It looks a solid meeting at Canterbury on Wednesday and I’m keen to get back behind the wheel after a couple of near misses in the past few days.
SOLAR PATCH (Canterbury Race 3 No 2)
Underrated three-year-old with excellent form references this preparation. We used him as a guide when tipping Demerara last week, now it’s his turn. He was a dominant maiden winner first-up and since then his form is solid in harder races than this. Second-up he finished third behind genuine stakes performers Shogun Sun and Addictive Nature before a respectable fourth behind Super Ex, which came out and beat the Stakes-placed Merovee and subsequent city winner Beau Geste at his next run. Last time out Solar Patch raced back and was held-up before working home well to finish second to Demerara, he wouldn’t have beaten her but should have been a length or so closer. This is the easiest race he’s run in since winning his maiden, he’s drawn to take up a forward spot and he appears well weighted. Hard to beat.
BET: WIN
ODDS $4.25 @ Bet365
MANDALONG KISS (Canterbury Race 4 No 1)
She’s big odds this mare on Wednesday. She was building in good style in her first two runs this prep but not a lot has gone her way in her last two starts. Two runs back she wasn’t suited in a leader-dominated race then last time she was held up, racing in little room at the turn and in the early part of the straight. Under the steadier of 58.5kg she couldn’t quicken when she found an unimpeded path nearing the 200m and worked to the line evenly over the latter stages. This time she drops back to mares’ grade, a small field of eight suits, and with a 1900m race now under her belt, she should be strong at a track she’s won at a couple of times. This is the easiest race she’s run in this prep, big each-way odds.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $17 @ Sportsbet, CrownBet, Bet365, William Hill, PalmerBet, Unibet
MARSUPIAL (Canterbury Race 5 No 3)
This great-looking son of Street Cry drops massively in grade on Wednesday. His first-up run when second behind Tango Rain was a beauty and let’s not forget he beat Isorich home that day, he’s won two strong Saturday grade races since. Second-up Marsupial was a bit plain but horses can do that off a strong first-up run so happy to cut him some slack when assessing him here. He’s drawn barrier 7 but there’s good speed drawn to his immediate inside and I expect Hugh Bowman to lob into a good trailing spot somewhere around midfield and if the breaks go his way we’ll see a smart colt in the straight.
BET: WIN
ODDS $2.30 @ Luxbet, Unibet
MISSILE CODA (Canterbury Race 8 No 1)
This smart mare is attractively priced on Wednesday. Firstly, I expect her to firm as Les Bridge is likely to scratch either Slow Burn or Zonk as he’s declared Tim Clark on both horses, I think Slow Burn won’t run after drawing barrier 12. That would see Missile Coda start as favourite but she’s still good value coming back sharply in grade and if Slow Burn does run, I’m happy to bet against her from that draw. Missile Coda did start favourite last time out in a strong Saturday race that was won by Isorich and he won again on the Saturday just passed. He beat the mare two lengths after she spent the trip three wide without cover. That was her first run for almost six weeks so she can improve off it and this is a much easier contest.
BET: WIN
ODDS $5.50 @ Ladbrokes, CrownBet, Bet365, William Hill, Unibet
