3 minute read

Major Pinnacles players return in the Asian Beau while the Prince Of Wales tosses up our best bet of the afternoon.

Hot conditions are in store for Saturday's meeting at Ascot, trending the same way as the action on track which is definitely beginning to heat up with The Pinnacles just around the corner.

The Prince Of Wales Stakes at Group 3 level is an interesting affair and where we the important 'Pinnacles Pointers' begin for the weekend.

Six of the 9 runners come through the R.S Crawford Stakes where Red Can Man ended his winning drought, leaving us with two options for Saturday's Prince Of Wales.

Option 1 - We look for different formlines (where there's only three), or option 2 - go with the best run in the race.

We're going with option two for this week's Best Bet, the Dion Luciani-trained My Bella Mae. 

Producing a new peak last start in a losing effort, she needed to do a bit of work along the inside rail to finally get into the clear and hit the line full of running.

Her previous peak ratings have come in races with similar setups to this, drawing away from the inside, getting clear air a long way from home and being allowed to work through her gears by Carbery.

She's now got the grounding to go to another level third-up, and although the wide draw mightn't read well, it looks a much better spot for her on paper.

Coming through the Crawford, My Bella Mae meets both the winner, and third horse in that race better at the weights on Saturday. Already rated right up to a typical winner of the Prince Of Wales, she has the platform to run a new peak on Saturday, which would see her winning the co-main event. It's also important to note that mares are winning a touch more than their participation rate, winning 20% while only making up 17% of runners.

We'll just breeze over Race 8 quickly as it is the Asian Beau stakes and current G1 Railway Stakes favourite Alsephina lines up for her first run of the campaign.

She's trialled well coming in for the formidble partnership of Pike and Grant and Alana Williams and you could argue that she should be shorter in Saturday's Group 3 over 1400m.

Admiration Express resumes off an injury after making it all the way to the WA Oaks last campaign. She's fitter for two trials coming in and may give the Alsephina something to think about if she's near her best first-up.

"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet' - Aristotle

It's a long wait for the last at Ascot as it pops up after 8:30pm AEDT, but hopefully it'll be worth the wait as Chris and Neville Parnham team up with five-year-old gelding War Gem.

He led the field turning for home when resuming from a 63-day let-up and just lacked some race fitness on that occasion after racing keenly in the run. Hopefully his form is franked earlier in the day with Malkar Pindari (Race 2), and with a few boxes ticked this Saturday he can race his way into the winners' stall.

BEST FROM THE WEST

Best of the Day: Race 7 Number 9 MY BELLA MAE @ $4 with bet365*

Each-way Play: Race 9 Number 11 WAR GEM @ $10 / $3.40 with bet365*

*Odds correct as of 1pm 2/11/2023

You win some. You lose more. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.