Pakenham racing tips & value bets – Friday, 28 August 2020
The second-to-last synthetic meeting at Pakenham this season greets us on Friday afternoon before Group 1 racing returns to Victoria with the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. The card at Pakenham looks to have a couple of races where you can eliminate a few runners and put them in the ‘also ran’ column, whilst the quaddie legs look to offer some value late in the day.
Free racing tips for Pakenham Synthetic
Sweet Gold @ $2.25 Sportsbet
The opening race on the card looks to be a race in two, with the Mick Price-trained Albenca Street (#1) coming up the favourite after consecutive runner-up performances on the Ballarat and Pakenham synthetics. If Sweet Gold (#9) can handle the plastic for the first time, the five-year-old mare for Chris Waller looks the one to beat on paper. She should be right up on the speed throughout and, with a 2kg advantage on the favourite, will prove hard to run down with Damien Thornton on board. Keep in mind that Redeemed (#8) was half a length off the favourite last start and looks good value at each-way odds too.
Melisende @ $10 – BEST VALUE Sportsbet
Despite a short-priced favourite in Raazou (#4), who failed to gain a start at Ballarat on Tuesday, this looks a race where punters can find some good value when playing around the market leader. Both Bella Royale (#7) and Melisende (#11) at double-figure odds were well in the market at their only start before being sent to the paddock. We are leaning towards the Anthony Freedman-trained Melisende, who was sent out a $1.65 favourite ahead of future Group 2 winner Letzbeglam and will look to provide stiff competition for Raazou after some impressive jumpouts.
Little Caleb @ $6 Sportsbet
A tricky maiden sees Confrontational (#6) come up the early favourite as he returns to midweek racing after placing at Caulfield six weeks ago. We have settled on Little Caleb (#2), who was scratched on Tuesday at Ballarat and saved for this. He has drawn the widest barrier, but that should not be too much of an issue for a horse that likes to push for the lead. Chica Fuerte (#11) and I’m Still Standing (#12) are the other dangers to the top selection.
Kiani @$2.30 Sportsbet
Kiani (#12) for the Maher & Eustace stable comes up as a short-priced favourite and looks the one to beat after finishing second to the impressive Jenni’s Rainbow, who ran competitively in Saturday grade last week despite a leader-biased track at Moonee Valley. Famous last words, but we cannot see much of these troubling the favourite. This is one of the races punters can target to help build the bank for the weekend.
Magazine @ $3.20 Sportsbet
A couple of in-form mares open the quaddie in Lunar Flare (#3) and Magazine (#4), with a watch on the 10-year-old gelding Pharrell (#5). We’ve settled on Magazine, who will be looking to give Maher & Eustace a race-to-race double if Kiani can get the job done in the previous race. Magazine has had one start on the synthetic when defeating Pharrell at this track and distance. No hard knock on the favourite, Lunar Flare, but being a maiden on the synthetic after three starts is a slight query.
Brimm @ $11 Sportsbet
Brimm (#4) finds herself on top in what looks like an open affair. The mare was disappointing last start when finishing well behind the impressive duo of Sovereign Award and West Wind in Saturday grade, but she will settle on speed in this and look to break her maiden over this distance on her synthetic debut. We suggest playing quite wide in the quaddie with the likes of Full of Theories (#1), Bowing (#2), Mistress Molly (#5), Gettysburg Address (#6) and Fiorente’s Girl (#9) all having genuine claims.
Shush @ $4.50 Sportsbet
Not much separates the top three in the market, with some of these looking to be in tougher races later in the spring campaign. We like Shush (#2), who has chased home the likes of Jittery Jack, Chassis and Rich Hips in her last two starts and may appreciate the drop back to a non-metro race meet. However, she is up against A Pinch of Luck (#10) and Anitra (#11), who are unbeaten on synthetic and must haves in the quaddie. Still, we fancy a small play on Shush.
Blood Oath @ $6.50 Sportsbet
A BM78 to end the card over 1200m and another tricky little race to sort through. WE eave gone with Blood Oath (#8), a gelding who is yet to run outside of the top two on synthetic tracks and seems well placed to go on with his first-up effort when falling short three weeks back to Smart Elissim (#3). Titan Blinders (#5) is one to go into the quaddie, as he just missed in Saturday grade, while Ballarat Synthetic specialist Ronay (#12) can’t be ruled out at his Pakenham debut. This is another leg where you may choose to throw in a couple of bankers to round out your quaddie.
Leg 1: 3-4-5
Leg 2: 1-2-4-5-6-9
Leg 3: 2-10-11
Leg 4: 3-5-8-12
$216 for 100% Sportsbet