Fred Best Classic tips, odds & best bets – Saturday, 30 May 2020
The second Group 3 on the Doomben program comes in the form of the Fred Best Classic for three-year-olds over 1350m. While there is $125,000 in prizemoney up for grabs, connections will be more interested in claiming a spot in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap next weekend. The Stradbroke ballot exemption has attracted plenty of interstate horses, with just six of the 11 starters trained in Queensland. Some of Australia’s biggest stables make up the other five runners, including horses from the Godolphin, Waller, Thompson, and Waterhouse & Bott stables.
Dawn Passage will start favourite, coming off back-to-back wins in the Gosford and Inglis Guineas. QTIS pin-up horse and recent Million Dollar Club member The Odyssey maps to lead from barrier 10 with Stampe and its stablemate Scathing pushing forward also.
Free betting tips for Fred Best Classic 2020
Exhilarates @ $6 Bet365
James Cummings looks to already have five or six starters in next week’s Stradbroke Handicap, but we think he can add another weapon to his arsenal with Exhilarates. The Snitzel filly is coming off a brilliant first-up placing in the Gold Coast Guineas over 1200m where she got back to near last from her outside barrier and worked home strongly into third behind Hightail and The Odyssey. On Saturday she has drawn gate four, which will give her every possible winning chance under Larry Cassidy. While she will get back in the run, the speed of the field should allow her to finish strongly over the top of tiring leaders. She looks a definite winning chance and can book her place in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.
Dawn Passage @ $2.50 Bet365
Dawn Passage is a clear danger, as reflected in his $2.50 favourite’s price with most online bookmakers. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable is a clear force to be reckoned with at the moment, coming off a fantastic autumn carnival. They saddle up two in Saturday’s feature, with their top elect coming off a 2.8-length victory and a 1.3-length win in the colt’s two most recent outings. The son of Dawn Approach has won twice at this distance and looks very well placed in a last-minute attempt to gain a spot in the ‘Straddie’. From barrier nine, top Queensland hoop Brad Stewart will get back in the run and use the colt’s brilliant turn of foot in the straight. He is a top hope and can make it three on the bounce here.
The Odyssey @ $9 Bet365
We cannot ignore The Odyssey in a race where he will look to control from in front. Stephanie Thornton has won on the colt four times and will be hoping to make it five on Saturday when she pilots the colt by Better Than Ready. Kelly Schweida has this horse firing at the minute, winning first up from a spell before being grabbed right on the post in the Gold Coast Guineas by the promising Hightail. The extra 150m and wide alley are definite concerns here; however, if Thornton can cross them early and do little work to find the fence, her mount will be in it for a long way in the straight. The Odyssey has won five times and placed once from eight goes at Doomben, so it will come as no surprise to see him fight out the finish. He will give punters a sight for a long way at the each-way quote.