Saturday Racing Tips Geelong 06/01/24

While a Listed contest is as classy as the racing gets on Saturday at Geelong, it is still a card that makes plenty of appeal as a betting medium. As expected, the horse racing bookmakers have both our best bet and the next best towards the head of the market. Our roughie could be a bit too big, especially following one of his main dangers, being scratched, which is always a plus. We have our tips and a trifecta, a multi and our jockey of the day picked out, so keep reading.

(Note: Odds provided by PlayUp)

Best of the Day	Geelong Race 9 #2 Va Via	Win: $3.00 Bet Now	Place: $1.50 Bet Now
Next Best	Geelong Race 6 #9 Rey Magnerio	Win: $2.25 Bet Now	Place: $1.30 Bet Now
Roughie of the Day	Geelong Race 3 #2 Zou Sensation	Win: $9.00 Bet Now	Place: $3.30 Bet Now

Geelong Race 3 - Geelong Racing Club Community Cup Bm70 (1400m)

Selections:
#11 Ceerseven - $6.00
#14 Shakattak - $6.00
#2 Zou Sensation (ROUGHIE OF THE DAY) - $9.00
#19 Elouyou - $4.40

BEST BET - #11 Ceerseven
His two career wins have come on debut and off a 166-day gap between runs. It will be 81 days since he was last seen in race action, so this could be the time to catch him, as he loves being fresh. He has a very wide barrier to work from, but it needs to be dropped out the back, so it should not be a massive inconvenience. There should be plenty of pace up front so this maps to fall apart in front of him perfectly.

THE DANGER - #14 Shakattak
He has only tried this far once in his career when faced with softer conditions than he will get here. He didn't settle early on, and having looked to have a chance about 300m out, he faded late in the race. He's worth another try over this far, given the likelihood of a stronger pace to help him settle and less testing conditions for his stamina. It was an easier race that he won at Sandown last time, but he has only had eight runs, so he can do better.

VALUE BET - #2 Zou Sensation
He did the job nicely in a similar race at The Valley last time. That was over 1200m, but he hit the line hard enough to warrant support at 1400m here. He won't have to work too hard to sit close to the pace on this occasion from the inside barrier so that he can save every inch of ground around the rails. He was Listed in 2022 when only a little over a length behind Buenos Noches, but a recent throat operation is nudging him closer to that level of form again.

Geelong Race 6 - The Valley Inn Handicap Bm84 (1100m)

Selections:
#9 Rey Magnerio (NEXT BEST) - $2.25
#6 Rich Fortune - $5.00
#3 Sacred Palace - $13.00
#8 Sebonack - $9.00

BEST BET - #9 Rey Magnerio
He has responded well to Jey McNeil, winning both starts that the hoop has had the ride on him. They were both by visually impressive margins, given they were sprint contests, so he strikes as a four-year-old firmly on the up. The most recent win was a Flemington contest where the 4th, 6th and 9th have all won since, while the 2nd, 3rd and 5th have all been placed. That certainly franks the form and makes it look like a strong contest.

THE DANGER - #6 Rich Fortune
A Group 3 winner over this distance last February at Sandown, she was a close third over 100m shorter in a Flemington Listed race last time when the leaders didn't come back to her. That was a solid run from her, and while she has produced the very best of her form a little earlier in her preps as a general rule, the return to this sort of company looks to be a plus for her, as does the step back out to 1100m.

VALUE BET - #3 Sacred Palace
It is a long time since he last got his head in front, but he has done well in the early stages of his preps in the past. This is his second run of this one; his prior four runs when second up have yielded two second-place finishes and two thirds, so he should be very hard to keep out of the frame. All conditions come alike to him - this trip is not an issue. He looks set to get himself in the mix again in a race that can see him making ground late in the day.

Geelong Race 9 - Geelong Black Pearl Stakes (1200m)

Selections:
#2 Va Via (BEST BET) - $3.00
#14 Eternal Flame - $7.50
#3 Waverider Buoy - $6.00
#16 Material Dreams - $14.00

BEST BET - #2 Va Via
Well treated at the weights in this race, her 85 rating and an impost of 57kg give her a little bit in hand of this field. She ran well enough over 1100m at Randwick last time, putting in some good late work. Held up in that field where the first two were both on the speed throughout suggests that the run can be upgraded. That was only a Soft 5, but all the same, she will appreciate being back on a track rated good as well as moving back out to 1200m.

THE DANGER - #14 Eternal Flame
She has not raced since September, but she won first up in that prep and was 2nd at the start of her prior preparation, so being fresh is no concern for her. She likes to race close to the speed, which suggests that her barrier of two will be the perfect starting position for her. This is a sizable step up in grade from the Bm70 handicap that she won in August, but she has only had six career starts, so there should be better to come.

VALUE BET - #3 Waverider Buoy
Closest at these weights and ratings to the best bet, she has to enter calculations. She finished lame after her December run, so that is easy enough to excuse all that this is only two weeks down the line. That said, Chris Waller will not risk her if all is not well, so we have to assume that she is good to go. If nothing else, that run should have her strip fitter here now she is back out to 1200m. She also holds an entry at Geelong on Saturday afternoon, so it will be interesting to see in which direction Waller takes her.

Playup is our top bookmaker for our horse racing tips this week. They regularly provide some of the top fixed odds prices on the open market across all meetings. Odds are provided for almost all Australian horse racing, with many racing promotions for you to enjoy when you have signed up for them. Although they are one of the newer Australian bookmakers, they have quickly gained a great reputation by offering an excellent betting experience. Their slick and well-designed website makes them a great place to bet on our Australian horse racing tips.

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Jockey Of The Day – Jye McNeil

A book of nine rides out of the ten races for McNeil, who has several mounts who are the favourites at the time of writing on the betting sites. They include our next best selection among them on an afternoon when he should be saluting on multiple winners at the Victoria course. The 28-year-old is getting close to the 1,000-winner mark in his career, and a few on Saturday can edge him ever closer.

R1 - #7 - Fretta - $1.90
R2 - #6 - Trunk - $3.30
R3 - #7 - Polanco - $10.00
R4 - #12 - Adonis Kick - $17.00
R5 - #2 - Gitalong - $5.50
R6 - #9 - Rey Magnerio - $2.25
R7 - #9 - Toronto Terrier - $5.50
R8 - #4 - Bermadez - $5.00
R9 - #1 - Megamea - $23.00