Ascot racing tips, top odds & quaddie | Saturday, March 12
| What | Ascot Races |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 |
| When | Saturday, March 12, 2022 |
| First Race | 11:48am AWST |
| Feature Race | Race 5: Listed J.C. Roberts Stakes (1800m) |
| Watch Live | |
Two Listed races headline a massive 10-part program at Ascot on Saturday afternoon, with the J.C. Roberts Stakes and Natasha Stakes serving as key leads-up races for the WA Derby and WA Oaks respectively. HorseBetting’s Western Australian form analyst presents his best bets and quaddie numbers for the day, as well as his top picks in the twin features. The track is rated a Good 4, and the rail is out 6m for the entire course, so we expect to see every horse get their chance down the long home straight. The first race of the day is set to jump at 11:48am AWST.
Listed J.C. Roberts Stakes – Trix Of The Trade
Western Empire won this race 12 months ago when in a similar vein of form to what Trix Of The Trade is in at the moment, so it is hard to go past the top weight. Having won his past five starts and losing on a racetrack just once in his eight-start career, it is easy to find the Colin Webster-trained gelding on top. The son of Trade Fair has been impressive in winning his last three starts at Listed level, progressing from 1400m to 1500m to 1600m respectively. In all three of those wins, he has been placed very well against his own age, and that is what he will face here again. He does have to give this field some weight, but that has been the story in each of those wins, so we can’t see the 2 or 3kg disadvantage enough to bring this winning streak to an end. He will get a soft run from barrier four under Troy Turner and be winning again.
Listed Natasha Stakes – Constant Dreaming
The Natasha Stakes isn’t as cut and dry as the J.C. Roberts with equal $2.80 favourites set to line up, but we are once again with the top weight, Constant Dreaming. The Adam Durant-trained filly got the better of Fine Romance when they last met in the Ascot 1000 Guineas over 1800m, and although Fine Romance meets Constant Dreaming 2kg better off at the weights, the style in which Constant Dreaming won suggests a few extra kilograms won’t be enough to stop her as she steps out over further. Clink Johnson-Porter replaced Lucy Warwick on Saturday, and given the form he is in, that can only be seen as a positive, while barrier six is going to give this daughter of Blackfriars a terrific chance of going back-to-back.
Ascot Best Bet – How’s The Serenity
In the final race of the day, Simon Miller and Holly Watson combine with impressive last-start winner How’s The Serenity. That is probably what Watson was thinking when she partnered this horse last Saturday when she was five lengths clear of any other horse in the race as the pair crossed the line, and with the way things look, it could be a similar situation here. Drawn barrier six, Watson will take this odds-on favourite forward in search of the front, and that could be all she wrote. The horse drops down to 56.5kg – just 0.5kg more than last weekend’s win – while she returns to the scene of the crime (Ascot 1200m). Something would have to have gone wrong if this horse doesn’t win, given what we saw last Saturday.
Next Best at Ascot – Weaponson
Lindsey Smith and Joseph Azzopardi team up in the penultimate with Weaponson, a five-year-old gelding by Oratorio. This galloper has been in the quinella in his last three starts, finishing second at his past two over 1400m and 1600m respectively at Ascot. Prior to that, he was all too good when winning over 1400m at Belmont. In his most recent start on February 26, he hit the line well to finish half a length behind Dom To Shoot, who 12 months ago won the Mornington Guineas, defeating Let’s Karaka Deel. From barrier eight, Azzopardi will find a midfield spot on this gelding and look to produce him down the centre of the track in the concluding stages, allowing the horse to finish over the top of his rivals. He is very fit deep into his campaign, and back to 1400m should be to his liking. He can return to the winner’s stall.
Ascot Value Bet – Demolish
In the second race of the day, a field of 15 two-year-olds will do battle over 1200m. We are siding with Neville Parnham’s gelding Demolish, who finished fourth in his only start to date. The son of Rich Enuff ran home strongly over 1000m on debut back in October at Ascot to run fourth, 2.25 lengths behind Pot Shot. Parnham gave this horse a spell, gelded him and now has him ready to go first-up over 1200m off just one trial. He looked good when running third in the trial behind Olajuwon who makes his debut here, while Kosta’s Crown finished second in the trial and that galloper has had three starts for two minor placings. Demolish will be hitting the line well from the back of the back and should be hard to hold out.
Saturday quaddie picks for Ascot
| Ascot quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 3-5-6 |
| Leg 2: | 2-4-6-8 |
| Leg 3: | 3-4-7 |
| Leg 4: | 2-9 |
| Investment: | $72 for 100% |