Highway Handicap action heads to Royal Randwick on Saturday, and Thunderbet‘s John Patton has been tasked with finding the winner in the 1200m Class Three Handicap.
Once again, I’ve found the Highway very hard to put together this week.
I believe the track will remain soft, and in recent weeks, horses with good barriers have won, and this week should be no different.
The race looks tricky, with several second-up starters, while others appear as though they’re coming to the end of their preparation.
I have the Danny Williams-trained Atmospheric Rock ($9) on top this week.
This is a very smart horse, and his runs last preparation were brilliant.
Atmospheric Rock flies first-up and loves the distance and a soft track. With Tommy Sherry on board, he should get an ideal run from barrier six and looks over the odds to me.
This week’s second pick is the current favourite, Centre Bounce ($5.50).
Its run two weeks ago was sensational. It had barrier 11 that day and came from last to finish second, which is very hard to do.
Trained by the master of Highways, Matthew Dunn, this horse will get a dream run from barrier two.
It does go up slightly in class but drops one-and-a-half kilos in weight.
Manzoni ($15) goes in as my third pick. He had no luck at all in his latest Highway start, hitting the line under a hard hold.
The start before was at Forbes, and he came from last, which other horses could not do that day.
He has won twice on a soft track, is third-up, and will be fitter for the first two runs.
Natalie Jarvis is a very astute trainer, Rachel King stays on board, and with any luck, he will be right in this.
The each-way play this week is Smokeshow ($16). I’ve been waiting for this horse to return to a Highway race.
The only problem is that she has drawn the outside barrier, but the Goulburn galloper has plenty of ability and is a previous Highway winner.
Danielle Seib knows how to win a Highway, and Tyler Schiller, who would have had several opportunities in this event, has decided to stay on board.
Thunderbet’s Selections
- 1. Atmospheric Rock ($9)
2. Centre Bounce ($5.50)
3. Manzoni ($15)
