Ascot best bets & quaddie tips | January 28, 2023
| What | Scenic Blast Stakes Day |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 |
| When | Saturday, January 28, 2023 |
| First Race | 12:28pm AWST |
Ascot Racecourse will host its annual Scenic Blast Stakes Day, with the Listed $125,000 Scenic Blast Stakes being the highlight race on the competitive nine-race program. The current track rating of a Good 4 is the expected rating that we should see on Saturday. The rail will be out in the +11m position, which should suit on-speed and leaders for most of the day.
The first race on Scenic Blast Stakes Day will jump at 12:28pm AWST.
Scenic Blast Stakes Tip: Acromantula
The Listed Scenic Blast Stakes will see the Daniel & Ben Pearce-trained Acromantula take on Hows The Serenity again, after the former finished third behind latter in the Listed Summer Scorcher going down by just under two lengths. However, on Saturday Acromantula will have a 5kg weight swing on the mare, which we believe will be enough for the gelding to turn the tables. This son of Written Tycoon has only been 1200m once in his short career, which was in the Placid Ark Stakes at his second career starts as a three-year-old, where he finished last of eight. With another 16 starts and two more years of growth, this guy should be ready to step back up to 1200m, with the aid of barrier one and no weight on his back. William Pike will be legged aboard for the first time and from the inside gate, we should see Pike push for the lead and battle it out down the home straight with the race favourite, Hows The Serenity.
Scenic Blast Stakes
Race 8 – 
#3 Acromantula (1)
5yo Gelding | T: Daniel & Ben Pearce | J: William Pike (54kg)
Best Bet at Ascot: Metallon
Our best bet of the day will be the Todd Harvey-trained Metallon who will be returning from a nine-month spell with the benefit of one trial at Lark Hill over 950m on January 23. This four-year-old gelding has won four of his first six starts, including three in a row to kick off his three-year-old campaign in March last year. During that win streak, this son of Oratorio beat State Of Power and Sniparoochy who have since gone onto win nice races throughout the spring, especially in Sniparoochy’s case, as he went on to win the Listed Jungle Mist Stakes in November. Shaun McGruddy will take the ride on Saturday going for his fourth win at his fifth ride on this very talented gelding. From barrier six, McGruddy will push forward and look to settle outside the leader and push the button on the home turn to kick clear with 300m to go.
Best Bet
Race 5 – 
#2 Metallon (6)
4yo Gelding | T: Todd Harvey | J: Shaun McGruddy (59.5kg)
Next Best Bet: Wee Ripper
In the third race of the day, the Justine Erkelens-trained Wee Ripper will be second-up coming off a very good second place finish when fresh last start at this track and trip at a massive price with online bookmakers. This eight-year-old gelding has won two of his five starts when second-up, whilst he also has good track and distance record, with one win and two placings from five attempts. This son of Blackfriars will most likely drop to the back of the field and look to run on, but if no one pushes to take up the lead, we could see this gelding and Brad Rawiller push forward and take up the lead. Rawiller sticks after riding this guy to defeat first-up, which fills us with more confidence that he will be in the right spot and ready to win on Saturday.
Next Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#1 Wee Ripper (8)
8yo Gelding | T: Justine Erkelens | J: Brad Rawiller (59kg)
Best Value: Nobelity
In the second leg of the quaddie, the Mike Santich-trained Nobelity will be coming off a good second placing behind Saloon Bar, where she lead for 1100m of the 1200m event before she was run over by a smart one late. This daughter of Alfred Nobel has finished in the top four at three of his four starts this campaign and she has led or sat outside the leader at all those starts, which is the race pattern that we expect to suit the track on Saturday. After running at the 1200m last start, she should be fitter and ready to win again on Saturday, where she will jump and take up an uncontested lead. Laqdar Ramoly will jump aboard for his fifth ride on this mare and if he can get a cheap sectional mid-race, we expect her to kick clear on the home turn and give them something to catch in the final stages of the race.
Best Value
Race 7 – 
#4 Nobelity (3)
5yo Mare | T: Mike Santich | J: Laqdar Ramoly (56.5kg)
Saturday quaddie tips for Scenic Blast Stakes Day
Ascot quadrella selections
Saturday, January 28, 2023
- 1-3-7
- 1-4-7
- 1-3-4-8
- 1-6-7
Investment: $108 for 100%