Sport is made for betting

Love this race, it looks like one of the stronger editions we have seen in recent years. You can have all the WFA races you like, but proper high quality handicaps where the champs carry the weight taking on the up and comers get my blood racing. Often these races have a few deadweights long out of form or turn up as frequently as Halley's Comet - of the 16 runners before emergencies, they all have winning strike rates of 24% or better. Magnificent. Note this race over 1100m is from the Hillside chute so it's a bend rather than a full turn - not as damaging if caught wide, but note it is run to the second finishing post, a temporary measure to accommodate additional race distances at Sandown during the Caulfield renovations. OAKLEIGH PLATE Group 1, 1100m, Handicap of AU$750,000 Sandown (Lakeside) Saturday, Feb 25, 1740 local, 0640 GMT 1. Roch 'N' Horse Kiwi mare who has won the two biggest 1200m races at Flemington, the G1 Newmarket Hcp (SP 101) and the G1 Champions Spr...

A sensational day of racing on Saturday in Melbourne, but this year it'll be run in the wide open spaces of Sandown rather than the MRC's other track, Caulfield, which is undergoing major works. Sandown is a great track (technically two courses, Hillside and Lakeside, and this programme will mix across the two) but it's a long way out in the suburbs, making it less popular with the powers that be in Victorian racing.  There's been debate for many years about the value of the land and whether it'd be better to sell it off to developers, creating a huge funds to spend on other venues, namely Caulfield. But Melbourne is a huge sprawling city these days, having all the race meetings in inner suburbs doesn't work for everyone, plus Sandown is the winter workhorse, staging midweek meetings just about every week in a regular season and still races fairly. Since it was opened in 1965, it has barely had any investment in facilities (apart from a recent splash of the cash...

I haven't written a Grand Slam preview for a while and I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment, so why not spend some time previewing the action from Melbourne Park. Southern Australia has had a very wet spring and summer, so expect a bit of rain in amongst a few days of hot weather. But there are multiple courts with a roof these days, that won't hold them back too much. On with the preview! Running down the draw, listing seeds and notable floaters: 1. Iga Swiatek , R1 v Niemeier - clear no.1 in the women's game with a 67-9 record last season, bagging two majors (French and US) plus five premier level (WTA 1000) events. Was only #9 in the world this time last year, reaching the semis, then went on a ridiculous 37-match run, winning Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart, Rome and the French Open consecutively, securing the no.1 spot before finally dropping a match at Wimbledon. Leading in, she has won three decent matches in the United Cup (Putintseva, Bencic an...

A competitive edition of the Melbourne Cup without being a great one. The La Nina weather cycle has made a mess of sporting events down the east coast in recent weeks and Flemington has not escaped that. It did race very well on Saturday considering the conditions, so fingers crossed that continues. At this stage it seems like the track will be Soft 7/Heavy 8 - rain is forecast, hopefully not enough for the track to deteriorate but also not warm or windy enough for proper drying weather as you'd normally see on the sand profile track.  There are only two international visitors in the field, Deauville Legend and Without A Fight, while another pair, Camorra and Hoo Ya Mal, will make their local debuts having been purchased for Australian syndicates. So the local moaners get their 'mostly locals' race. I think I'd prefer higher class myself but hey... Slightly different format this year, enjoy reading, bet responsibly, yada yada yada... ------------------------------------...

Renowned as the greatest day on the Aussie racing calendar, that moniker has been under threat in recent years as the VRC has sought to spread the quality over the four days of the Cup carnival and rearrange the schedule a bit. Not sure I'm in full support of that but the fields this year have held up well.  The big concern this year is the weather - the east coast of Australia has been copping constant rain for weeks now, you will have seen the floods and the devastation behind it on TV. Flemington traditionally drains well due to its sand profile but that's when the water has somewhere to go. It's saturated at the moment and while getting into the Heavy 9/10 range is unlikely, it also means a fast recovery to a firmer surface is just as unlikely. Tread with caution! Ratings based on Soft 7/Heavy 8, improving through the day. Flemington traditionally drains very well, but there's been plenty of rain in the last few weeks.  R1 - Carbine Club Pungo, short-priced Waller f...

 YORK DAY 2 A little success on the opening day but only enough to keep us going into Thursday. We go again with a little more confidence... 1350 Lowther Stakes Strong G2 2yo fillies' race to start the programme. Dramatised looks the obvious fav after winning the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot but leave me out of her at even money in this field. Kinta worked home nicely in the Princess Margaret at Ascot after being checked in the run, and should enjoy these race conditions. Lady Hollywood came through novice races before winning a Listed race at Naas in front of subsequent winner Mauiewowie. Matilda Picotte has been close up behind Meditate (Albany Stakes winner at Rotal Ascot ahead of Mawj), highly-rated G2 winner Statuette and most recently second in a big field 2yo stakes race at Naas when she won her side of the rtack but was beaten by a colt on the opposite rail. She's in the mix here, while Dramatised, Mawj and Queen Me (looking to become the fourth generation of her family...

YORK Day 1 I love this meeting, on a big, wide open track. None of this up, down and loop-the-loop rubbish like at Goodwood. Best of all, it's less of a bloody rip-off too. I can't make it this year unfortunately but if you've never been - put it on your list. It is a wonderful track, especially at the Ebor meeting. Remember this is a World Pool meeting, so get on board with the Tote for the enormous pools, especially in the exotics. R1 1350 Sky Bet and Symphony Group Handicap So let's kick off with a nice, easy 22 runner sprint! 9/1 the field at time of writing so obviously cases to be made for many. Line up a couple and don't go overboard in the first of 28 races for the meeting. Dakota Gold won this race off 104 back in the pre-pandemic era in 2019. Last year he tried his luck in the Nunthorpe and wasn't disgraced, now he's back to big handicap level which is ideal for him. He has won six from 12 at York, and his jockey Connor Beasley is king of the spri...