Betsy's Best: Pakenham
Mitch Lewis takes a look at Friday night's Pakenham meeting.
| Race | No. | Horse | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | 1 | Aliano | Can be an improver first up in his second prep |
| R8 | 3 | Skycatcher | Makes Australian debut and looks suited in these conditions |
Turf Talk:
- The track was rated Heavy earlier in the week, but with clear and drying conditions it is expected to be closer to a Soft 6 or 7 by race 1.
- The rail remains at its previous position from last week and will be +6m.
- Expecting a slight advantage to runners who settle forward of midfield, with horses likely to come away from the rail in the straight and lanes 5 to 8 potentially the best going.
Key Stats:
- Clint McDonald has three runners engaged and his team generally performs well at this track, winning at 17.7% with a positive POT of +13.8%.
Race 2 No.1 Aliano
Aliano was met with good market support when making his debut in July at Sandown but there were genuine excuses in his finishing position after he was caught wide throughout. Resuming for a second campaign here off the back of some handy trial work, he looks the type who is capable of winning in this grade soon.
Race 8 No.3 Skycatcher
Skycatcher makes his Australian debut after kicking off his career in New Zealand. He looks likely to be better suited over more ground in time, but his last start win in New Zealand was dynamic over this same 1400m trip on a Heavy rated track. He should be well suited by tonight's conditions and his recent trials suggest he can fire fresh.
