2021 Fred Best Classic betting preview & tips | Eagle Farm, R3
| What | 2021 Fred best Classic |
| Where | Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 |
| When | Saturday, May 29, 2021 | 12:44pm AEST | Race 3 |
| Prizemoney | $250,000 |
| Distance | 1400m |
| Status | Group 3 |
| Race Conditions | Set Weights | Three-Years-Old |
| 2020 Winner | Dawn Passage (6) | Trainer: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jockey: Brad Stewart (57kg) |
| Watch Live | |
2021 Fred Best Classic form guide
While the Fred Best Classic only carries Group 3 status, this 1400m event carries ballot exemption into the Stradbroke Handicap in a fortnight, so the $250,000 prize purse isn’t necessarily what connections are hoping for by winning this. Australia’s ‘boom’ horse, Ayrton, is here and is a $1.65 favourite to win his way into the Queensland feature handicap race, ahead of Exoboom ($7), Apache Chase ($12), Midland ($15) and Count De Rupee ($16). Apache Chase is the likely leader in this field of 12, while Ayrton will play the stalking role. Horsebetting.com.au brings you our top three picks for the Fred Best Classic, as well as a $100 Betting Strategy.
Ayrton is going to be very hard to beat, and if the hype is correct, he will put this field to bed comfortably, but at $1.65 (with Australian online bookmakers), there is a much better bet to be had in our opinion. Count De Rupee has been progressing through the grades nicely of late, and after a dominant second-up win at Rosehill, we are happy to be with the son of Real Impact on an each-way basis. Trained by Robert & Luke Price, Count De Rupee has won four of his nine starts, as well as placing on four other occasions with a second behind Marway and a third behind Private Eye. From barrier four, Jason Colette can box seat and be right in the finish.
If you like taking the shorts or if you have a futures ticket for Ayrton in the Stradroke, you’d want to be cheering him home hard here. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained gelding has won all three of his career starts by a cumulative 10.5 lengths, with his tractable racing pattern a big draw card for punters. Jamie Kah has been on in all three starts and she is up in Queensland to retain the ride which is a big push. Drawn barrier six, Ayrton is likely to be second or third in the run and be able to stalk the speed everywhere it goes. If he is good enough to be a $3.50 all-in favourite, he’d want to be good enough to win his way in to the race.
New Zealand colt Not An Option was great when first-up off a six-month spell when fourth to Glitter Strip at Doomben on May 15. The son of Not A Single Doubt settled tenth in the field of 13 but made up good ground late to be beaten only 1.3 lengths in a 3YO Set Weights race. Drawn barrier five under Nash Rawiller, this three-time winner should get a pretty good run in transit and can settle closer in the run than last time out. He will improve second-up and the 1400m should be to his liking. The $27 seems quite large.
Best bet for 2021 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes
| $100 betting strategy | ||
|---|---|---|
| $30 Win | Count De Rupee | |
| $70 Place | Count De Rupee | |