Races

Scott Embry’s Saturday Belmont Preview

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

RACE 1

STORYVILLE made an impression at trials and delivered on race day. She left the gates brilliantly to zip across to the breeze and never looked like being run down. Has to do the same from barrier 12 of 13 and over 1200m on a rain affected track but she looks a ready made professional. RAINLINE can sit close handy and stalk the every move of the favourite. She’s a tough filly with versatility and upside. STREET BAND could not have been more impressive at his return to racing when zapping them over 1000 at Ascot from a long way back. POND MASTER caught the eye on debut and can settle much closer.

Numbers: 8 – 2 – 1 – 4

Suggested Bet – STORYVILLE WIN

RACE 2

VALDARENA lead and won a Westspeed 1400 two back and then covered plenty of additional ground when a brave third behind Pro Latte and Fearless Talk. Dropping back to 1200m not as favourable as returning to 1400, however, she strikes a race with little to no speed and should be able to hold a prominent spot in running. Like the way she’s going and she’ll be eachway. LUCKY’S WAY looms as the obvious danger. She’s in a purple patch, she’s a Soft6 winner and is off the 7 day back-up. Hard to hold out. BREAD TO FLIRT finally gets conditions to suit. CLIMB ON TOP resumes in a winnable race and trialled well alongside Fluro Neuro recently.

Numbers: 7 – 6 – 5 – 4

Suggested Bet – VALDARENA EACHWAY

RACE 3

LAST STYLEBENDER has a few quirks but he has a stack of natural ability. Put on a clinic at Belmont Park trials on two occasions in April before stepping out as a well supported second favourite on debut in a 3 year old Plate at Ascot. Lunged at the barrier just before the start was effected and inconvenienced himself (and poor Tony Ward) effectively putting himself out of play. Did a super job to somehow get within a head of Lost City and hopefully a set of ear muffs will see him get into and out of the gates without issue. Nice horse. MISS FLIRTACIOUS is jump and run and was stiff to run into one like Too Dardy in a 60+ Graduation last start. JUSTABITTAPRESS is an exciting sprinter but may need to settle near last here. GINNIVAN had excuses fresh.

Numbers: 5 – 6 – 4 – 2

Suggested Bet – LAST STYLEBENDER WIN

RACE 4

MULTINATIONAL is just a different animal away from Ascot. If you took Ascot away his career record would read 19 starts for 7 wins and 6 minors so it was no surprise to see him heavily commissioned last start for victory when returning to Belmont Park. He looks to be afforded another wonderful map where Brad Parnham can dictate terms to them and he’s a proven wet tracker having won on a Soft7 and a Heavy10. Should be in front for a long way. AMBER GLIDE was huge last start. She kept coming bravely in a race that wasn’t run to suit and she gets a 1.5kg weight swing on Multinational. First time on a rain affected surface since she was beaten 3.5L on a Soft6. ZEPHYRA is in great form and gets in on the minimum. AZTEC RULER is the A-Grader coming back to ratings grade.

Numbers: 3 – 6 – 8 – 1

Suggested Bet – MULTINATIONAL WIN

RACE 5

RUSTY DREAMS is a ripper. She’s won 6 from 13 so far in her career and given she’s been beaten a head by Baby Paris (m99 rater) in a Jungle Dawn it’s clear that she’s still got plenty of room to move in the handicapping system = many more wins ahead. She has to lump 60kg on a wet track which is an obvious risk but her recent 950m trial was explosive and she looks like she’ll get the right run midfield with cover. Must respect the mare. ROPE THEM IN is a lightly raced 3 year old with only 55.5kg on his back and barrier 1 to his advantage. Big danger. GODDESS OF GIVING suffered her first Belmont defeat last week after throwing the race away in the home straight. DUCHESS OF GOSSIP ran very well fresh in a 78+ that likely holds up as a form reference in Race 4.

Numbers: 1 – 9 – 8 – 4

Suggested Bet – RUSTY DREAMS EACHWAY

RACE 6 

TOO DARDY is a very sharp sprinter who looks destined to make his way through the grades over winter. He was a good thing beat on a Heavy8 as a 3 year old so he ticks the wet track box and if he reproduces the L600 he peeled off first-up then he’ll take a stack of beating with only 57.5kg on his back. FINAL SIREN is the testing material and will have a head start on him in running and a 2.5kg weight pull as well as William Pike. Take all those things into consideration and he could be the more popular of the two in betting. ROCK THIS TOWN ran a narrow second off a near identical preparation in the past and went well last week. COLOSSAL gets through the wet and trialled nicely.

Numbers: 5 – 8 – 1 – 3

Suggested Bet – TOO DARDY WIN

RACE 7

CHOLLIMA, CELEBRITY PRINCE and DANCE BOSS are all similar map types and they’re all drawn out wide together so expecting that the winner comes from the three deep moving line erupting down the centre late. CELEBRITY PRINCE trialled super and then got home nicely from a long way back behind Too Dardy and Miss Flirtacious. Like the step up in trip for him and he did win a 60+ Grad 1200 second-up last campaign. CHOLLIMA drops back into a Graduation, drops back 200m and importantly drops 2kg in weight. Yet to win outside first-up but she’s classy. DANCE BOSS put the writing on the wall at Ascot last start when rattling home late. UNCLE GERARD is a hard horse to follow but he’s got great wet track form and gets huge weight swings on key rivals for past performances.

Numbers: 4 – 5 – 6 – 11

Suggested Bet – CELEBRITY PRINCE WIN

RACE 8

WESTERN EMPIRE was dominant in the Northam Stakes, massive to nab a brave Searchin’ Roc’s in the shadows of the post in the Belmont Sprint and will go around short in the Hyperion Stakes as a result. He has only ever raced once on a genuinely rain affected track (2022 Makybe Diva Stakes – Soft7 – Group One 1600 – beaten 6L) and many will knock him off that effort, however, he wasn’t with Grant & Alana – end of story. He can blend in midfield with cover here and see no reason why he won’t be extremely hard to topple yet again. He’s back in a big way. SEARCHIN’ ROC’S is a Heavy8 winner and a Heavy10 winner as a 2 year old so she’ll appreciate a wet track which potentially brings Western Empire back to the field. Finally drew a gate last start and ran accordingly. MAGNIFICENT ANDY is in career best. VALOUR ROAD a big improver from the gate after a luckless fresh run.

Numbers: 1 – 14 – 10 – 2

Suggested Bet – WESTERN EMPIRE WIN

Same Race Multi – Western Empire (Win) + Searchin’ Roc’s (Top 3)

Western Empire has won the Northam Stakes – Belmont Sprint double and now tackles the Hyperion. The only unknown element for him is that the track is likely to be a rain affected ~soft7, a surface that he’s yet to prove himself on, however, he’s the best horse in the race and back to somewhere near his brilliant best. Searchin’ Roc’s swims and was brave in defeat last start.

RACE 9

FAT ROY SLIM is winning races that he has no right to win at the minute. He now has 60kg and barrier 16 of 16 but he still has what seems to be the key to his success – William Pike. If they’re swooping he can sustain a wide run, if they’re not he can cut the corner and be ridden for luck. Looking for 4 in a row and given the field size you’ll get eachway. CITINO looks the kind of animal who can pinch a couple of these winter staying races. Took a huge step from a C1 win to a 66+ when narrowly defeated by an in form and extremely tough campaigner in Allez Allez (since second to Oly’s Choice). HERE FOR CHEQUES and TALLANGATTA again take care of the speed.

Numbers: 1 – 6 – 3 – 8

Suggested Bet – FAT ROY SLIM EACHWAY

Quaddie (Race 6 – 9)

5,8

1,2,4,5,6,11

1,14

1,3,4,6,8,14

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