3 minute read

It's Bletchingly Stakes Day which signals the end of the season is fast approaching and even puts a little hint of spring in the air.

It's just a hint of spring, no more than that, but the Bletchingly is a good contest with Streets Of Avalon and Widgee Turf well-performed additions to the Monash form which was a strong edition itself. 

It should be a good race, and a good betting heat, but we are looking elsewhere for our best of the day. Looking where we have already been looking, throwing good money after bad, chasing our losses... with Double You Tee. 

He was taken back to last when we fancied him last week. That was suboptimal. It then slipped to the suboptimal side of suboptimal when the field bowled around at a farcial tempo. The very sort of farcical tempo that we used as something of an excuse for his plain effort prior. 

There was no chance at all of him getting involved last week and it is no surprise to see him turned out quickly just seven days later after that nothing run. If he runs to this best, particularly with question marks over Mahamedeis at the trip and at this point in his campaign, then Double You Tee is good enough to spreadeagle these. It's a race with a very long tail and hopefully they will be chasing Double You Tee's...

That is the eighth on the card and we roll straight on to the ninth which is a warm-looking handicap for three-year-olds over 1400m headed up by impressive last-start winner Mystery Shot.  

Mystery Shot  impressed last time, and deserves to head the betting, but there's a couple of interesting runners lurking about underneath him and one of those appeals as a good each way bet - Reckoning. 

He's shown glimpses of good talent from day one and his peak efforts give him a nice chance in a race like this. Last time at Sandown he was left with far too much to do and it was easy to walk away from that race marking him down as an unlucky loser.  

This is a much tougher race than that, but he should have won it, and can go faster. Craig Williams switches on and should have him parked a good deal closer this time. Prices around 20-1 in early markets appeal and there's every chance we get better yet. 

THE MELBOURNE MAIL 

Bet Of The Day: Race 8 #1 Double You Tee (again) @ $3.60

Each Way Play: Race 9 #4 Reckoning @ $21.00