Sport is made for betting

A rare appearance for one of my previews on the blog here. The more I looked at this race, the more I felt like writing it all out in detail, so here we go for the feature race on Super Saturday at Morphettville. ------------------ The Goodwood Always debatable whether this deserves to be classed as a Group I but it's pretty decent race this year. Not much time so let's run through the field. 1 - Moment of Change. I know Peter Moody rates this horse very highly and so do many others but I just don't see it. He is a classy gelding but is he a genuine elite sprinter? His handicap rating is only 108 which isn't even the best in this field. His record is five wins and five placings from 12 starts. Solid, but deserving of an even money or 5/4 quote in a G1 carrying 585.kg, even in Adelaide? Could come out and win this by five, but I can't have him at the price. 2 - Platelet. Great win last start in the Robert Sangster where the odds-on favourite Snitzerland disap...

It's a crackerjack card of Saturday racing in Adelaide with black type from start to finish. The feature of the day, the time-honoured Goodwood is too high profile for our man, Tyson Hamilton, he fancies his chances in the Group III SA Fillies Classic instead. Follow him on Twitter, @tyhamilton24 . ---------------- Morphettville Race 2 – SA Fillies Classic We landed a two point profit on my debut preview, the Emancipation Stakes, nothing huge but better than a loss. Let’s see if we can find something here. I will preface this preview with the note that there are two different veins of form line going into this 3yo Group III; those horses that have been racing against their own age and those competing with the older horses (albeit in weaker grades). As we know, the three year olds have dominated Australian group racing over the last two months. However, I will note that the superstar form lines that have proved so profitable aren't as prevalent over these longer distance ra...

There's more Group I racing action in Australia this weekend but now we've moved on to Adelaide and Brisbane. It's time to welcome back Lara Pocock, @lara_pocock , with her look at the premier weight-for-age sprint race in Queensland. You can read more of her handiwork on her blog . ------------------ BTC Cup This Group One weight for age race over 1200m is being run at Eagle Farm for the first time after the Brisbane Racing Club made the decision to moved it in case champion mare Black Caviar made an appearance and to accommodate the large crowds. Without the Champion, the race is made up of many who could benefit from her retirement, having been placed to her on a number of occasions. The Eagle Farm track is currently rated a Dead 4, with 11 horses going to post for the $256,000 first prize. 1. Buffering ($2.60) - A true Group One bridesmaid who is due his day. Buffering has been place at Group One level seven times but has been unable to gain a victory at the hi...

As we move on from Guineas weekend towards Epsom, the brilliant Chester May festival kicks into gear. I can't honestly say it's the best course for fair racing, but if you're the type who loves established trends/biases like inside draws and front runners favoured, then you'll love it. And Chester festival weeks are one hell of a party! He's too young to know about that side of Chester, but aspiring young racecaller Will Bowler has stepped up with s preview of the opening three races of the week. Follow him on Twitter, @willbowler2k12 or read more of his work, including more races than this preview, on his blog . ------------------ Chester day 1 1.45 - Manor House Stables Lily Agnes Conditions Stakes (5f 16y - 15 run) What a start to the meeting with fifteen two year olds flying around the Roodee. Last year, it was won by All Fur Coat from the Jo Hughes yard, and she has Marilyn Marquessa in the line up this time under Paul Hanagan. The key stat for this ...

The colts did their thing today, so tomorrow it's the fillies' turn for a Newmarket classic. It's time to welcome back occasional blog contributor Jim Gilchrist, @jimgilch , with his assessment of the race. You can read more of his penmanship via his blog . ---------------------- The 1000 Guineas Fifteen go to post for the Fillies Classic on Sunday, the Qipco 1,000 Guineas, over the straight mile. After such a dramatic few weeks in flat racing's HQ for all the wrong reasons, with the al Zarooni and Butler yards guilty of steroid use, Newmarket will be glad to get back to doing what it does best, and that's racing itself of course. The forecast is set fair and the ground likely to be around good to firm (watered to maintain). With the stalls placed in the centre it should provide a fairly level playing field, however much may depend on wind conditions (often overlooked by punters) as to whether front runners are favoured here. Indications are that it is most li...

Once again, feature race action this weekend takes in Hong Kong, this time for the Champions Mile. After her successful debut last week, welcome back Lara Pocock, @lara_pocock. You can read more of her handiwork on her blog . ------------------- Champions Mile The second successive International Group One on a Sunday takes place in Hong Kong this weekend, the Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m). The field will feature ten top class milers, including two international contenders. The Hong Kong Jockey Club website is becoming one of the best around for updates, with track notes publishing daily, along with photographs of the horses working and quotes from connections, as well as full reactions to the barrier draw, which took place on Thursday. Those outside of Hong Kong can view the race replays in full, another useful feature. The website is available here - www.hkjc.com/english The Sha Tin track is currently on the better side of good, with some of the runners hoping for some cut in the...

Due to a sloppy effort on the bookings by yours truly, I've ended up with two previews of the 2000 Guineas. Well, it's that good a race, and they have contrasting opinions, so why not print them both! This one comes from international form student David Haddrell, @davidhaddrell . -------------------- The 2000 Guineas Saturday afternoon sees the first UK classic of the 2013 season at Newmarket over the famous Rowley Mile. This looks a strong renewal with some big reputations on the line. As usual, I'll skip through the field one by one... 1. Correspondent Won a maiden and a novice race on polytrack as a two year old and reappeared in the Greenham this year but got stuffed finishing fourth of the five runners. Brian Meehan's horses often improve for the run but even so, this one needs to improve about four stone! 100/1 in the betting and rightly so. 2. Cristoforo Colombo One of three Ballydole horses and the first string if you believe the jockey bookings. Campaig...

Due to a sloppy effort on the bookings by yours truly, I've ended up with two previews of the 2000 Guineas. Well, it's that good a race, and they have contrasting opinions, so why not print them both! This one comes from Newmarket regular Jon Thompson, @jaytee6666 . ----------------- Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes A field of 13 head to post for the 205th running of the 2000 Guineas with the two market leaders dominating the tipsters selection columns and virtually every single discussion that you care to listen to on the race! Dawn Approach was the champion two year old in 2012 with six victories from six races to his name including a Group II and two Group I races including his final start in the Dewhurst at HQ. Toronado is also unbeaten with three wins last year plus the benefit of an outing and a Group III success when scoring in the Craven Stakes also at HQ a little over two weeks ago. These two colts have dominated the market now for a lengthy period of time and there do...

The first weekend in May is always a cracker for international racing buffs - Guineas weekend at Newmarket and the one day racing really hits the mainstream in the US, for the Kentucky Derby. Avid US racing fan and blog regular, Jon da Silva, @creamontop , dons the magnifying glass and runs over the field... ------------------------- The Run For The Roses After reading this guide check out www.kentuckyderby.com which puts to shame any online build up to any race in the UK. To qualify for the Kentucky Derby you actually have to win or run close in graded races. Indeed some of the contenders start running in January. It is likely you will have seen all the runners have to race to an extent unlike say a Derby horse in England who had a maiden win followed by a jog sprint trial or two. Whilst the Kentucky Derby route is now down to two or three runs that year for many the need to get qualifying points means most horses must win an early trial or place in the top four in a later tria...