Tonight’s Easter Gift field is one of the best we have ever seen. There are many ways to look at how this race might play out but who better to get an opinion from than pro-punter Troy Little.
“It’s a great race. It could easily be a Melbourne Cup field there’s group race wins everywhere you look,” said Little.
Here are his thoughts on each runner in the feature which is Race 6 set to jump at 8.49pm.
Snags McKenzie (1) – $4.20
“He’s probably the only one going at their absolute best. It’s a great draw for him, he’ll stick to the fence and do his own thing. If there’s any jamming behind he’ll be hard to beat.”
Tiggerlong Tonk (2) – $3.90
“He’s going well. It’s just his box manners hurting him at the moment. If he hits the start he’s on, he can’t afford to miss it.”
Shima Shine (3) – $4.80
“It is a risk to back him on his preparation and I expect him to drift in the market. The Shima Shine of old is electric we know that. I’ll be just watching him tonight.”
Hard Style Rico (4) – $4
“It’s a tough draw for him. He’s been winning races from great draws, he had the pink twice through the Shepparton Cup series and then the red last Thursday night. It’s going to be a different kettle of fish. At the price I think he’s a risk.”
Black Opium (5) – $5.50
“I much prefer her drawn here than down near the pegs, as we know she’s much better from a middle to wide draw. If she crosses them she can definitely win.”
Fernando’s Riot (6) – $12
“The draw is sticky for him, especially with Last Hurrah now on his outside. Last Hurrah is a railer and Fernando’s Riot lacks pace early. No doubt he’s going well.”
Last Hurrah (9 – to jump from box 7) – $34
“He’s just a notch down from those he meets here. He’s a rough place chance.”
Often Imitated (8) – $23
“She’s had this draw at the track before and hasn’t been able to cross. There’s a bit of dash here and she might get trapped out wide, she will need a lot of things to go her way.
But most importantly, how will he be attacking the race?
“I’ll be steering away from Shima Shine and Hard Style Rico. I’ll be framing my market around Snags McKenzie, Tiggerlong Tonk and Black Opium. It’s a seriously tough race.”
News broke last night of the scratching and retirement of TAB Melbourne Cup winner Whiskey Riot. A star he has been on the track and now begins his new career off it. Click here for the latest from Anthony Azzopardi.
Click here for tonight’s fields
*TAB odds as of Thursday 12pm
