Racing will return to Moonee Valley on Saturday in which it will hold Victoria’s feature meeting with an eight race card. Despite the main focus being at Eagle Farm the fields at the Valley are good and there looks to be some value around for punters to sink their teeth into.

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Race One (12:10) : Melb. Signage Concepts (bm90) 1000m

Back Me: Infinite Energy is the class runner in the race for mine and he has gotten into the weights very well on Saturday. He has drawn a bit awkwardly but on class a lone i think he will be winning this race quite well.
Big Danger: Grand Emperor i doubt will really be suited by the distance or the track but he shows a lot of class and he is one of the runners who will continue to improve and he finds a pretty weak field on Saturday so he will go close.
Roughie: Happy to forgive Fab Fevola for his last start run where he was disappointing but the two runs before that he was very good over this distance. He is well weighted in this class and he is a jump and run horse so he will make his own luck and will take a lot of running down.

Race Two (12:45) : Slickpix Sprint 1200m

Back Me: Arctowski is another first start out of the Hayes stable who has been going well lately and the well bred 2yo will likely start well into the market and be kept safe which is why i will be doing the same.
Big Danger: Going with another first start in the way of Gofa Gold who comes from the Kavanagh stable. He is yet to have a private trial so there is no real form to go off but the stable often do well with similar types of gallopers in these lower class city 2yo races.
Roughie: What A Hoot is an interesting runner in this field, he is from a pretty unknown sire but has been kept safe in betting around the double figure price. Leon Corstens is often a good judge when coming into the city so i will be including him in my tips.

Race Three (12:50PM) : Anne Marie Classic 54 Hcp 1600m

Back Me: Refulgent was heavily backed last start at Sandown where he made good ground late after over racing throughout. I think he is a much better horse being ridden on the speed which i think may be the case on Saturday and despite not being all that well weighted he will be hard to beat.
Big Danger: Self Sense probably has the strongest form lines around him which is why he has made my tips. His consistency isn’t all that great but on class i think he will figure in this race as it is pretty weak race on paper.
Roughie: Leventi hit the line really well last start at Cranbourne which looks a decent form race heading into Saturday. He was a bit unlucky early in that race and should have probably gone close on the line without the inconvenience. He will get back and be hitting the line well and could be the horse to come over the top of them.
 

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Race Four (13:55) : Dominant (bm84) 1600m

Back Me: Moreau is lacking a bit of form recently but she has been racing in much better races than this. Last start she didn’t handle the track as reported by stewards so i am happy to rule a line their and on her two runs before that she looks very hard to beat. She gets into the weights really well here and with a bit of luck from the wide barrier i think we will be seeing her in the winners stall after the race.
Big Danger: Bet You She Rocks will be stepping up into a city class race on Saturday but on recent form i think she can be very competitive and on paper this looks to be a weak field. She has been in the money her last three starts in probably similar quality races to this and on that note she can definitely be in it again on Saturday.
Roughie: Suspicieuse had her first run in Australia last start which i thought showed a lot of promise. She was brought over from France so connections must think she can show some promise here so on that note i have added her into my tips.

Race Five (2:10PM) : Dominant Hcp 1200m

Back Me: Nautical has an excellent first up record which she is on Saturday and loves the distance having won once and ran second from two tries at the distance. She has drawn well in barrier six which will allow her to go back just worse than midfeild and there looks to be ample enough speed for her to get a good run and cart into the race where she looks a very good chance at odds.
Big Danger: Vain Queen has taken punters money at both her starts this preparation but she wasn’t all that bad last time out and i think with those two runs under her belt she will be hard to beat on Saturday. She drops in weight from those runs and she has won her only start over the distance so she must be included even if she has been costly this preparation.
Roughie: Octavia has been racing below par apart from her run in the Proud Miss in SA but she loves the Moonee Valley track so i am willing to add her into the selections where she should be a good price. This looks to be a tough race once again but a slight drop from what she has faced recently and if she returns to her best i think she is a good each way bet in the race.

Race Six (15:10) : Boscastle Hcp 2040m

Back Me: Love For Ransom is a horse i feel who has been looking for further which he got last start but the start of the race i think may have cost him after being inconvenienced which reported to him getting back further than i think was intended. On Saturday he is very well weighted and should take a more forward position in running which will suit the Moonee Valley track. He will need a bit of luck from the barrier but if he can get in one off the fence i think he will be very tough to beat at very good odds.
Big Danger: Freshwater Storm ran a good race behind St Jean last start which looks to be very good form leading into this although i have a small query whether or not he runs the distance. He boxed on over the 2000m last start but didn’t make that much ground on the winner which could mean this is the furthest he will run or that the winner is just a class above. We will see on Saturday but he must be included either way.
Roughie: Wish Come True has some very good international form but he has failed to find that since arriving in Australia. He has had two runs which have been okay so i think this could be the race in which we see real improvement so at the double figure odds i will be keeping him safe.
 

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Race Seven (15:50) : Adapt Australia Hcp 1200m

Back Me: Hard Stride was backed heavily last start and the money was right winning quite easily on the line after leading throughout. He is likely to go to the front again on Saturday and at Moonee Valley this is a massive advantage and i think we will see him make it back to back wins.
Big Danger: Allez Eagle will be having his first start in Australian since coming from New Zealand. He has been super impressive winning three of his four career starts over there and he should be able to bring that form which has been franked with Bounding coming over and running second in the Royal Sovereign. He will need to do everything right but if he does he could be the horse going onto bigger and better things out of this race.
Roughie: Tankster finds an easier race than what he has been running in this preparation and i am expecting an improved performance. He has drawn a good barrier and will get an easy run throughout and will be hitting the line well late, with some luck i wouldn’t be surprised to see him win.

Race Eight (16:28) : Sportingbet Best Tote (bm84) 1500m

Back Me: New York hit the line well last start in a race he wasn’t entitled to do so in. He finds a similar class field on Saturday and there looks to be decent speed in the race which will set it up for him. He is well weighted and from barrier 4 he will get all favours through and with some luck in turning i think he will be very hard to beat in this field.
Big Danger: Akavoroun has had four starts for four wins so you cannot leave him out in a race that there isn’t a ton of class in. This will be the real test for him which is why he isn’t on top but he can certainly make it five from five on Saturday.
Roughie: I backed Flyingconi in the last at Moonee Valley about a year ago in which he saluted at $51. Because of that and his encouraging last start run i will be including him on Saturday despite the bad barrier. There looks to be good speed on so he will go back and be hitting the line hard late at good odds at a track that he loves.

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Best Bet: Race Eight New York

Next Best: Race Three Refulgent

Value Bet: Race Six Love For Ransom

News:

Some people pay more for a pair of shoes than the price Merrick’s Beauty fetched at auction.

Merrick’s Beauty cost just $300 but the filly’s form in her home state has drawn trainer Alana Fulton out of Tasmania to compete on the mainland for the first time at Saturday’s Moonee Valley meeting.

Fulton combines training her four-horse team with her full-time job as a human resources manager in Longford.

She gave up training 20 years ago but a trip to the races regenerated her love of racing, prompting her to resume working with horses with the support of her husband and daughter.

“You get the bug don’t you? Once it gets in your blood, it’s always there,” Fulton said.

“I went to the races one day and racing had changed to what it was 20 years ago and I thought I wouldn’t mind getting back into this.”

Stablemate Landstar and Merrick’s Beauty have combined to give Fulton a 30 per cent strike rate this season and the latter has travelled well in her bid to give the trainer her first mainland winner in the Adapt Australia Handicap (1200m).

Fulton sent Merrick’s Beauty to Melbourne by ferry on Wednesday night and the Happy Giggle filly has settled in well to her temporary lodgings at Caulfield.

“She hasn’t left a skerrick of water or food since she got here so the trip hasn’t affected her one bit,” Fulton said.

Bookmakers have Merrick’s Beauty as a $35 chance to beat the locals in her $80,000 assignment while drawing barrier 18 has hampered her task.

Merrick’s Beauty will start from barrier 14 after scratchings but the tricky Moonee Valley circuit ensures jockey Anthony Darmanin will have plenty to do.

“There are couple that like to run up on the speed and they have drawn out wide so we might be able to take a cart across with them,” Fulton said.

Merrick’s Beauty will return to Tasmania on Wednesday but a Moonee Valley win would mean another trip to Melbourne to run in the Listed A R Creswick Final at Flemington on July 12.