3 minute read

Back to town this week with the Listed Oaklands Plate for two-year-olds headlining the card.

A fairly handy card this week in SA and I think Race 7, along with the Oaklands Plate, looks particularly intriguing.

Two handy three-year-olds clash, with Keep Reading narrowly holding the call over Nice For What, and with the two rating well clear of their opponents, there's an opportunity to back both and collect.

Keep Reading went out last preparation rated 92 and returned with an identical figure over 1000m at Murray Bridge, just nosed out by Sigh who looked one of the better things beaten at Caulfield last week.

I would've loved to see him at 1100m now but he has been kept fresh for this and if he can hold that rating he'll be going close here.

Nice For What comes over from Melbourne having most recently finished third to Inundation, who despite flopping last week, still looks group class in the future. She was 7 weeks between runs there after an easy maiden kill and does actually have a peak rating over 90 when finishing midfield in the Sweet Embrace to Four Moves Ahead.

There are other horses in the market that would need to improve sharply to get near the pair and at $4.20 and $5, one can hedge the pair for a dutched odds of $2.28. I think the pair win this race more than 50% of the time so I'm happy to take those odds.

For something at a bigger price, I'll look to the succeeding race and throw up Fallow at 20-1. He's shown a nice ratings improvement this time in and looks ready to peak third up. A peak rating of 83 with Timeform stacks up nicely against these and whilst that was over a bit further, he has raced well over the shorter course.

Those in the (admittedly wide open) market have knocks- Deevine was dominant last start but was on a H10 and his form prior was just battling. Litchfield County is the best horse in the race but didn't quite come up last time in and was just fair on resumption. Agrimony looked like a miler and beyond in Victoria then posted a strong winning figure over 1250m two back before struggling over 1200m last start and now drops back to 1000m which will surely be too sharp.

Fallow has the ratings to be competitive here and in a race where the favourites are vulnerable, he'll be the bet.

SAY FROM SA

Bet of the day: Race 7 #2 Keep Reading @ $4.20 & #6 Nice For What @ $5

Value play: Race 8 #7 Fallow @ $21/6