion.
Randwick r5 Pumpkin Pie; Promising 3yo filly taking on older horses and 1400m for first time. Hoping the jockey settles much closer today considering it has the featherweight 50kg and the pace looks slow. Dead Calm looks likely to set the slow pace and with Bowman on looks hardest to catch if looking for a saver.
Best Bet Mount Barker r8 Candlelight Star; Mungrup Sprint and this grey sprinter is in career best form. 2 wins and 2 places from it's last 4 starts at Ascot, trained in the great southern and weighted to finish all over the top of them.
Best Bet Randwick r9 Deploy; Speed map has it sitting right behind leaders and will be very hard to hold out and make it three wins in a row.
Randwick r4 Clipper: They have yet to get near this unbeaten 3yo, the stable has a great strike rate in these highways and it will be on speed. (position not drug!) Not sure why it's drifting in market but hopefully just means we win more eway.
Mooney Valley r6 Big Duke; Weir import who is hitting his straps in Australia and only has to handle the Valley to thrash these.
Best Bet Cranbourne r1 Pretty Mamma; Did enough on debut to suggest it can win this maiden. Being out of Pentire would suggest the extra distance suits. The early money is coming for the Weir runner so Mamma is getting out to an attractive price ($3.20) in a field of five.
Gloucester Park r8 Gaz Wannabet; Was flying before it put on a rodeo performance last start. The start (as always in trots) is very important as equal fav Ultimate Major is drawn inside Gaz. I'm hoping something else can hold the lead as Gaz is more versatile.
Best Bet; Ascot r1 Keepers Tale: Today's fields are littered with odds on favs which I usually steer clear of. This one was slaughtered by jockey last start, has gone close numerous times and strikes a weak race. Using a boost option with either Ladbrokes, Sportsbet or Tabtouch makes it back
Ascot r4 Pagan Dancer: Blackfriars, LDR trainer (on fire), won it's maiden easily in a very weak field last start but this isn't much tougher and Pike rides.
Best Bet Pinjarra r3 Super Exceed; Exceed and Excel gelding who placed 2nd at this track and distance last start, is drawn the right side of the straight 1000m and trainer Jim Taylor doesn't travel to the provincials if he doesn't think it can win. $3.30 looks a fair price.
Best Bet Ascot r6 Key To Fame; Conditions expected to suit leaders today and this one loves to lead. Had to breeze last start and only run down late. Out to 1400m and drawn in, expected to get it pretty soft out front and prove very hard to run down.
Following both r3 Carocapo and r4 Sasso Circus who LDR have tipped successfully in the past. Carocapo will be tough to beat if finds front and Sasso's Circus looks well placed after going close last start however both look slightly under the odds at this stage.
Gold Coast r5 Egyptian Symbol; Was unlucky (slaughtered by jockey) on Millions day last year and looks perfectly placed here for what looks like a huge day for trainer Bjorn Baker. He also has the boom sprinter Winning Rupert in r7 and if you like backing odds on fav's the 1.60 looks more than reasonable.
Best Bet Sandown r5 Stone Warrior; Ran a very nice third in a bm70 at Flemington last start, dropping back to 64 grade at Sandown sees it hard to beat.
Sandown r8 Fast Tycoon; Is always right in the market, has a win and 2nd at two starts here and will fight out the finish again.
Best Bet Pinjarra r5 Celebrity Dream; Back on the Pike bandwagon, I rate this sprinter much higher than today's opposition, short but sweet.
Pinjarra r7 Sasso's Circus; Got the money as our best bet last start ears pricked and no reason it can't repeat the dose for Pike again and LDR trainer Jason Miller.
Best Bet Geraldton r4 Danehill Matilda; Was born to run at Geraldton with a record of 5 starts at track for 3 wins and a second. Looks the goods, use the boost options with various operaters.
Best Bet Ascot r3 Carocapo; Was well supported on debut and showed great speed and got the job done. Expected to find front again and prove very hard to run down.
Ascot r4 Cosmic Storm; Looks the short multi anchor horse for the day, winning two legs of this mares series and was ridden too close other leg. As long as Pike gets it off the fence from barrier one in time it should finish over the top of them.
Ascot r6 Three Votes; Has a good record of 3 wins from 6 starts. Has been taught to take a sit at the trials and it seems to have worked, winning it's latest with a blistering turn of foot.
Ascot r7 Volkoff; The pace looks frantic in this and Volkoff can sit just off them and sprint over the top. One of the bets of the day.
Eagle Farm r8 Ocean Embers; This mare is unbeaten first up. Drawn the carpark but comes from last with an absolute booming finish anyway and at $10 looks the clear value bet of the day.
Check the homepage at Lucky Duck Racing for the Perth Cup Preview. Have a great end to 2016 and see you next year!!
Best Bet andwick r6 Malice; roke a two year drought last start but this race is no harder and carries same weight. Think we might get a little better than $3 if patient.
Best Bet: Ascot r7 Star Exhibit; ATA Stakes is the final lead up to the Perth Cup and Star Exhibit put the writing on the wall last start, looming up to challenge Kia Ora Koutou before peaking late. That was it's first go at a trip and the winner is my early cup tip.
Ascot r 3 Travellin; Beat key rival last start, good track and distance stats, no star by any means but always tries his heart out and $5 looks value.
Sandown r6; Rewarding Effort: Racing very consistently and ready for Saturday mission. Even money is rock bottom however.
Best Bet Ascot r7 Tonkatuff; Finally won his maiden last start, winning easily against General Husson who bolted in next start and then won the first today at $2.40. Why we are getting $7.50 each way I don't know but unless it has lost a leg that seems very generous. Has always shown enough to have more upside than most of these.
Best Bet Bunbury r4 Hakuna Matata; Giving him one last chance. 3rd up out to a suitable trip if he doesn't beat this maiden field then our relationship is over. Surely today's his day!