3 minute read

After failing to get off the ground last week, we head back to Ascot for another nine-race card.

Mother nature claimed the Miss Andretti Stakes meeting last weekend, but early forecasts suggest no such issues this weekend.

Another competitive nine-race card has lobbed up this week and whilst I'm not as gung-ho as I was last weekend, I still think their are a couple of angles worth playing.

The first of those angles comes up in race 5 over 2200m where I'm heading back to the well with CAPTAIN PLUTO for William Pike and Team Williams.

The son of Savabeel (to put it nicely) has been set near-impossible tasks all campaign and finally gets the best chance he's had since coming out west to notch up another victory.

After jumping well last start, Pike snagged the four-year-old back to the tail of the field and ran a race-fastest last 600m sectional by nearly half a second.

He ticks plenty of boxes this time, drawing an inside barrier and getting the blinkers back on.

Captain Pluto showed he can jump with them - if not in front of them - last start and now gets an opportunity to hold a forward position, much like he did when winning in Victoria prior to the move.

There's not a whole lot of juice about the price, but there was queries about how genuine he was prior to last start, jumping a $2.70 chance in essentially the same race.

Fingers crossed once the markets get closer to their true percentage, we can get a similar price and he'll go one better this time.

With the market's appearing correct right across the board, there was some struggle to find a 'Value' play of the day.

Whilst she may not be a 'value' price to some, the price on offer about VAMPI AT PLAY in race 7 seems too big.

In what looks a relatively open race, the Neville Parnham-trained galloper is one of the highest rated with Racing and Sports, as well as running one of the fastest times by R&S' measure last time out.

The daughter of Playing God comes from an in-form stable with an in-form jockey to ride, and with queries over where her main dangers get to in the run, it's easy to lean her way in the Studco Handicap.

The bet365 Best From The West

Best Bet: Race 5 Number 5 CAPTAIN PLUTO @ $2.10* with bet365.

Value Play: Race 7 Number 10 VAMPI AT PLAY @ $6.50 and $2.50* with bet365.

*Prices correct as of 12:30pm, Thursday January 18th

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