The Group 1 WA Oaks (2536m) highlights a stellar 10-event card at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The $150,000 feature has brought together 12 promising fillies, with the Victorian raider Soho Seraphine adding some interstate intrigue.
The members of the WA Trotting Media Guild have sidestepped the program’s feature in their search for their best bets.
Ernie Manning, the pacing expert from The West Australian and The Sunday Times, has selected Chal Patch as his star bet.
“Kiwi import Chal Patch gets the chance this week to confirm he is a genuine prospect for next month’s $450,000 WA Pacing Cup,” Manning said. “The Nathan Turvey-trained gelding was highly impressive when winning at headquarters a fortnight ago. He won six New Zealand races ahead of arriving last autumn in WA, where his tally is four wins from eight starts. The five-year-old has clearly improved since a recent six-week break from racing.”
Longshot guru Pat Harding and Ryan Havercroft, the racing co-ordinator from The West Australian, have opted for Minstrel in the night’s free-for-all.
“Looks like being a very successful night for the Greg and Skye Bond camp with a number of chances,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race four with the Bond-trained Minstrel from barrier one. With three Bond horses in the race I think the barrier will play a major part.”
And Havercroft agrees.
“Minstrel wasn’t far away when a first-up seventh a fortnight ago and with a better barrier and natural improvement, he should prove hard to overcome this week,” Havercroft said. “The Greg and Skye Bond-trained gelding has won both times when drawing barrier one at Gloucester Park, with one of those victories being an all-the-way win in the 2022 Fremantle Cup.”
Guild president Wayne Currall believes Lusaka can return to winning form in race six.
“Lusaka finished second behind the impressive El Casanova a fortnight ago at headquarters,” Currall said. “His previous start, his first in four months, resulted in all-the-way victory. This Sweet Lou entire has a touch of class about him, evident from his record – nine wins and three placings from 13 starts.”
Award-winning journalist Ken Casellas is keen on Hoppys Way in race eight.
“Hoppys Way stands out as the logical choice as my best bet this week,” Casellas said. “The Mike Reed-trained four-year-old is sure to appreciate a massive drop in class and he has the class to overcome his back-line draw in race eight. Hoppys Way has been performing very well against quality opposition, including Chal Patch, Youre So Fine, Alcopony, Mea Culpa and Valentines Brook, in recent weeks.”
VALUE BETS:
ERNIE: Talented four-year-old Star Casino looks set to run a big race at his Perth debut and connections hope he can earn a start in the $200,000 Golden Nugget, to be run on December 15. The gelding won five Kiwi races, including two at Christchurch, before a transfer to WA. He has won twice at Northam and run a Pinjarra second in three starts for trainer Ray Williams.
PAT: My double comes in up race two with No. 4 Robbie Easton. He is due for a change of luck after his win three starts ago.
RYAN: Castella Dellacqua has been consistent since arriving in the State and she gets out to a great each-way price for running in the top two in all four local starts.
WAYNE: Classic Choice looks a great each-way play in the opening event. He is the sole runner drawn on the back line and driver Chris Voak should be able to place him in a favourable position over the sprint journey.
KEN: Seeryanfly has the class to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the 20m mark in race seven. He is a splendid standing-start performer, and his last-start win was full of merit.
Click here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.