3 minute read
Last Saturday wasn't Derby Day, and this Saturday isn't Stakes Day, but it's still hard not to love back-to-back Saturday's at Flemington.
This week's card lacks a designated 'feature' but what it doesn't lack for is interesting betting handicaps. A week out from Xmas and we have ourselves a card loaded with stocking stuffers - or so we hope.
The seventh is a good sprint down the straight six where the early favourites - It'sourtime and Sixbysixtythree - are both untapped and come off the right sort of wins but the race runs a good deal deeper than just that pair and we find out bet of the day outside of them in the form of The Gauch.
The Gauch has had more racing than that pair, and so perhaps doesn't have the same potential, but he does have runs on the board. He's reliable; consistently returning the sort of rating that is going to make the new kids on the block stretch.
In a race that can set up for him to stalk and pounce under a jockey who got a fine tune - and a win - out of him when they linked up at Sale three back we could make a case that it should be three at the top of the market and prices around $6.50 appeal as a good gamble about The Gauch.
We go from one that never runs a bad race in The Gauch to one that has turned in a pair of shockers this time around in Litchfield County.
Litchfield County runs in a really good fifth race on the card, a handicap with good summer handicappers and a couple of interesting bits and pieces.
None more interesting than Litchfield County who ran good splits to beat Curran last prep before a string of strong efforts behind 'group horses' that all make for good reading now.
A flop on the heavy - where he pulled up slow to recover - and a well beaten run in a race where they were all well beaten away from a smart winner, are not enough to switch him right off but that is what the early markets have done with $18.00 a top gamble about one that is easily good enough to win it and runs for a smart yard who have had four weeks to work some magic.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 7 # The Gauch @ $6.50
Each Way Play: Race 5 #4 Litchfield County @ $18.00
