Weekend Best Bets

OUR experts give you an early shot at finding a winner as they look at the major races around the nation.

Pic Jay Town: Race 1 Inglis Banner 1000m 1st Silversands (Michael Walker, blue, yellow sleeves), 2nd Donelle (Brett Prebble), 3rd Cornrow (Craig Newitt).

OUR experts give you an early shot at finding a winner as they look at the major races around the nation.

SCONE

RAY THOMAS (Daily Telegraph). Tipster’s form: 68626

DONELLE

Race 4, No. 5

Has been in tremendous form this preparation, winning her maiden at Gosford in a canter by more than seven lengths then scoring another authoritative win at a Canterbury midweek meeting. She is vaulting into stakes grade but this filly has a lot of natural talent and can continue her winning run here.

TAB Fixed Odds: $4.20

NIC ASHMAN (Daily Telegraph). Form: 20214

DONELLE

Race 4, No. 5

Her trackwork suggests a hat-trick of wins is well within reach.

TAB Fixed Odds: $4.20

STEPHEN ZAMMIT (Daily Telegraph). Form: 3x432

DONELLE

Race 4, No. 5

Led the field then dashed clear for an impressive 6-1/2 len win at Gosford on April 14. Raced with cover and then responded in fine style to win again at Canterbury on April 29. This Gai Waterhouse-prepared galloper is doing everything right and will go very close to racking up a winning hat-trick at Scone this weekend.

TAB Fixed Odds: $4.20

JOHN DAVIS (Daily Telegraph). Form: 6635x

DIVERTIRE

Race 6, No. 9

Boasts strong form lines around gifted miler Silverball and is rock hard fit. Tough nut to crack.

TAB Fixed Odds: $17

DARREN PRENDERGAST (Super Racing). Form: 24140

ARTLEE

Race 5, No. 9

Talented four-year-old who blitzed rivals to win the Country Championship Final at Randwick last month. Given a freshen-up and although this is a harder test he returns at a distance at which he is unbeaten in three attempts.

TAB Fixed Odds: $3.20

CAULFIELD

MATT STEWART (Herald Sun). Tipster’s form: 25311

BY THE GRACE

Race 9, No. 11

Forget last run when peeled back from wide gate. Would win this if anywhere near best.

TAB Fixed Odds: $4.60

ROD NICHOLSON (Herald Sun). Form: 30430

ANGELS BEACH

Race 4, No. 1

Flying mare who dominated a quality jumpout at Caulfield a fortnight ago. Should be cherry ripe fresh over the 1000m.

TAB Fixed Odds: $2.70

MICHAEL MANLEY (Herald Sun). Form: 1x110

ANGELS BEACH

Race 4, No. 1

Top class mare resuming. Flies fresh, looked sharp in recent Caulfield jumpout and looks a level above her opposition.

TAB Fixed Odds: $2.70

NICK QUINN (TAB). Form: 212x5

ANGELS BEACH

Race 4, No. 1

Classy sprinting mare who looks ready to make a winning return on the back of a sizzling recent jumpout. Has a great first-up record with three wins and two placings from five previous attempts and in well at the weights after the claim for Regan Bayliss.

TAB Fixed Odds: $2.70

SUNSHINE COAST

NATHAN EXELBY (The Courier-Mail). Form: 23016

HUKA EAGLE

Race 3 No. 1

Flopped in the Gold Coast Guineas, but over-raced there and can be forgiving. Tumbles in grade this time and drawn to get a the softest of runs behind likely hot speed. He’s far better performed than all of these and if he gets anywhere near his NZ form, he will be too good.

TAB Fixed Odds: $6.50

BRADLEY DAVIDSON (Gold Coast Bulletin). Form: 51111

TIME FOR WAR

Race 7, No. 7

The three-year-old was scratched from last Saturday’s BTC Cup due to a wrenched joint but by all reports he has recovered well and he produced a best of the morning gallop on the Sunshine Coast course proper on Tuesday. He was probably stiff not to win the Gold Coast Guineas after doing all the hard work early and he should be hard to run down here.

TAB Fixed Odds: $5

MORPHETTVILLE

LINCOLN MOORE (The Advertiser). Tipster’s form: 06205

UNGRATEFUL ELLEN

Race 3, No. 2

Promising filly who has been tracking towards this race perfectly. Impressive winning over a mile at Bendigo two runs back and worked to the line smartly behind star filly Delicacy in the Oaks. Craig Williams is the right man to overcome a wide barrier.

TAB Fixed Odds: $2.80

BEN SCADDEN (The Advertiser). Form: 9220

HAZARD

Race 5, No. 5

Really liked the way this mare from the in-form Freedman stable hit the line to beat Miss Promiscuity at Caulfield last start. She has drawn perfectly in barrier two and expect her to be in the thick of things when it counts.

TAB Fixed Odds: $6.50

SIMON MOY (Super Racing). Form: 01411

POLITENESS

Race 7, No. 13

Showed she has improved with first victory over unsuitable 1100m journey when resuming, then made good ground late behind Miracles Of Life over 1200m on this track after dropping back from a wide draw. Barrier again an issue but has good claims with luck.

TAB Fixed Odds: $18

Originally published as Weekend Best Bets