Betting tips / Editor / 21 September 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Gary Crispe, from racingandsports.com.au, offers his expert analysis on today's fifth race on the card at Betfair Park.

The weather and wide gates may not be the one-two punch for punters today at Sandown-Lakeside (Betfair Park), and in fact could see them land a crunching uppercut and win by points, or even a knockout.

The fifth race on the card is a Restricted 89 over 1300m and is a good betting race with form threads galore that make punters want to enter the wagering ring and throw about some combinations.

Two runners both drawn wide and second up do look the best fighters too me, plus the pair of four-year-olds each have good corner men atop too. They each have won second up and both can handle rain-affected going should the arena become damp.

Happy Trails will be ridden by Damien Oliver and he certainly gets the Morphettville-prepared visitor to deliver on the bigger blacktype stage.

In three rides atop he has finished second twice at G3 and fourth at G3, with those efforts coming from 1200m up to 2000m, and on dry and heavy ground. The gelding goes good for him, and then you must factor in the second up record, which is three runs for a win, a second at G2 and a close fourth.

I do not see his weight of 57.5kg today or the outside barrier as being a bout-stopper, as he is a natural off pacer and closes off his races in the latter rounds (the money metres) very strongly. His fresh up eighth at Flemington, when beaten less than two lengths in the G3 Bobbie Lewis (1200m), was the eyecatching run-on effort of a fighting fit horse in what was a rather strong line-up.

He had won a trial a few weeks prior and looks to have come back a lot stronger-sort, more able to manage his bulk this time in.

The one negative is his only having scored one win out of a dozen contests, but a few of his six placings have been close up and/or not far away.

Paul Beshara trains Happy Trails, which still holds a nomination for the Cox Plate, something akin to Rocky XV in terms of the underdog overcoming against all odds.

Spirited Eagle from a wide alley can soar, swing or swim to success here, and Craig Newitt will ride the Mick Price gelding that importantly will wear the headgear (blinkers) again.

He is a lightly-tried and natural 'closer' that is already a wet track winner, so nothing to worry about today. His second up form reads super with a win, a fourth and last campaign a second, beaten a head from an awkward barrier at Listed level over 1200m at Caulfield.

It is no surprise that Listed second is the career high rating so far for Spirited Eagle, and at his following outing last summer he finished third in a G3 at Flemington over 1400m from another bad barrier. This was his second highest rating effort to date, and when you consider he was a length and a half away from Bullbars and Startsmeup, with some serious names behind him too, it augurs well for this campaign.

He ran favourite fresh up at Moonee Valley eleven days ago and that ensures for bettors that the groundwork has gone into the galloper as the field he met was a decent Open Handicap over 1200m. It contained a G1 winner, G1 placegetters and a G2 winner among several other Group and Listed performers.

Therefore, the fact Spirited Eagle would start favourite was significant, and he did a really good job in the end to finish fifth after a messy, tardy start.

There was no surprise that the visiting Queenslander in Woorim (placed third in a G1 Stradbroke) won the race over Blackie (won G2 Phar Lap Stakes), and that third home was Stanzout (placed second and third in G1 Australia Stakes and a G1 The Age Classic plus won the G2 Gilgai Stakes).

I do see the money coming hard again for Spirited Eagle and he too is a name to follow for the rest of the spring, with so many rich support card races on feature days.

Outside the top two, the likes of Belgietto appeals fresh up with a 3kg claim from a good gate, as this gelding goes super in that state and likes Betfair Park too.

His three starts at the Lakeside circuit have returned a fresh up third, a very close second to the tidy Base (about to win this time in) and a not far away fourth over a mile. The last win by Belgietto came in December 2010 in a Restricted 89 mile under 55kg, beating the G1 Emirates winner Tears I Cry, so a notable victory.

Belgietto will carry 55.5kg today in this Restricted 89 and that should ensure bettors include the Peter Gelagotis trained galloper in their boxing combinations.

The form lines through Typeface and Plain Lucky warrant both being included, and the former last start absolutely demolished the latter right here at the Lakeside track.

Typeface in nine starts has not finished worse than fourth and handles dry and wet ground, with three wins and four placings to go with a pair of fourths. He has only tried 1300m once but finished second, beaten by less than half a length to Brazilian Pulse, a future G1, G2 and G3 winner, at the Hillside circuit here at Betfair Park.

Plain Lucky will meet Typeface 1kg better off today, but that may not be enough to turn the tables, especially when 1300m is yet to be attempted by the gelding along with a wide gate as well.

Togukawa, which handles it wet, and at his only meeting with Plain Lucky beat it home narrowly, did carry half a kilo more that day and here is at the same weight. He is another four-year-old still holding a Cox Plate nomination and Steven King will ride as usual, knowing how much ability this entire has.

Leon Corstens has three in the field and has already scratched one runner, so may end up running just this or one other, and that is the stayer Sunset Café, which handles wet ground.

If bettors are looking for a knockout then Tiakinui is the one, being an older gelding drawn off the track, but he likes rain-affected tracks and races super fresh up. I like the Brad Rawiller booking as he has ridden him once before, when first-up for a year, and the result was second beaten narrowly over 1400m under 57kg.

Watch the weather, but in Spirited Eagle and Happy Trails you have two top chances, while plenty of respect for Belgietto and Typeface plus the surprise is Tiakinui.

Enjoy the race.