Really struggled to get favourites beat when doing the form this week but expecting to end the day on Saturday on a good note.
FRENCH TUNE (Randwick Race 1 No 7)
I’ve got a bit of time for this progressive three-year-old colt by Your Song. He was looking the part at the trials prior to his debut run back in February when fourth behind Albumin in a maiden that’s proved a decent race. French Tune pulled up with a poor post race recovery and respiratory distress and was spelled. He again trialled well leading into this campaign but first-up this time he got the job done when defeating Poetic Charmer with a 2-3/4 length margin back to third at Canterbury recently. Not totally sure about the depth of that race but Poetic Charmer, which was also resuming, had produced two solid enough efforts behind Viridine in his previous campaign so I think the race should hold up. Stepping up to 1400m, French Tune should be able to dictate from the front here and provided they don’t overdo the early tempo, I expect him to take catching. Regent is the obvious danger and his form reads well but he’ll have to go right back from that gate and at the short quote, I have to take him on.
BET: EACH-WAY
ODDS $7 @ Bet365
HOGMANAY (Randwick Race 3 No 1)
He’s an underrated horse and appears to be going as well as ever this prep. He’s got three runs under his belt now, the latest off a four week break so expecting his fitness level to be at a mark where he can show us what he’s got. Come into this out of the Sir Plush race a fortnight ago. He was no match for the winner there but he beat some handy ones home and this is a slight drop in grade. He’ll be better suited up to the mile now, from the draw he can put himself into the box-seat and he gets along well with James Innes Jnr so the 2kg claim is a real bonus. On a day where I struggled to find anything at good odds with confidence, I think Hogmanay will give us a good sight.
BET: WIN
ODDS $6 @ CrownBet, Bet365
SIR PLUSH (Randwick Race 5 No 9)
They changed the tactics last start and wow – he was a different horse. Allowed to stride, Sir Plush ran and he just kept running. It was an impressive win and looking back through his form it does read ok. In his two previous runs he was close up behind Isorich and Bonny O’reilly. This is a step up again but he’s dropping 3.5kg and staying at 1400m. If he repeats what he did last time, he’ll take some catching with the lightweight.
BET: WIN
ODDS $3.50 @ CrownBet
VIRIDINE (Randwick Race 6 No 3)
He was really impressive winning first-up. In the first two wins of his career in his debut preparation during the winter he didn’t know how to put them away but didn’t that change at Randwick three weeks ago. He paraded pre-race with considerable improvement to come but when Brenton Avdulla pressed the button in the straight he put them away in a few strides. The other part of Viridine’s racing manners that remain a work in progress is his aggression early but this time the inclusion of Snitzcraft and Shudabeen should ensure a truly run race which will help. He stalks the speed from barrier 2 and he’s going to be hard to stop if he’s gone forward as expected.
BET: WIN
ODDS $3 @ Ladbrokes ($3.50 Odds Boost), CrownBet, Unibet
DIXIE BLOSSOMS (Randwick Race 8 No 1)
Loved the way she got to the line in Golden Pendant when beating all but her stablemate Daysee Doom. That’s the right form race for this and the rise to the mile puts the ball in Dixie Blossoms' court this time. She has an outstanding record at Randwick, especially over this trip and she meets Daysee Doom a couple of kilos better this time compared with their last start clash. The barrier draw also favours Dixie Blossoms again, as it did in the Golden Pendant but the difference this time is Daysee Doom has never raced beyond 1500m so this is a new beast for her. I think Dixie is the best bet of the day.
BET: WIN
ODDS $4.60 @ CrownBet, Luxbet, Unibet
