3 minute read

West Africa is a perfect way to build the bank at Moonee Valley tonight.

Some of the early prices about the blue-blooded West Africa have been knocked off but anything up from 1.6 is a worthy gamble straight off the figures of his debut romp at Kilmore.

There he beat rivals, who have subsequently performed well, by a whopping nine lengths and stopped the clock in strong time.

The track was deteriorating so his time against the latter half of the card is perhaps slightly flattered but it is worth noting that he was far superior to Jessy Belle in the race prior and she has since run a luckless third to subsequent Flemington winner Kiss Me Ketut and then won a useful looking handicap at the Valley last time.

Tonight he runs off an official mark of 64, a mark that he should be making light work of, with his true ability likely to land him in listed/group company before too long.

With the bank built we move onto headquarters and there we can play a talented mare on her home deck at generous early odds.

Spending hasn’t been able to win since her debut success down the Flemington straight, and that is some query, but her fresh form last prep at the course makes for good reading here.

In what is a competitive race a return in that sort of form is going to make her a strong winning contender, certainly a higher percentage chance than her current quote of $9.

There aren’t many going around at short odds on the card, Index Linked the shortest but his chances are considered at least as good as the 2.75 suggests, and so finding one to oppose one out is no easy task.

One that makes little appeal at current odds is Road Trippin’.

He’s freshened up for this, and the yard did pull a similar trick off a good spring with Don’t Get Excited a fortnight back, but he would certainly need to be at his best to be a winning hope in this even contest.

At around $5 he represents little in the way of value with Anlon, Mister John, Felidea and Cellarmaster all considered chances at least his equal.

THE MELBOURNE MAIL:

Banker: MV Race 3 # West Africa @ 1.75

Play Of The Day: Flem R4 #7 Spending @ $9.00

Lay Of The Day: Flem R6 #2 Road Trippin’ @ $5.00