Group 1 Darley Goodwood early betting tips, market and barriers
BLACK Heart Bart has opened as the favourite for the 2017 Group 1 Darley Goodwood at Morphettville – one of Australia’s feature sprinting races.
Trainer Darren Weir has already had a big impact on racing in Adelaide this season and punters are confident the six-year-old gelding can make it three consecutive wins in this Saturday’s feature.
Black Heart Bart opened as the $3.30 favourite with bookmakers, but Sportsbet.com.au has recorded a drift in the betting to $3.40. We’re expecting that price to stay steady considering it drew positively in barrier two and the next best in the market is an unproven four-year-old in Vega Magic.
Last start group one winner Secret Agenda has been well-found in the betting, but still remains a value chance at $7 after drawing favourably in barrier five. The Mick Price-trained mare has a torrent of early speed and it should have no problems getting to the front again.
Stablemate Bassett has suffered worst in the draw after getting barrier 20. The son of Savabeel likes to sit on the pace, but that seems unattainable from the wide alley. Its odds are unlikely to move from $41.
Punters can find all the early odds at Sportsbet.com.au which has framed only four of the 23 listed runners at single figure odds. That means there’s plenty of early value to be snapped up before the big bets arrive and move the odds.
2017 Darley Goodwood early market and barrier draw
1. Black Heart Bart (2) – $3.40 at Sportsbet
2. Malaguerra (9) – $7.50
3. Faatinah (4) – $41
4. Hey Doc (21) – $21
5. Illustrious Lad (23) – $21
6. Secret Agenda (5) – $7
7. Vega Magic (6) – $6
8. Rageese (11) – $26
9. Karacatis (18) – $61
10. Santa Ana Lane (10) – $21
11. First Among Equals (16) – $18
12. Riziz (1) – $81
13. Bassett (20) – $41
14. Casino Wizard (8) – $51
15. Kaepernick (12) – $31
16. Zebulon (15) – $34
17. Karlovasi (19) – $81
18. Viddora (7) – $17
19. Sweet Sherry (3) – $26
20. Missrock (13) – $26
21. Lucky Liberty (14) – $26
22. Lope De Capio (22) – $101
23. Counter Pulse (17) – $101
Vega Magic is the runner which has caught the attention of bookmakers. The former Sean Casey-trained four-year-old is now with Lindsay Park and punters think it can now take the next step.
It hasn’t quite shown up at this level, having finished seventh out of 12 runners in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes last year, but it has since won the Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes and the confidence should be high.
It has been nominated for the Stradbroke Handicap so Lindsay Park thinks that it has top class potential and it’s hard to ignore the amount of money coming for it. Craig Williams takes the ride and he should settle just behind the speed from a handy barrier draw.
Runners that have drifted in the market due to the barrier draw have been Hey Doc, Rageese and Illustrious Lad. All three have drawn wider than preferred and Hey Doc drawing barrier 21 has forced bookmakers to adjust its price from $16 to $21.
The Tony McEvoy-trained gelding comes into the race with solid form. It finished ninth in the Doncaster Handicap, but it won back-to-back starts prior to that. Its Group 1 Australian Guineas win was excellent, but it will need a mountain of luck to find a good spot in the running from the draw.
Group 1 Darley Goodwood early tips
Getting that early value is crucial for horse racing punters and there’s plenty on offer from bookmakers. The market is largely being dominated by Black Heart Bart and we’re finding it tough to steer away from the champion.
This distance might be short of its best and it’s coming into this fresh, but it has the class factor and despite it being able to run over distancee, it has a great record over the 1200m. From eight starts it has won four and placed in three, which should give punters confidence ahead of Saturday’s feature.
We can’t fault the draw and it has had experience winning on this track. No other runner in this race comes close to having the race record of Black Heart Bart and we think it looks a good early bet to defend its Goodwood title.
A solid each way bet is Santa Ana Lane at $21 and $6. The enigmatic four-year-old was out of form until it won well last start, but it’s a confidence runner and this track suits perfectly.
It prefers dry ground and drawing barrier 10 isn’t the worst. Jockey Mark Pegus will settle it midfield and it should be able to sprint well. It has faced some classy fields in its time and with a place percentage of 47 percent, the $6 to place at Sportsbet looks tasty.