3 minute read
Riviera Riches looks hard to beat in today’s Moama Bowling Club BM70 Handicap at Echuca.
Riviera Riches is trained by the in-form Matt Laurie who is turning out winners at 30-percent over the last 30 days against a 15-percent strike-rate over 12 months.
It’s early days but in season 2014/15 the yard’s eight winners have returned punters a very healthy profit on turnover of 108.5-percent.
Echuca has been a happy hunting ground for the stable with a 24-percent strike-rate at the course returning punters a profit on turnover of 2.4-percent.
There is also a positive jockey switch to consider, Damien Lane gets back aboard having never missed the place in five rides atop the son of Casino Prince, and quite notably he rides at a healthy profit on turnover for the stable overall.
Riveria Riches was beaten at the course last time, running slightly below his peak form, but he was coming off back-to-back wins prior to that, the most recent of them making him the top-rater coming into today.
He has to turn the tables on Kings Palace who is seen as the main danger but he looks to have the upside to do so.
In his 16 starts to this point Riviera Riches has beaten 80-percent of his rivals, in 17 Kings Palace has beaten 61-percent.
This points to Riviera Riches being the most consistent and potentially the one most open to further improvement.
Kings Palace should provide stiff opposition, though.
He is a course and distance winner and has the serves of talented apprentice Regan Bayliss.
Lurking at the bottom of the field sits a couple of runners from the Darren Weir yard that simply must be respected.
Lonhro’s Dolly is a last start winner that returned a figure that makes her competitive here and so she must be considered.
Perhaps an even bigger chance for the stable is Happy Highway who comes here third up and ready to fire.
She was no match for a smart one in town last time but the return effort was good and she is a winner third-up in the past.
She’s certainly one to keep under notice when playing multiples.
