Punt Drunk: Star mares to go under the hammer on the Gold Coast
Happy hump day and welcome to another daily edition of #PuntDrunk – your go-to read for racing news and tips each morning. With plenty of horse racing meetings being held around the country today, the team here at HorseBetting.com.au will try and steer you into a few winners as we look to close out the month of March in style and build towards another Group 1 weekend.
End of an era for the Kiwis
14 for Melody!@TeAkauRacing's Melody Belle creates history by breaking Sunline's record of Group 1 wins with her 14th in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes pic.twitter.com/7jeq8Yc7O5
— TAB Racing (@TAB_Racing) March 13, 2021
Melody Belle, we all know her! She is a 14-time Group 1 winner, predominately in her homeland of New Zealand, but the Jamie Richards-trained mare is set for her farewell tour here in Australia. Melody Belle departed NZ on Monday afternoon en route to Sydney for her run in the Tancred Stakes this Saturday. Prior to full fields being released later in the day, the mare was a $4.50 all-in favourite for this weekend’s Group 1 event at Rosehill. We expect her final run to be in Queensland during the early stages of the Brisbane Winter Carnival in mid-late May. No matter where she finishes up, she will go down in history as one of the greatest runners to come from across the “dutch”. Melody Belle is set to go under the hammer at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast on May 25.
Tofane set to go under the hammer
TOFANE NUDGES OUT PIERATA TO WIN THE G1 ALL AGED STAKES pic.twitter.com/m2CCJqaeSA
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) April 18, 2020
Joining Melody Belle at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale up on the Gold Coast in eight weeks is Tofane, who will long be remembered for ruining the farewell party of star sprinter Pierata when launching late to take the 2020 All Aged Stakes from the stallion’s grasp in his final race. The Mike Moroney-trained mare has earned her connections a touch over $1.3 million in prize money throughout her career, and she could add a fair chunk to that tally as she closes out her career with a few Group 1 races in New South Wales and Queensland over the coming months. All eyes will be on Tofane when she resumes in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick on Day 2 of The Championships on April 17.
Wednesday racing tips – March 31, 2021
Punt Drunk’s best bet of the day
The undefeated Pale King is a $51 chance for this year’s Caulfield Cup, and if connections are looking to go that way, he has to win races like the BM78 he lines up in today at Sandown. The Hawkes-trained gelding appeared to handle the 1600m first up with relative ease, and the step up to 1800m looks ideal.
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