Betting tips / Timeform / 22 June 2012 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

Gary Crispe of Timeform likes lightly-raced mare Natch Catch in today's John McGrath Auto Group Handicap in Canberra.

The open handicap over 1280m on the Acton course will be very different to the city race she contested on heavy ground fresh and she can bounce back here.

Natch Catch, a daughter of Catcher In The Rye, has raced only 13 times for four wins and four minors, and has won at the course and distance.

She placed at four of her first six starts last campaign, three here on the turf, two and once in town at Canterbury, before breaking through over 1400m here on the course proper. That was in a Benchmark 65 where she sat off the speed but ran on well to score a comfortable win.

In the same grade next star,t but with more weight over a mile, she was again too good, sitting midfield before winding up strongly in the straight and scoring by over a length. At her last run before a spell, over a mile in an open handicap here again on the turf, she sat closer to the speed from an inside draw and turned there before boxing on well to finish fourth in a good form race behind Coliseo.

After a spell, Natch Catch resumed in town over 1200m at Canterbury on heavy ground. There she drifted back and settled second last from her wide gate as she slid across to the fence, before turning last. The mare was warming up in the straight but no sooner as she started to pick up ground she ran into traffic and had to check off heels, going to the line untested over the last furlong. She finished 12th, beaten 6.6 lengths, but should have finished much closer.

Not only did she have no luck but she will be fitter and finds a more suitable race here.

Natch Catch will carry 54kg today and has drawn the inside gate where she should enjoy a good run. The mare won at this course and distance 12 months ago and looks capable of bouncing back to her best here.

Stakes winner Lebechaun is resuming from a spell but looks hard to hold out on his strong fresh-up record.

The locally-trained gelding resumed last campaign with a third in the rich Snake Gully Cup at Gundagai then drew wide and made some late ground when 11th, beaten 5.5 lengths, in the Listed Festival Stakes at Rosehill over 1500m.

He then tackled even tougher grade in the Group 2 Villiers Stakes where he was big odds and ran 14th in a top form race behind Monton. After a five-week let-up he returned to Rosehill over 1400m and worked home steadily to finish fourth before going for a spell.

He has a good record fresh and much of last season was spent racing in town but he makes his Acton track debut today. The trip suits fresh and he should be winding up strongly in the straight.

Veteran galloper Moment of Clarity didn't have a lot of luck last time and should be finding the line strongly here.

The eight-year-old is no stranger to this sort of grade and has placed at his only try at the course. The trip suits and he should be running on.

Another seasoned galloper Trescorpioni has a decent fresh-up record and with the claim here looks a solid each-way hope at longer odds.


GARY'S TOP TIPS for RACE 4@CANBERRA
(1) Natch Catch
(2) Lebrechaun
(3) Moment of Clarity