Four-Play, Quadzilla: Gilbert Gardiner’s $200 betting strategy for The Valley

Gilbert Gardiner presents his $200 betting strategy for Saturday’s 10-race card at The Valley, where he has three each-way plays plus a confident win bet.

Gilbert Gardiner is keen to back First Immortal on an each-way basis at The Valely on Saturday. Picture: Pat Scala / Racing Photos

Gilbert Gardiner presents his $200 betting strategy for Saturday’s 10-race card at The Valley, where he has three each-way plays plus a confident win bet.

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FOUR-PLAY: $200 BETTING STRATEGY FOR THE VALLEY

RACE 1: BENCHMARK 70 (3000m)
• $25 each-way ROARING ENGINE (1) $8.50/$2.90
Drawn wide but should be able to slot into position midfield and be within striking distance late. Roaring Engine won by a length last start at The Valley in a similar 2500m race. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Danny O’Brien, has won four of 21 starts and placed five times including once at The Valley previously. MAKE US PROUD (12) has upside, only fourth start in a race and 3000m looks ideal for the Irish import.

RACE 2: 2YO HANDICAP (1200m)
• $50 win NEVERENOUGHLEGO (1) at $4.20
Good effort on debut at Ballarat behind the smart Aleppo Pine. Neverenoughlego settled off midfield in the 1100m and finished off strongly, maybe peaked the last little bit. Lindsay Park trainer Will Hayes confident the colt has improved physically and mentally since the first start with race experience a bonus on Saturday at The Valley. Champion jockey Craig Williams has stuck with the Ole Kirk colt.

RACE 7: BENCHMARK 84 (1600m)
• $25 each-way PRINCEOFNOTTINGHAM (11) at $11/$3
Nice win two starts back at The Valley and stuck on boldly at Caulfield Heath last start third. Princeofnottingham set the pace at the most recent outing and responded under pressure in the straight but collared late. The consistent five-year-old gelding has a wide draw but with a low weight, courtesy of apprentice jockey Rose Hammond’s three-kilogram claim, could be hard to run down again.

RACE 9: BENCHMARK 100 (2040m)
• $25 each-way FIRST IMMORTAL (1) at $6/$2.25
Talented galloper should be ready to fire third-up from a break. Needed the run first-up in Listed grade and improved markedly second-up in the Werribee Cup. First Immortal has won third-up previously and been runner-up twice. Champion jockey Blake Shinn has won three of seven starts on the Mark and Levi Kavanagh-trained gelding.

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QUADZILLA

LEG 1, RACE 7
BON MISTRESS (9) has won three of the past four starts and dominated at Caulfield Heath most recently. Back in distance a slight query but drawn to get a gun run. PRINCE ERIC (7) has finished off nicely to place third the past two starts. FARHH FLUNG (8) another in form, runner-up the past two starts, and knocking on the door. Include PRINCEOFNOTINGHAM (11), who stuck on boldly last start at Caulfield Heath and only collared inside the last 50m.
1ST LEG 7, 8, 9, 11

LEG 2, RACE 8
MANNERHEIM (5) won comfortably in stronger grade last start at Wyong and would only need to hold form to salute again. Drawn wide but more than capable here. ZAMBEZI KHAN (9) looks hard to beat third-up from a nice draw in barrier three. HOWLIN’ RAIN (3) going for a hat-trick and more than capable, also from an inside alley. Include Kiwi mare BLISSFUL LADY (11) second-up and first start in Australia.
2ND LEG 3, 5, 9, 11

LEG 3, RACE 9
FIRST IMMORTAL (1) has more upside than the opposition and should be ready to prove that third-up. Jockey Blake Shinn has ridden the Mark and Levi Kavanagh-trained stayer seven times for three wins and two places. AIN’TNODEELDUN (3) has won three from three at The Valley. Back in grade and hard to beat. Looks a race in two but include FAME (5) and BOLD SOUL (10).
3RD LEG 1, 3, 5, 10

LEG 4, RACE 10
APACHE SONG (14) going for a hat-trick of wins at The Valley, now up against the boys after racing in fillies and mares grade the past two starts. Talented mare on the up and this looks well within her grasp. GENERAL FIREPOWER (12) has won twice first-up previously. Not without a chance in an open race. BOLD PRINT (9) could rebound back at The Valley where he won and placed two and three starts back.
4TH LEG 9, 12, 14

THE VALLEY QUADDIE
Race 7: 7, 8, 9, 11
Race 8: 3, 5, 9, 11
Race 9: 1, 3, 5, 10
Race 10: 9, 12, 14
COST $100 FOR 52%

SKINNY QUADDIE
Start with PRINCE ERIC (7), BON MISTRESS (9) and PRINCEOFNOTINGHAM (11). In the second leg take MANNERHEIM (5), ZAMBEZI KHAN (9) and BLISSFUL LADY (11). In the third leg take FIRST IMMORTAL (1) and AIN’TNODEELDUN (3). Come home with BOLD PRINT (9), GENERAL FIREPOWER (12) and APACHE SONG (14).

SKINNY QUADDIE
Race 7: 7, 9, 11
Race 8: 5, 9, 11
Race 9: 1, 3
Race 10: 9, 12, 14
COST $100 FOR 185%

Originally published as Four-Play, Quadzilla: Gilbert Gardiner’s $200 betting strategy for The Valley