There are few things more enjoyable than Friday night racing at The Valley and that is increased tenfold with a bit of black type!
The Group 3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes headlines an eight-race program, and you can find a preview and tip for each below.
I’m Standing will take improvement into her second campaign start and this looks a very winnable race for her.
The Reward For Effort filly didn’t show much during her debut prep, but resumed this time with a decent effort to finish the minors at Benalla, beaten just over half a length.
Happy to have a small play at the price.
Miss Five Hundred has been racing well in similar staying tests to this one, and she looks well placed to record another win.
The Dundeel mare ran home to score a dominant win over 3000m at Cranbourne two back and was beaten only by the talented Darvin over the same trip at Sandown last time out.
She is rock-hard fit, will be ridden by in-form hoop Jye McNeil and will take beating.
Harlem Blues hasn’t been seen at the races since November and while he didn’t win during his last prep, he found form around some quality galloper.
That included a dash down the straight at Flemington and more importantly, a fourth placing behind the classy Riding The Wace at Ballarat, for which he finished less than half a length off the pace.
Jamie Kah rides and the horse harbours a class edge over most of these rivals.
Mahashakti just keeps improving with each start and this shapes as another very winnable race.
The Mahisara mare finished midfield on debut at the Yarra Valley but simply has not looked back, breaking her maiden at Geelong second-up and winning twice more in the wake, including a BM70 race at this track and distance last time out.
She’s clearly at peak fitness and I can’t find a reason why she can’t win again.
Forever Free is another horse that is set to resume at The Valley on Friday night with winning claims.
The Exceed And Excel filly simply couldn’t have been more impressive during her debut preparation and went to the paddock boasting a record of three wins from as many starts, including a Listed race.
She wasn’t quite as effective in two spring starts, but this is a drop in class for her and she looks ideally suited.
Iowa Hawkeye has improved for two starts back and is ready to do something third-up at The Valley on Friday night, and at a nice price ($8.50 at publish).
He ran home fairly to finish fourth in BM64 company at Pakenham when fresh and mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to finish second behind the classy Angaston last time out.
Getting out to a mile looks ideal at this point of his preparation and we can have an each-way play at the price.
Macroura has been a good horse for the Maher & Eustace stable since making her debut and the Typhoon Tracy Stakes looks a nice bit of black type for her.
The Snitzel filly stamped herself as one to watch during her two-year-old season, in which she won each of her first three starts, including the Listed Woodlands Stakes before finishing a credible seventh in the Group 1 JJ Atkins.
She finished third in three-consecutive during her most recent prep and her fresh form is clearly good.
This is a rise in class for Sham I Am, but he clearly relishes racing at The Valley and has claims on winning again at a nice price ($14 at publish).
The Shamexpress gelding did take a few to get going earlier this prep, but he has won each of his last two starts, both at this track and distance, impressively.
He gets some relief in the weights with Campbell Rawiller aboard and is worth of consideration at the price.