Ascot racing tips & top value bets | Saturday, January 1
| What | Perth Cup Day 2022 |
| Where | Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot, WA, 6104 |
| When | Saturday, January 1, 2022 |
| First Race | 11:16am AWST |
| Watch Live | |
Ascot Racecourse is scheduled to host a massive 10-race card for Perth Cup Day and Horsebetting’s WA tipping expert presents his race-by-race preview, best bets and free quaddie picks. The track is rated a Good 4, with the rail out 6m the entire circuit, for the meeting commencing at 11:16am AWST.
Race 1: Westspeed Platinum No Met (1100m)
We will be looking to kick off Perth Cup Day with a bit of value when the Justine Erkelens-trained Wine Night looks to make it three first-up wins from four goes. The five-year-old mare out of Playing God has trialled up nicely in the lead up to her return and from barrier one is sure to gain a suck run in transit. Considering she is placed at Stakes level earlier in her career, she clearly has some ability and we’ll be hoping Wine Night shows that in the opener on Saturday.
Selections: 2-3-5-1
Race 2: 2YO Plate (1200m)
Our best bet of the day comes up early on Perth Cup Day, when the Luke Fernie-trained Costume Party steps out over 1200m. With a win and two minor placings to her name from three career starts, she is the one clearly with the highest credentials in the race. The filly out of A Lot has chased home the smart Revitup at her last two starts and dramatically improved last time out to suggest she’ll take some beating on Saturday. She’ll looked to get back in the field from barrier 10 and under a well-timed steer from Chirs Parnham, we expect to see Costume Party salute in dominant fashion.
Selections: 6-7-10-2
Race 3: 3YO Plate (1000m)
Chris & Michael Gangemi will be hoping their three-year-old gelding Thomas Magnum can turn the tables on He’s A Sizzler who got the better of him over 1100m on December 11 at Ascot. He managed to settle outside the leader on that day and looked like he was going to grit out a tough win, before his rival finished the better out wide and defeated Thomas Magnum by under a half-length. The step back to the 1000m for our guys looks to be perfect and from barrier seven we expect to see Brad Parnham to have him settled outside the leader. With race fitness on his side, we anticipate Thomas Magnum will be too hard to run down.
Selections: 12-1-2-6
Race 4: RTG66+ Handicap (1000m)
We will be hoping for a Chris & Michael Gangemi-trained race-to-race double, when Go Forward looks to make it consecutive wins for the first time in his career. The four-year-old son of Written Tycoon was given a gun steer from Laqdar Romoly on December 15 in Class 3 company and managed to put close to three-lengths on his rivals in impressive fashion. With speed drawn to his outside, Go Forward will get a nice cart across the field and if he can replicate the turn of foot he showed last time out, he is clearly the one to beat.
Selections: 8-4-2-7
Race 5: Graduation Handicap (1400m)
Considering it is $6 the field in the Graduation Handicap over 1400m, finding the winner will be tough! We have settled on the Meryl Hayley-trained Cheval De Vaga having won in convincing fashion in Class 3 company in his last two starts. The six-year-old gelding out of Lope de Vega has the early speed to overcome the tricky barrier of 14 and with Keshaw Dhurun on board claiming 2kg, looks like he will take some running down. He has shown a nice turn of foot in recent times when racing close to the speed and maps to gain a similar run in transit as he has already this campaign. If Dhurun can have him lobbed in the one-one or settled outside the leader, then with just 55.5kg on his back, we expect to see him make it three wins in a row to begin this campaign.
Selections: 9-10-11-13
Race 6: Summer Scorcher (1000m)
The Listed Summer Scorcher over 1000m is the first of the Stakes races on Saturday and considering he is yet to let us down this campaign, The Front Bar looks a great bet. He has won all three races this time in and has managed to take out five of her past six races. He lets the race unfold in front of her when settling close to last, but armed with a strong turn of foot and just 54kg on her back, the three-year-old filly out of Sessions should be claiming her first black-type race.
Selections: 10-6-7-3
Race 7: RTG 66+ Handicap (1600m)
In the opening leg of the quaddie, we will be hoping the Neville Parnham-trained Bruce Almighty can build on his last start second-place finish. The six-year-old son of Playing God chased home the smart God Has Chosen last time out and managed to beat home Ginger Flyer who he meets here again. History shows that he only gets better in time throughout his campaign and with two minor placings from three fourth-up runs, he should be running a smart race here. From barrier 11, Chris Parnham will need a touch of luck early on and if he is lucky in doing so, we anticipate Bruce Almighty will finish the better this time round.
Selections: 7-4-8-12
Race 8: La Trice Classic (1800m)
The Group 3 La Trice Classic for fillies and mares looks to be as open as ever, but we will be hoping the Stephanie Bakranich-trained Playing Marika can turn the tables on Beret who she meets 1.5kg better at the weights this time round. When they last met in the Listed Starstruck Classic, it was Beret who got the better of Playing Marika who finished second, beaten just under a length. This six-year-old mare had lobbed in the one-one and despite the run in transit was found wanting by one better. From barrier five, Peter Knuckey will look to replicate the steer, but we anticipate Playing Marika will get the better of her rivals this time round.
Selections: 7-4-8-12
Race 9: Perth Cup (2400m)
The Group 2 Perth Cup is the feature event of the day over 2400m, worth $400,000. We will be hoping the Daniel Morton-trained Stafford’s Lad can reproduce the same effort that saw him defeat Perth Cup rivals Pure Devotion & Midnight Blue. The seven-year-old son of Demerit managed to round up his rivals when settling last and managed to get his head down at the right time when claiming Pure Devotion in the final stride. Despite drawing barrier one, Chris Parnham will have him dropped out at the rear of the field and if he is anywhere near his best he will take some holding out. The slight query is he has duck eggs across the form lines at 2400m, but on recent form, Stafford’s Lad looks a good bet at around $7.
Selections: 15-14-12-8
Race 10: RTG72+ Handicap (1200m)
We were with the Chris & Michael Gangemi-trained Written Matter when he won at the Ascot 1100m two starts back and we think he can claim another win, this time at 1200m. He was a hard luck story last time out at this track and distance and if he gets a touch more luck on Saturday, then this son of Written Tycoon will take some beating. From barrier nine, Brad Parnham will look to have him settled with cover in the middle of the pack. If he is afforded that luxury, then Written Matter has the turn of foot to take out a RTG72+ affair like this and will send us home a winner.
Selections: 7-5-4-10
Saturday quaddie tips for Perth Cup Day 2022
| Ascot quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 4-7-8-12 |
| Leg 2: | 1-2-4-6-7-8 |
| Leg 3: | 14-15 |
| Leg 4: | 4-5-7 |
| Investment: | $144 for 100% |