3 minute read
The new season gets rolling with the Aurie's Star meeting at Flemington and the feature provides a terrific betting contest.
That betting contest is headed up in early markets by The Astrologist who has won well twice down the straight over the winter and was just as good in a busy finish to the Bletchingly last time.
He was given a particularly good ride when fending off Banquo in a key pointer for this - Banquo travelling strongly but unable to get by The Astrologist who pressed on at exactly the right time to draw the punch out of the chasers.
Now Banquo gets the blinkers on to help him find that knockout punch. That is what he has lacked to this point but he doesn't lack form down the Flemington straight with a handful of runs in the book that make him good enough to win this.
This is certainly no race in two. Aysar will have fans with a couple of strong ratings to his name and Order Of Command had plenty more to offer in the Bletchingly but didn't get a clear run at them. He beat Banquo home here in the Linlithgow last spring but it is interesting that the market saw it 9/2 v 25/1 in favour of Banquo that day.
Sirius Suspect won the summer version of this, the Standish, and loves it here on his home track and King Of Hastings must have some hope coming off winning the Glasshouse up in Queensland last time. But ultimately, each way prices about Banquo look a bit big and he is taken as a bet.
Race six features the same formline, carried by the topweight Red Can Man who can improve getting out to 1400m now but it's Biometric who catches our interest around the $10.00 mark.
He has recaptured his UK form over the winter and it leaves him looking well placed against these with a stronger tempo a big positive for him.
He ran a good race in the Winter Championship Final where they crawled around and sprinted home but he was better than that when winning at 1400m the start prior in a race that worked out really well.
A low draw and a solid tempo set him up that day and he faces a very similar set up this time around which gives him a decent shot at knocking off Red Can Man and Groundswell who shape as the ones he will have to peg back.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Best Of The Day: Race 8 #8 Banquo @ $8.00
Each Way Play: Race 6 #6 Biometric @ $10.00
