Category: Australian Horse Racing

Sprinters Take Centre Stage of Day 2 of Perth Carnival

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The racing spotlight remains in Australia’s west this weekend with day 2 of the inaugural TABTouch Masters at Perth’s Ascot racecourse. The day’s feature is the AUD $1 million Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes, which is run under weight-for-age conditions over 1200 metres. On-pace runners dominated last Saturday’s Railway Stakes meeting but it’s hoped that, with the rail out six metres, this will be alleviated to some extent. WA’s premier sprint race was run over 1400m from 1937 until 1994 when it was cut to 1200m. Magnifisio and Buffering aim to join multiple winners La Trive (1970-71), Belinda’s Star (1975-76), Hardrada (2002-03) and Ortensia (2009, 11) and an honour roll that includes Takeover Target (2008), Miss Andretti (2005) and Placid Ark (1987).

East holding cards over west

The Winterbottom field is a fascinating mix of eastern states raiders, the bulk of which are deep into their spring campaigns, and the local contenders who’ve mostly been set for this specific race. The field of 12 is headed by the Joe Pride-trained Terravista which is coming off a last-start second to Redzel at Flemington. Darley Classic winner Malaguerra joins Terravista along with Takedown and the Lindsay Park pair of Keen Array and Sheidel in trying to claim a Group 1 for the visitors after local galloper Scales Of Justice won the Group 1 Railway Stakes last Saturday. The Chris Gangemi-trained Rock Magic is the highest-rated local galloper having won two of his past three starts while leading local hope State Solicitor will have to overcome barrier 11.

Sydney speedster the one to beat

The top two in the market are so difficult to split with Malaguerra ($3.30 with Ladbrokes) slightly shading Terravista ($3.60 with Ladbrokes). Favourites have won eight of the past 12 editions while just four winners in the past 20 years have jumped from a double-digit gate, so it’s reasonable to expect that this year’s Winterbottom winner will be wearing either saddlecloth #1 or #2. But the upside is clearly with Joe Pride’s sometimes frustrating 7yo gelding. Opening at $15 when the all-in market was released, that quote was slashed when Terravista returned in top order in the Listed Mumm Stakes on Crown Oaks Day. Carrying 60.5kg, Terravista was able to get within a head of winner Redzel. His record over six furlongs is an imposing 11:5-0-3.

Mare’s form out of this world

It’s an otherwise relatively thin day of black-type racing around the nation so for the next best of the day, check out the Roadwork Solutions Handicap (race 8) at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens for the benchmark 78 fillies & mares over 1200 metres. It’s surprising to find #8 Interstellar at a 5-2 quote (with William Hill) with her form faultless since joining the Hawkes stake from New Zealand during the winter. She won first-up in Australia on July 30 and was barely tested in a trial at Rosehill just over a fortnight ago. This lightly raced 4yo mare has three wins from six career starts including two of three first-up and she looks a clear top pick over this fairly middling bunch.

It’s All About The Fillies On Crown Oaks Day

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A huge Melbourne Cup Day crowd is almost a given due to the city’s public holiday on the first Tuesday of November. But there’s no gazetted day off on the Thursday of the Melbourne Cup Carnival week. In 2004, that didn’t stop a staggering number of 110,677 racegoers turning out to watch the VRC Oaks.

Over the past dozen years, the crowd numbers have almost halved for Ladies Day, but more than 60,000 will still head out to Flemington this year – many of who will still be sending an SMS to the boss lamenting the misfortune at being struck down so suddenly by illness! As a race day, it pales somewhat compared to the other three days of Australia’s ultimate racing festival. The AUD $1,000,000 Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) for the three-year-old fillies is the main event, supported by a pair of Group 3 races and a handful of Listed events.

Star power rules in day’s feature

The oldest fillies’ classic in Australia, the VRC Oaks was first contested in 1861. The presence of the names of some of the winners from those early days is slightly dubious as the 1864, 1868, 1870 and 1877 editions featured only two runners. Initially run over 12 furlongs, the distance was changed to 2400m with the introduction of metrics in racing in 1972, before becoming a 2500m race the following year to provide a longer run out of the straight before the first turn.

With the fillies untried at this distance, history shows that star quality is often enough to carry winners over the line as shown by the presence of Light Fingers, Surround, Rose Of Kingston, Research and Miss Finland on the honour roll. Short-price favourites are common in the Oaks, and that’s the case this year with Yankee Rose almost prohibitively priced at $1.65 (with Ladbrokes).

Yankee Rose dominates the market

That’s not to say she won’t be a worthy winner after a roller coaster ride alongside her trainer David Vandyke. The All-American filly was terrible in trackwork heading into this prep, and after finishing sixth in the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill in September, connections feared she would never deliver on her immense promise. But she bounced back to be just pipped in the G1 Flight Stakes before winning the G1 Champion Stakes (200m) at Randwick.

Yankee Rose then turned in a stunning run to place third behind Winx and Hartnell in the Cox Plate to smash her rating through the 110-barrier. Vandyke, who recently shifted his base from Sydney to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, has overcome drug and alcohol demons of his own, so they make a resilient pair deserving of more G1 success. Gate 13 isn’t ideal, but she simply wins.

It’s the day for the greys

There may not be much value in the Crown Oaks, but a couple of others on the card appeal at more generous prices. The third of the day is one of the most unique races on the Australian turf calendar. The Subzero Handicap (1400m) is a benchmark 90 affair reserved exclusively for greys! The superbly-named #4 Murt The Flirt ($4.60 with William Hill) won last time out at Caulfield and is drawn/weighted better than his main challengers, Sydney pair Rock Forthe Ladies and Onerous.

The Listed Mumm Stakes (1000m) also looks an intriguing affair with the return of injury-prone Terravista as he takes on the low-flying Hellbent from the all-conquering Darren Weir stable. The sprint fields have been heading for the outside fence this week, so the wide draw (12) is ideal for Hellbent. Take any price in the black for him to make it three in a row.

Key Tips for a Winning Betting Mindset

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Many sports bettors just aren’t looking at things from the right angle.

Unless you enter the world of sports betting in the right frame of mind, then you are almost destined to struggle achieving success. To make money betting on sports, you need to think differently, to adopt new ways of thinking, and sometimes even to be counter intuitive.

Mindset – The Foundation of Success

Your mindset is simply a way of thinking that determines your behaviour, your outlook and your mental attitude. For any given set of betting events and their different outcomes, i.e. wins, losses, setbacks, and mistake, your mindset is the factor determining how you will respond to them. It’s the middleman between the events that happen to you and your reactions to those events. Your mindset can help you to be successful in your sports betting, or it can be the barrier that’s keeping you in the stalls unable to get out of the gate.

We have found that betting to win is supported by a good variety of betting opportunities, including great offers on selected markets. This is why we would recommend Ladbrokes who offers a $250 matched bet for new customers. Sign up here to Ladbrokes today and start winning!

There are several important cogs in the wheel that contribute to a true winning mindset when it comes to sports betting:

1. Take personal responsibility for your betting performance and results

Think back to a time when you had a losing bet or had a bad betting day. Who or what was the cause of the result you got? The bookie? The exchange? The horse? The team? The computer you were using? The room you were in? The weather? The dog ate your homework…I mean your form guide?

No, that’s right. You must understand that you, and you alone, are responsible for your own results. Your betting outcomes are your own creation. It is easy to find some other cause for your poor performance. We can all create stories that shift the focus and lay blame on an outside source and complain about a good bet that still lost.

Know that this is perfectly fine, and is likely to happen a lot. But instead of spitting the dummy and throwing away your bankroll in a tantrum, accept this as an opportunity for you to grow and learn what types of bets you should perhaps avoid in the future.

2. Becoming a Master of Betting

A mastery approach makes personal growth your number one priority. It allows you to make mistakes while focusing on a process of continual learning and development.

When you adopt a mastery approach, betting becomes a series of chances to improve, to develop new skills and understanding. Feedback from each bet and each day is important to development, and those with a mastery approach see feedback as an opportunity to learn, develop and improve performance.

A true master watches his own performance, and pays little attention to others or their opinions. They are always willing to accept responsibility for any outcome that they influenced, good or bad.

3. Embrace Risk and Come to Terms with Uncertainty

Sports betting is a risk taking endeavour, it is how you are rewarded, and if you want to be successful, then being able to embrace risk is key.

Don’t be afraid of risk. As a sports bettor, you are at the core a risk taker. Welcome risk, just as you will welcome the rewards that accompany it.

Sporting events are never a “sure thing”, and uncertainty is not an easy concept to deal with. Most of us fear the unknown, but would we really want to know what’s going to happen all the time, or would that remove the whole point, diluting the challenge, and the joy of the rewards?

Understand that you will never know for sure what is going to happen next, and in fact you don’t actually need to in order to be successful and profitable. Some sports bettors are addressing uncertainty and randomness by moving more towards sports trading approaches, backing and laying, trading in and out, taking profits at pre-chosen prices and not just waiting for the final outcome.

4. Focus on Managing Risk Not Picking Winners

A common misconception is that the primary focus should be on picking winners. However, to enjoy long term success in betting, you’ll need to shift your focus to managing your risk, and controlling losses rather than just on picking as many winners as possible. This leaves you open to continual learning that keeps you in the game, and enables you to improve your betting skills and become more profitable over time. Join Unibet today for the best tips to reduce your risk and start betting with a matched bonus up to $300.

5. Bet for Profits Not Fun

It might sound like a foreign concept, but some people like to bet just for ‘fun’. Ask yourself if your goal is having a bit of fun or to make some money?

Those who make bets for fun and excitement are less disciplined and more casual with their wagers as opposed to bettors that are looking to make a profit. So, if you’re looking to make a living from sports betting, you need to approach it as a business, and bet only for profit, never for the thrill and excitement of the punt! Focus on the flawless execution of your betting strategy.

6. Don’t Look for the Quick Buck

If making money from your sports betting is the objective, then take a big picture approach to your wagers and think long term. As with the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. This might seem difficult to accept, particularly in today’s age of instant gratification and fast food, but it really is the only way you will survive over the long haul and become a successful sports bettor.

7. Enjoy Small Wins

When you’re a new bettor, any victory feels like Christmas! But over time, small wins just don’t give you the same adrenaline rush and satisfaction that you once got as a less experienced bettor. Don’t make the mistake of throwing more cash on certain games simply because you want to cash in big!

Many successful sports betters achieve their results by having multiple small wins that outweigh their small losses. They are risk managers. They enjoy the process of winning and get their buzz from seeing their bank balance grow over time, and not from one-off short term quick fixes.

8. Respect Your Bankroll

Money can have emotional and psychological effects on people and the decisions they make. How you think about money can affect how you bet and the outcomes you get.

Manage your betting bankroll as if your life depended on it. Don’t bet big in an effort to recoup a handful of losses in one fell swoop and don’t ‘over-bet’ what you know logically that you can’t afford to lose. Respect your money, and always remember that if you take care of your bankroll, long term it will take care of you too. Get off to a flying start with Sportsbet, enjoy a matched bonus bet up to a massive $501! Click here to Join today.

9. Believe you can be a winner

Do you believe it is possible to win at sports betting? At the end of the day, it’s all about the mindset. If you believe you can be successful at sports betting, then you are half way there.

Like a successful athlete, you’ve got to believe in yourself and your ability to emerge with the win. Plus, don’t forget that the availability and accessibility of information and data today has significantly increased to give you an extra edge.

Why not take the opportunity to exercise your winning mindset this Emirates Stakes Day at Ladbrokes. You’ll find more information, data and analysis available about Spring Carnival than at any other time of the year. So, take advantage of the insight available to you, put some our nine keys to the test, and see if you come out ahead at the end of the Carnival.

Just remember that success in sports betting is possible; you may be able to achieve it yourself, but it will take time and effort, it will take a professional approach, and it will take discipline. To start becoming a winning bettor, sign up here with William Hill and enjoy a bonus bet equal to your first deposit up to $500!

Superstar Mare Tops The Billing On Guineas Day

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

From the moment the final sirens sound in the weekend AFL and NRL Grand Finals, the Australian sporting psyche shifts to the track for the business end of the 2016 Spring Racing Carnival. While things wrap-up in NSW with this Saturday’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick, the serious spring racing is just cranking up south of the border, starting at Caulfield.

Guineas Day is for the purists. The racing is black-type from top to bottom, the stars of the turf are out in force and the yobbos and D-listers are still a week away from making their carnival debut. The 3yos take centre stage with the running of the Thousand Guineas and Caulfield Guineas. Cox Plate contenders will tune-up in the Caulfield Stakes while 13 of the country’s better milers will contest the Toorak Handicap.

Bias – what bias?

All three of Melbourne’s Spring Carnival venues feature vastly different layouts. The Caulfield track, operated by the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC), is a triangular-shaped layout, comprising three straights with a total circumference of 2080 metres and a finishing straight of 367 metres. Track bias has been a persistent issue. Last season’s MRC Carnival was almost reduced to farce with the track rating vastly different on the back section (slow) compared to the home straight (good). So far, so good this spring, with the track racing evenly in the recent Memsie and Underwood Stakes meetings.

Watch the gate, mate

It’s absolutely crucial to consider the rail position and barrier draw for races over specific distances at Caulfield. There are just short chutes of 200m from both the 1400m and 1600m starts. If the rail is out more than 3m, it’s bloody tough for the backmarkers even if the track is favouring off-pace runners. In contrast, barrier draws aren’t terribly important from the sprint starts (1000m, 1100m and 1200m) or the 2000m start. We’ll talk about the 2400m start of the Caulfield Cup next week.

She’s back

Guineas Day marks the return to Melbourne of the undoubted superstar of Australian thoroughbred racing. 2015 Cox Plate winner and reigning horse of the year Winx hasn’t been defeated since running second to Gust Of Wind in the 2015 Australian Guineas at Randwick. She’s since won her past 11, all at Group level, taking her winnings north of AUD $7 million. Unfortunately, the 5yo mare is likely to face just two rivals in the G1 Caulfield Stakes, but that field will include Black Heart Bart as he shoots for a third Group 1 title for the spring.

Tosen targets Toorak

One of the more intriguing runners on the card is Japanese import Tosen Stardom. Now in the care of reigning premier trainer Darren Weir, the 5yo entry was being aimed at the Cox Plate, but a leg wound suffered while being floated to Sydney for a George Main Stakes battle against Winx forced Weir to scratch him. Weir is now setting Tosen Stardom for middle-distance features like Saturday’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) given the time lost to build his fitness base for the 2000m races. He’ll start on the top line of betting alongside Bon Aurum and He’s Our Rokkii.

Big fields, big interest

The nation’s best 3yo milers have turned out in force for the AUD $1 million Caulfield Guineas and AUD $500,000 Thousand Guineas for the fillies. A 14-horse field will contest the day’s feature where Impending for Team Godolphin remain a $4.40 favourite despite drawing gate 10. Hawkes Racing’s Divine Prophet ($4.80) and Kiwi colt Sacred Elixir at ($6.50) drew 1 and 7 respectively. Foxplay from the all-conquering Chris Waller stable will start a $2.60 top pick in the Thousand Guineas.

*All quoted odds in this article are from Caulfield Guineas sponsor, Ladbrokes.

Rosehill Preview – Godolphin chase Group 1 glory

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The £1.8million Golden Slipper is the feature event on a fantastic card at Rosehill on Saturday that includes five Group One races.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation had a poor year in 2014 but are out in force this weekend. As well as having four runners in the main event, they also hold Group 1 hopes with Contributer and Sweynesse elsewhere on the card.

The famous blue silks will be carried by Exosphere in the Slipper along with Haptic, Ottoman and Furnaces. Exosphere has been the horse for money this week and will start from barrier ten under James McDonald. He was a brilliant four-length winner of the Skyline Stakes last month and looks the pick of the Godolphin quartet.

The best of the rest may be Furnaces who starts from the lucky barrier one, responsible for three of the last six winners of the race. British interest is supplied by three of our leading jockeys. James Doyle will ride Haptic with William Buick aboard Ottoman while Ryan Moore has picked up the ride on big outsider Odyssey Moon.

The biggest danger to Exosphere could come from the favourite Vancouver, bidding to give Gai Waterhouse her sixth Golden Slipper. His chances took a knock when he was drawn in barrier 18, although he could start from 15 if both emergencies fail to get a run.  Only one horse has won from barrier 15 in the last 32 years and that hands an advantage to Exosphere in barrier 10.

Vancouver remains unbeaten after three starts and was particularly impressive in the Group 2 Todman Stakes. Waterhouse also saddles English and Speak Fondly in the race, drawn six and twelve respectively. English will be ridden by Blake Shinn and won the Group 2 Reisling Stakes last time while Damien Oliver partners last Saturday’s Group 2 Magic Night Stakes winner Speak Fondly.

Godolphin could claim further Group 1 success with Contributer in the Ranvet Stakes. He won a handicap at Royal Ascot last summer but has already claimed Group 2 and Group 1 wins in Australia, taking the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm last month. Sweynesse is strongly fancied to win the Rosehill Guineas in the same colours. He needs to reverse form with market rival Hallowed Crown from the Hobartville Stakes last month where the pair were separated by a head.

Rosehill Saturday

Race 4 – Contributer @2.30 Sportsbet*

Race 5 – Sweynesse @2.70 Sportsbet

Race 7 – Exosphere @4.00 Sportsbet

*Sportsbet special offer – money back as a free bet if your horse finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th in any of the first four races at Rosehill on Saturday. First bet only (max. $100 per customer).

Protectionist returns on Blue Diamond Stakes day

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The Melbourne Autumn Carnival includes three top level feature races at Caulfield on Saturday and the reappearance of Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.

The Peter Young Stakes sees the return of last season’s Flemington hero as he makes his first start for Kris Lees. He stormed to a four-length success in November under Ryan Moore when trained in Germany by Andreas Wohler and this race is well short of his best trip.

Fiorente managed to win this race before going on to take the Group 1 Australian Cup and that is the route sketched out for Protectionist. Lees has also drawn up a Plan B if the five-year-old proves ineffective at middle-distances with the $1millon Sydney Cup in April as an alternative target. The horse most likely to beat him for speed on Saturday is Paul Beshara’s Happy Trails, three times a Group 1 winner at or around Saturday’s distance.

He won the Mackinnon Stakes and will be sharper for his run earlier this month when staying on into sixth in the CF Orr Stakes.  He has reportedly been working brilliantly since and carries maximum stable confidence this weekend.

Atmospherical could provide Craig Williams with a victory in the Oakleigh Plate after being drawn in barrier 4. The well-fancied Vain Queen and Earthquake are feared most and should be competitive from barriers ten and eleven respectively. Earthquake is unbeaten in three starts at Caulfield and usually runs well fresh.

Atmospherical is a daughter of Northern Meteor and was last seen finishing third to Chautauqua in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes. That was her first at this distance in five starts and she can reverse the form with runner-up Flamerge who has a nightmare draw in barrier 17.

Fontiton is all the rage for the $1million Blue Diamond Stakes after being drawn in barrier one. Robert Smerdon’s filly will be trying to become the fourth consecutive filly to win this race on Saturday and will be difficult to peg back.

The one that could give her a run for her money is Pride Of Dubai, supplemented at the cost of $55,000 after finishing second in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Colts & Geldings Prelude. He was beaten by Of The Brave (drawn 9) with Sampeah in behind in third place. The son of Street Cry looks to have every chance from barrier five.

Caulfield Saturday

Happy Trails (race 6) @6.0 Bet365

Atmospherical (race 7) @10.0 Bet365*

Pride Of Dubai (race 8) @5.50 Sportsbet

*Each-way ¼ odds, 1,2,3,4