Saturday Slingshot: Horse racing best bets for March 18, 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, March 18, 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

Rosehill Race 6: #3 Dubai Honour @ $4.20

The second Group 1 of the afternoon is the Ranvet Stakes and with Anamoe electing to head the way of the George Ryder Stakes, it leaves a wide-open field of eight gallopers engaged for the staying types. Dubai Honour goes on top though and with the way William Haggas travels his gallopers to Australia, you simply need to be respecting the decision to have him here first-up. He comes here off a 154-day spell and doesn’t have the greatest first-up record, but we saw with Protagonist just last weekend that the Haggas yard can have his gallopers peaking early on Australian arrival. His form reads outstanding in Europe with runs behind the likes of Baaeed and Mostahdaf on the resume and will love the firmer going than what he encounters in Europe. He draws to get a soft run throughout and with Ryan Moore booked to ride, he’s got to be a key winning hope and one of the best bets of the day in this year’s Ranvet Stakes. Montefilia is the one at close to double figure odds we can entertain as well. She was terrific returning in the Chipping Norton Stakes and should only improve.

Moonee Valley Race 1: #1 Midwest @ $1.95

We do not need to wait too long for our best bet on Saturday, as the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Midwest looks to bring up a long overdue victory. The four-year-old gelding from the Anthony & Sam Freedman barn has finished second at his past three starts in arguably tougher company than what he faces on Saturday and we anticipate Daniel Moor will get the best of him in the opener. In the small seven-horse field, look for Moor to take luck out of the equation and have this bloke scorching the track out in front, giving his rivals something to run down over the 1000m scamper. He has been beaten by the smart Mariamia and Andermatt at his past two starts by small margins, that form stands out to us in this and at yours for theirs odds, Midwest looks a clear best bet of the day at The Valley.

Doomben Race 2: #7 Navajo Peak @ $2.50

Our best bet of the day at Doomben will be the David Payne-trained Navajo Peak who will be third-up going to 2000m, coming off a very nice runner-up finish last start when he had to carry 61kg in a Benchmark 72 at Randwick on March 4. This four-year-old gelding will be stepping up slightly in class on Saturday, however, he will be dropping 7kg and only carrying 54kg over a distance that he is undefeated at in two starts. Last preparation, this son of Territories defeated the likes of King Frankel and Main Stage over 2000m, and there isn’t a horse of that calibre in this race on Saturday, so he looks a clear on top selection for us. He will get the services of one of the most in-form jockeys in Australia in the form of Ben Thompson, and if he can push forward and settle out the leader, he will give Navajo Peak every chance to keep his unbeaten record at 2000m intact.

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Morphettville Race 8: #3 Chicago Storm @ $2.30

We were with the David Aldridge-trained Chicago Storm last weekend when he finished second when well beaten by Bellinger in a tougher race than this. That was in BM76 company, so the step back to BM68 grade looks to be ideal fourth-up from a spell. The four-year-old gelding gets in perfectly in the weights following Sheridan Tomlinson’s 3kg claim, meaning he carries just 57.5kg on his back. From barrier seven, look for Tomlinson to position his mount outside leader or, at worst, in the one-one upon settling. If afforded that luxury, Chicago Storm has the turn of foot which can put a race like this away with relative ease.

Ascot Race 5: #5 Top Of The Pops @ $2.30

Our best bet of the day will be the Daniel Morton-trained Top Of The Pops who will be returning to the race track after a five-month spell, with the benefit of two nice trials over 1000m. This three-year-old gelding returned for one run his last campaign, where he finished fourth in the 3YO Classic, finishing behind the likes of Snowdome, Just Go and Rumour Says who all went onto race in the Listed Belgravia Stakes and Listed Placid Ark Stakes and were very good in those events. This son of Spirit Of Boom is set to race in one of the easiest races of his career on Saturday, so the $2.40 on offer with online bookmakers looks to be a great price for a gelding who has won four of his five career starts to date. Chris Parnham has ridden this guy three times in his career, recording victories at every start and he will be legged back aboard again on Saturday. If Parnham can get Top Of The Pops to the outside of the field on the home turn, he should be too good for this lot.

Bettingsite.com.au Horse Racing Multi for March 18

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