The Country Cups roll on in Victoria this weekend, with Ballarat taking centre stage on Saturday afternoon.
$500,000 is the purse, $300,000 to the winner and understandably, a quality and capacity field of stayers have been confirmed for a start and the Ballarat Cup will have a rare international feel, with Japanese raider Suzuka Devious a shock acceptor.
My 2019 Ballarat Cup tips can be found below.
Suggested Bets
- 2 Units straight out #5 Dr Drill
- Boxed Trifecta of the selections below
Dr Drill did take a few to find peak condition this time, but his two most-recent performances have been nothing short of outstanding and he looks up to winning a race like the 2019 Ballarat Cup. The Dansili gelding beat several quality horses to the line in BM88 company at Rosehill two back before making the perfect transition to black type company when an easy winner of the Listed Cranbourne Cup last time out. He’s been freshened for this race and will take beating.
Suzuka Devious is an extremely interesting runner in the 2019 Ballarat Cup field and his best form would see him winning a race of this quality with relative ease. The nine-year-old has returned plenty of excellent efforts through his racing career and has contested races with some of Japan, and indeed the world’s best-ever stayers. He’s improved for his two runs in the Cox Plate and Mackinnon Stakes since arriving in Australia and there is no doubt that he’ll be more effective in what is an obvious drop in class. He is over the odds at his current price $15 at publish).
Harbour Views has suffered only one career defeat and is a fitting occupant of the top line of Ballarat Cup betting. The Le Havre gelding was outstanding during his debut prep and won each of his first two starts when resuming this time before a brave, though somewhat luckless run for second in the Country Final at HQ on Oaks Day. Breeding suggests that he will relish getting out in trip, but he is obviously untested at 2000m and for that reason, he might be a little bit of unders.
Double You Tee has returned to racing in career best form this time and is up to winning the Ballarat Cup. The Written Tycoon gelding won four races in succession, each harder than its predecessor from August through October and he was last seen finishing a close-up second in the Kyneton Cup. He is rock-hard fit for this contest.