Michael Heaton’s Saturday Belmont Preview
Michael Heaton’s Preview
Race 1
MAROCCHINO flew home from the tail of the field over 1000m last week, reeling off the fastest final 200m sectional of the entire day. He’s crying out for more ground and the step up to 1300m here suits. KELVIN appears to be above average and may have a class edge here but taking odds-on about two-year-olds is a fast way to burn cash. GOTTA MOTOR beat MOROCCHINO home last start and has impressed in each of his three public outings, while EYE OF THE DAY hasn’t done much wrong and should be able to lead this field fairly easily.
Numbers: 5 – 1 – 3 – 7
Suggested Bet – MAROCCHINO EACHWAY
Race 2
TRUE ATTRACTION ticks a lot of boxes here. He has returned great figures in his two runs this prep, backs up off seven days, drops back from a mile to 1400m, won his only start on a Soft6 and Pike jumps back aboard. CLASSIC PRO has only won one from 18 starts but is flying at the moment and this is a big drop in grade. New rider McNaught has a knack of getting these types of horses over the line. FLOWER OF WAR is a progressive type and has the natural speed to overcome her outside draw. Can’t fault her. FORGOTTEN STAR’s racing pattern makes life hard for herself but she can reel off huge late sections.
Numbers: 3 – 1 – 2 – 7
Suggested Bet – TRUE ATTRACTION WIN
Race 3
GATES OF BABYLON is a different horse with blinkers. He’s won his last two starts 4.4 and 6.4 lengths above benchmark and the form has already been franked with State Attorney bolting in last Saturday. INFLATION is green and still learning his trade but rates very well here and maps to get a lovely run. SON OF BACCHUS recorded outstanding figures first-up but was only plain last start. He can box seat here and improve sharply at a price. WESTERN PRIDE looks handy but her form is lengths inferior to the others and she is likely to be horribly under-the-odds.
Numbers: 5 – 2 – 8 – 11
Suggested Bet – GATES OF BABYLON WIN, SAVE INFLATION & SON OF BACCHUS
Race 4
MAJINIKA continues to surprise for new trainer Ash Maley and looks suited here. He can slide across from his wide draw and give some cheek on-speed again. BATTLE TORQUE is simply a Belmont horse and grows another leg in the wet but hasn’t won a race without Pike on since February 2017. MYSTERY MISS was ordinary first-up and is a huge query at a mile but has class on her side and Pike sticks. NOIR DE RUE wasn’t suited by the 2200m last week but will relish the drop-back to a mile here and has won two of three off the quick back-up previously.
Numbers: 1 – 2 – 11 – 5
Suggested Bet – MAJINIKA EACH-WAY
Race 5
BATTLE STORM has been off the scene for more than eight months and resumes without a trial but has x-factor. His last-start win was better than it looks on paper, as they ran the early part of the race more than 11 lengths below benchmark and he reeled of the fastest final 600m, 400m and 200m of the entire day to win. This is the weakest race DOUBLE JEOPARDY has contested and he is a danger to the favourite if he can find cover from the awkward draw. He was a recent trial winner without blinkers and the shades go on here. TO RISE AGAIN maps to get a gun run and can be in the finish, while PREVAILING WINDS’ first-up performance was too bad to be true and his previous form suggests he can bounce back.
Numbers: 7 – 4 – 6 – 3
Suggested Bet – BATTLE STORM WIN
Race 6
As funny as it sounds, ROCK MAGIC is somewhat of a forgotten horse here. If it wasn’t for his last start, he would be odds-on. He can be forgiven for being flat second-up after breaking the track record on a rock-hard Northam surface the start prior. Backing in the champ to bounce back in a small but open Beaufine Stakes field. MISTY METAL is a star and has the ability to withstand a high-pressured tempo and still be there at the finish. ELECTRIC LIGHT backs up off seven days, meets Rocky 4kg better for only being beaten a head by him at Northam and reunites with Pike. She can win. REBEL KING is a rising 8YO but doesn’t know it. He trialled enormous, loves Belmont and should get the run of the race in the box seat from gate one.
Numbers: 1 – 4 – 6 – 3
Suggested Bet – ROCK MAGIC WIN
Race 7
Lightly-raced EYE ART recorded good figures when winning here a fortnight ago and looks like a progressive stayer on the rise. No reason why she can’t win again. MEDIA BARON teases more than the Dockers but will be steaming home late as he always does. BEG TO DIFFER maps to get an ideal run in transit and loves the wet. LAVISTARR is only coming out of a Pinjarra Class Five event but she went 3.4 lengths above benchmark in that race and should get the run of the race here.
Numbers: 4 – 2 – 1 – 13
Suggested Bet – EYE ART EACHWAY
Race 8 
FLIRTINI’s figures have been off the charts in her two runs this prep. She’s returned a serious animal and has the tactical diversity to be able to sit off the pacemakers here and still zap them. THE VELVET KING has been ultra-impressive in his two runs back and he’ll be looking to find the front again, however, the pressure in this race might be another step up and he concedes FLIRTINI 3kg. YEAH DARDY maps to lob one-one, one-back and his peak form is lengths superior to this. Can’t be discounted at odds. MASQUERADE resumes off the back of a nice trial and should get a gun run either in the box seat or three-back-the-fence for Pike.
Numbers: 8 – 6 – 1 – 13
Suggested Bet – FLIRTINI WIN
Quaddie (Race 5 – 8)
4,7
1,3,4,6
1,2,4,13
1,6,8
Market Market
