BEST BET: BUBBLERAP (Race 7)
EACH-WAY: CAPRICORN RIDGE (Race 6)
VALUE: JUST CHEMISTRY (Race 3)
RACE 1 - 1:45PM Lawrences Irrigation Benchmark 72 Handicap (1550 METRES)
Really good race. TERRITORY TITAN maps well from barrier two to control the speed. His form this past year and a half has been excellent and he was brave behind Dazzling Damsel in a strong race at Morphettville on the Parks track last time. The weight is his big worry. DR DEE DEE maps to sit just behind him and he was very good when winning easily at Nhill last time and drops sharply in weight. He has won three of seven starts here which probably gives him enough advantage to put on top at the $4 in early markets. THE GREAT ARTISTE is another who comes off a good effort at Nhill last time and is suited by the claim but does draw out. MASTERATI will be right in the action from a good barrier and he was a city winner over Li’l Hank and Stan The Caddy (who both won at Gawler at the weekend) five runs back. Both DYAGILEV and MONTASER can win on the back of very good runs last time out.
SELECTIONS: DR DEE DEE, Territory Titan, Montaser
RACE 2 - 2:20PM Doan Pharmacies / SABOIS Maiden Handicap (1000 METRES)
Not a lot of form to get enthused about here but LOVE ME NED looks the top pick even from a wide gate. Ran OK at Warrnambool at his second start back in February and his two Penola efforts when fourth were OK before he was beaten 0.6 lengths behind Cimota at Nhill. Looks to get his chance. PICNIC MIC ran well here three starts back when fourth behind Turf Tapper and will find this a lot easier than last start at Bendigo. SPANISH HEIRLOOM could improve second-up after leading them up and tiring at Strathalbyn behind Mrs Mourinho. She can run a cheeky race from a good gate. John Hickmott has three debutants here: ALMARHOE was well beaten in a recent Strath jump-out, FACTORED IN was slow to leave the gates but wasn’t asked to do a lot on the same day, likewise WELCOME REWARD. Hard to get a good read on the trio even from the jump-outs so keep an eye on betting.
SELECTIONS: LOVE ME NED, Picnic Mic, Spanish Heirloom
RACE 3 - 2:55PM Border Ag / SABOIS Maiden Plate (1300 METRES)
JUST CHEMISTRY was in the market at Kangaroo Island on debut back in February and ran well first-up, beaten 1.6 lengths behind Sister Dee at Oakbank. Draws a nice gate and will give this a shake on last time at nice each-way odds. ANOTHER FREE GLASS was $4.60 into $3.50 on debut at Naracoorte when beaten 4.7 lengths behind Blue Lake Lad. He draws a good gate and looks an improver. CHAT UP has handy form for a race like this. He was runner-up behind Isa Secret at Penola two starts back and then beaten just 1.15 lengths behind Longtimedreaming at Horsham last time out. RITZ is a watch. He was beaten 4.8 lengths behind Cimota at Nhill last time but draws a good gate and is in the Preusker stable. Will Clarken doesn’t bring many to Bordertown to debut but HARPER’S HOPE had two trials in the middle of the year and then three jump-outs during December and failed to set the world on fire. Keep an eye on betting from a good barrier. FENCELINE has been placed at four of 13 and drifted sharply last time when runner-up behind Oh Georgia at Naracoorte. BEWDY MATE was $17-$31 on debut when fourth behind Siberian Route at Strath. This a lot easier but he needs to improve accordingly.
SELECTIONS: JUST CHEMISTRY, Chat Up, Harper’s Hope
RACE 4 - 3:30PM Woolshed Inn Benchmark 54 Handicap (1000 METRES)
LIBERTY POWER is a front runner who was good winning by 1.9 lengths at Oakbank last time out. He draws to be on speed again from barrier two and will give them something to chase here. Happy to have him on top. MOSSBELLE is a well-travelled mare who started her career in Victoria and comes off a NT campaign. She was a Sale winner in February 2019 and hasn’t done a lot since. She showed solid improvement from a Strath jump-out on December 17 to winning a recent Morphettville jump-out, so keep an eye on betting. VEGAN had specking at a price and was on speed behind Masterati on the Parks track back in mid-November. She’s been freshened, was runner-up behind The Raven at Naracoorte three runs back and has an inside gate. DEFORCE was placed here two runs back and ran OK at big odds at Warrnambool last time out. HONOUR THE WORK hasn’t raced since October but has the blinkers going on for his first-up tilt here. GOODARCHIE was runner-up at Gawler back in April, has the benefit of a recent Balaklava trial under his belt and wasn’t knocked around in a Gawler jump-out.
SELECTION: LIBERTY POWER, Mossbelle, Vegan
RACE 5 - 4:05PM Bordertown Haulage Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200 METRES)
Another good race on paper. MAGIC REWARD has a handy record and his two runs back from a break have been solid. He was placed behind Ranger Frank at Murray Bridge and then stuck on well behind Our Deep Agenda at Morphettville last time. He draws a sticky gate but looks the horse with the most upside. FAST PLAN is an interesting runner. Formerly with Darren Weir and then Mitch Freedman, he’s now in the strong Jaensch stable and was placed at Ballarat back in August. LONGMIRE has a handy record and was too good for Ranger Frank at Naracoorte last time. He is unplaced at four starts here but gets in well with the claim. ENKI was runner-up at Strathalbyn twice before being beaten 6.3 lengths behind Don’tdreamit’sover in town last time. He draws a good gate and gets in OK in this sort of class with the claim, though jumping back from 1541m to 1200m is a slight concern. WONAEAMIRRI is shooting for three wins on end after beating Exalted Gold at Naracoorte and then proving too strong for Zoustorm here (where he’s unbeaten in two starts) last time. BROBAK wasn’t beaten far first-up in the same race. WAR CHEVAL led throughout to win here over 1100m two starts back and could run a cheeky race down in the weights.
SELECTIONS: MAGIC REWARD, Fast Plan, Enki
RACE 6 - 4:40PM Ray White Bordertown Benchmark 64 Handicap (2000 METRES)
CAPRICORN RIDGE was a good Strathalbyn winner two back before getting back and struggling to make ground at Oakbank behind subsequent Gawler winner Stan The Caddy last time. He gets winkers on and should fight out the finish. MAZY MOTION is lightly raced but scored at Echuca over 1600m back in October and stuck on well behind STRYKER STAR (who is poorly drawn here) at Naracoorte last time. Draws to get a cosy run from the inside. CHALLICUM has been placed at three of five starts here, the latest behind Act Of Aggression, and ran well behind Jane’s Angel at Nhill last time. Stablemate LADY DEE DEE was runner-up in the same race after leading and can run a cheeky race down in the weight from a good gate. HASTA LA BULLET was solid in betting but never really in the race behind Act Of Aggression here last time. SUPERVELOCE ran well behind Meadows Young Buck at Morphettville last time and draws a good barrier.
SELECTIONS: CAPRICORN RIDGE, Lady Dee Dee, Mazy Motion
RACE 7 - 5:15PM Bordertown Pumps Benchmark 58 Handicap (1550 METRES)
Open race to finish the day. BUBBLERAP draws a nice gate and got well back before charging home late behind Thanasi at Naracoorte last time. He draws a good barrier and looks right in this. HOLY SANGRIA has won just one of 21 but looks well suited in a race like this, especially from the good barrier. COSMOTRIX was crunched from $6 into $3.70 to defeat Wongabelle at Penshurst on Boxing Day. PEWTER is racing well and was runner-up behind Dr Dee Dee here two starts back. He did his best work late behind Cuban Toonite at Naracoorte. BOLEK is a winner over 1200m back in March and his recent form has been pretty good for a race like this. He was a Tatura winner three starts back; the only query is a tricky wide gate. BUNGALALLY BABE can improve second-up here and was placed at Donald three starts back. MAORI MAGIC ran well at Oakbank beaten just 1.8 lengths. OWL ON THE PROWL has a good second-up record.
SELECTIONS: BUBBLERAP, Pewter, Cosmotrix
IMAGE: Lincoln Moore has Magic Reward on top in race five at Bordertown today.
