Saturday Slingshot: Horse racing best bets for January 21, 2023

The Saturday Slingshot presented by Bettingsite.com.au is here and it brings you the best bets for horse racing in Australia on Saturday, January 21, 2023 to help you launch into a winning weekend on the punt.

All odds are provided by leading online bookmakers recommended by Bettingsite.com.au

Moonee Valley Race 4: #7 Shuffle Dancer @ $1.80

The Peter Moody barn is low flying, and it is hard to go bast his three-year-old filly Shuffle Dancer in the BM70 over 1500m. The I Am Invincible filly finished 1.5-lengths off the smart Wrote To Arataki at Flemington on January 1 when finishing second and in doing so, put nearly two-lengths on subsequent Flemington winner Belle Et Riche. The form line stands out like a sore thumb for this meeting and from barrier four under Ben Melham is set to gain a near perfect run in transit throughout. Running On Time and Propreitary will look to make this a genuinely run event from what we have seen from the pair so far in their career, which will set the race up perfectly for Shuffle Dancer to make her run approaching the turn and put a length or two on her rivals in smart fashion.

Randwick Race 4: #5 Almania @ $8.50

You’ll be getting close to double figures for the lightly raced seven-year-old Almania. His first-up effort behind Jojo Was A Man in a BM100 at Randwick on December 31 was enormous considering the circumstances. He was first-up off a 763-day spell, went back to last in a strung-out field and still had the audacity to storm home into third to only be beaten 1.5 lengths. He was going better with every stride and arguably would’ve won the race if there was an extra 100m, but unfortunately for backers you’d have to settle for the black book. He’s now second-up and should only improve with the run under his belt, while he steps back into BM88 company and should relish the 2000m. He only has to carry 56.5kg, too, with the inclusion of Victorian raider Helene Leadingstar, keeping us well in with the handicapper. Jason Collett takes the reins now and only needs to find cover mid-race to be right in this.

Doomben Race 4: #3 Ashgrove @ $3.30

Ryan Maloney and Tony Gollan will combine with Ashgrove in the Benchmark 78 Handicap over 2020m in the fourth race of the day. This four-year-old gelding has been very good at his last two starts, winning a Benchmark 70 Handicap at Eagle Farm on December 21 before running a close second in The Wave on the Gold Coast last start. This son of Dundeel is bred to run 2000m plus and race over the staying distances; however, he has only been over 2000m once for a third-place finish in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate during his three-year-old campaign. Now that this guy is racing in very good form in his four-year-old preparation, he should be ready and fit enough to run out a strong 2020m this Saturday. Maloney will stick after riding him in his last two starts, and from barrier five we should see Ashgrove settle just behind the leaders and then look to find the outside to run home strong and prove hard to beat.

Recommended!

Fast Payouts

50% matched deposit up to USD $5,000

Visit BetOnline

Gawler Race 7: #5 Rebel Lee @ $3.00

Winning form is good form, and it is hard to knock the way Rebel Lee has been accounting for her opponents in recent times. The Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained mare has strung together three consecutive wins, including two here at the Gawler 2100m. We anticipate she will continue that run of form when she steps out in BM72 grade on Saturday, and with Jason Holder sticking on board she will be given every chance in the world to bring up a picket fence. She relishes firmer going having won four of her six starts on Good-rated surfaces, and despite drawing barrier 10 we expect Holder to have her in a prominent position throughout. From there it should be an easy watch for favourite backers, and the $3 on offer with BetOnline looks to be a steal.

Ascot Race 8: #10 The Velvet Queen @ $2.35

We will be keeping our powder dry as we wait for our best bets in the final two races of the day, with the best bet of the day coming up in race eight, the Benchmark 84 Handicap over 1500m. Darren McAuliffe will bring his very talented four-year-old mare The Velvet Queen to the races once again, where she is coming off a very close second behind Alsephina in the Group 3 La Trice Classic on New Year’s Day. Before her run in the La Trice this daughter of Universal Ruler was very impressive when she flew home from the back and nabbed the leader in the shadows of the winning post to record a very tight victory at this track and trip on December 24. On Saturday she has drawn barrier two, which doesn’t really suit her get back and run on racing style, but if the track is playing favourable to leaders, she doesn’t have to settle worse than midfield. This mare showed that she can match it with Group and Listed horses at her most recent start, and now that she drops back to Benchmark 84 grade, she should prove too classy for this field.

Bettingsite.com.au Horse Racing Multi for January 21

More sports betting tips