3 minute read

The Lightning Stakes is one of the top races in the land and it's a terrific betting edition in 2019.

Three of the first four home from the Coolmore back in the spring and the exciting Graff make for a strong three-year-old challenge in the Lightning this year and top mare In Her Time leads the older brigrade. There's not a huge deal between them on the figures and it's conceivable that any of Sunlight, Graff or In Her Time could go to post as favourite. We probably mark them in that order but we're happy to look around the main race for our play of the day.  

That comes in the sixth race on the card where the Mick Price-trained Heptagon  appeals on the back of a strong win last time out.  

He carried the Melbourne Mail with him there after impressing two back and he went right on with the job, recording a new peak and setting himself up to win again.  

We'd have to concede that he got all the favours there under Mark Zahra but he made the most of a sweet run and the top jock sticks on Saturday which offsets concerns about where he might get from a wider draw this time.  

Also offsetting that concern is the fact that he could probably ease off that rating and remain a strong winning hope and that there is a good bit of juice in early prices around the $5.00 mark - it's cheap enough to have a swing and a miss at that price! 

The card is littered with horses that appeal at each-way prices and the seventh, the CS Hayes, is very much an each way betting affair.  

Chris Waller has a strong hand and we like his 1-2 punch down from Sydney, Adana and Performer.  

Performer looks an each way gamble worth having off a fairly promising return run. This time last year he was sent out heavy favourite in a Todman Stakes and it's fair to say that since then things haven't gone to play.  

He threw the jockey in the Todman and then lost his way in a fairly lacklustre spring campaign but he returned back a peg in a handicap and ran really well. It was a nice sign of life and he is now tried out to 1400m which we fancy can play to his strengths.  

Double figure prices are worth keeping on side.  

THE MELBOURNE MAIL 

Bet Of The Day: Race 6 #2 Heptagon @ $5.00

Each Way Play: Race 7 #5 Performer @ $10.00