Deane Lester’s Best Bets
RACE 4 NO.8 SO TAKEN
The Chris Waller stable has a strong hand in the Mares Benchmark 90 Handicap (1400m) with the favourite HAUT BRON HER, however her stablemate SO TAKEN makes appeal at each way odds. The four year old should be fitter for two runs back from a spell which includes a solid last start 5th behind GREYWORM over 1200 metres at Rosehill on August 31. She looks ready to step up in distance and looks ideally drawn to enjoy a cheap run. She’s a very consistent mare that should run well again.
RACE 6 NO.5 SIKANDARABAD
For the winner of the Bendigo Bank MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) there’s a golden ticket into next month’s Stella Artois Caulfield Cup and SIKANDARABAD looks the ideal horse to win this race and develop into a genuine lightly weighted chance in the Cup. The Hayes/ Dabernig trained gelding has impressed at two runs this campaign and drops from weight for age class to handicap company. He was a 3rd up winner of the Victoria Gold Cup over this track and distance last preparation and he looks ready to produce another winning run. It’s a highly competitive race with so much on the line, however SIKANDARABAD is primed to run well and represents the best bet of the day.
RACE 8 NO.13 FASCINO
Lightly raced filly FASCINO looks a progressive type from the Maher/ Eustace stable that scored a confidence boosting win last start and can measure up to better company when she runs in the Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m). The daughter of Charm Spirit showed some talent last autumn, however she showed significant improvement when scoring an arrogant win over 1200 metres at Ballarat Synthetic on September 6. She will be fitter for that run, should relish a step up in distance and looks drawn for a cheap run. It’s a race of many different formlines but FASCINO looks good enough for this class of race and appeals as the best value bet of the day.
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