3 minute read
The Lightning Stakes is one of the highlights of the racing year in Australia and it's no different in 2020 with Nature Strip kicking off what will hopefully be a global campaign.
There are no prizes (well about 50% on the dollar so a prize but nothing major) for finding Nature Strip on top in the Lightning so we will pass on the feature and instead find our bet of the day in a rather nondescript handicap down to be run as race four.
It's a long way down the pecking order from the features on the card in terms of ratings, but it throws up what looks a great bet in the shape of Classic Weiwei who gets his chance to peak third up from a break.
Most importantly for Classic Weiwei he gets away from low draws with barriers one and two having seen him strung up in traffic in both runs this time in. He has been unable to show quite how well he is going in both runs but there have been little glimpses in those runs to say that he is well and his peak ratings from last April can beat up on a field that are going nowhere in a hurry.
Prices around 5/1 look a good gamble to find out if he is going well enough to his those peaks and the fact that he may not have to to walk away with the prize only sweeten the deal.
For an each way play we roll on to race eight, the Vanity, where seven last start winners line up. They include the very promising favourite Katalin who has marked herself down as a stakes winner in waiting with two high-rating wins to this point. But doesn't the early market know it!
She is very well found and it's one of the few that didn't win last time that looks the better bet to our eye. Parmie was arguably a touch stiff behind her talented stablemate Mrs Beckham last time and produced a rating there that stacks up well against the established group winners at the top and the promising Katalin. She may not have the promise of Katalin but she's a big price and looks well worth keeping on side.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 4 #9 Classic Weiwei @ $6.00
Each Way Play: Race 8 #4 Parmie @ $7.50
