| What | Eagle Farm Races |
| Where | Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 |
| When | Saturday, April 16, 2022 |
| Feature Race | Race 8: Listed Ascot Handicap (1000m) |
| First Race | 11:38am AEST |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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The first real sniff of the 2022 Brisbane Winter Carnival is in the air in the River City this Saturday, with two Listed events scheduled for Eagle Farm. The track is currently rated a Good 4, while the rail is out 3m for the entire course, which should see the big track play quite fairly. The first race is set to get underway at 11:38am AEST, when a field of seven two-year-olds will battle it out over 1400m and look to put their hands up as J.J. Atkins horses. HorseBetting’s Queensland racing analyst presents his best bets in both the Listed Daybreak Lover and Listed Ascot Handicap, as well as his top picks and quaddie selections for what is a very competitive nine-race card.
Daybreak Lover Best Bet – Green Belt
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr will be hoping that their unbeaten galloper Green Belt can make it three wins from as many starts, when he lines up in Saturday’s Listed Daybreak Lover at Eagle Farm. The three-year-old has won his two career starts over 1600m, leading throughout at Cranbourne and Sandown, with Jamie Kah aboard on both occasions. Larry Cassidy is riding in a rich vein of form of late, so there’s nothing wrong with his booking, while the wide barrier is likely to see the pair kick up and look to lead throughout yet again. If there’s any knock, it is that the 1400m could be a bit sharp for him, with bigger targets in mind throughout the carnival. He does have the class however.
Daybreak Lover Best Bet
Race 7 – 
#8 Green Belt (13)
3yo Colt | T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | J: Larry Cassidy (57kg)
$2.25 with Ladbrokes
Listed Ascot Handicap Best Bet – Written Beauty
One horse who has always offered the world and delivered a continent is Written Beauty. Formerly with the Hawkes stable, this daughter of Written Tycoon is now with Chris Waller and she looks to have come back in brilliant order. The four-year-old mare never missed the quinella in her first six starts, but she is yet to place in her past five, albeit in tougher company. Now with Waller, Written Beauty has trialled very well at Warwick Farm and Rosehill, just sitting out the back and working through the line late. There will be no shortage of pace in this race, with the likes of Zoustyle, Esta La Roca, Stampe, Emerald Kingdom, Lyrical Girl and Kylease all likely to carve each other up in front, so Cassidy can save her for one final shot at them. From barrier seven and on the minimum weight of 54kg, she should take plenty of stopping. Here’s hoping Larry has his eye in for the features.
Ascot Handicap Best Bet
Race 8 – 
#6 Written Beauty (7)
4yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: Larry Cassidy (54kg)
$9 with Bet365
Best Bet at Eagle Farm – Green Shadows
In the opening event of the program, a field of just seven two-year-olds will compete over 1400m. Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou bring up Green Shadows, a winner at his only start. The colt by Menari won at Goulburn on debut over 1300m, where he did his best work late, before pulling away from the field in the last little bit to win by three-quarters of a length, with a fair space back to the third horse. This colt’s dam, Notjustaprettyface, won from 1200m to 2100m, so he should relish the rise to 1400m, while the Good 4 surface on the big track at Eagle Farm will be to his liking. James Orman is riding brilliantly of late, so the horse will be given every chance, especially from the good barrier (4). He might be pretty smart this guy.
Best Bet
Race 1 – 
#3 Green Shadows (4)
2yo Colt | T: Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | J: James Orman (57kg)
$4.60 with Neds
Next Best at Eagle Farm – Platinum Euros
One horse who has always shown plenty of ability is the Natalie McCall-trained Platinum Euros. Having won four of his nine starts, the son of Eurozone just struggled a touch last prep during the spring, but he looks to have come back well after running a flashing second to Mischief Managed at this track over 1000m on March 23. On that occasion, Brooker rode the gelding cold out the back of the field and had to wait for runs to appear in the straight – which they did – but he just had too much ground to make up on the eventual winner. Despite not perfoming well in the past over 1200m, his closing splits suggested that he wanted more than the 1000m when fresh, so we are happy to be with him in this. From barrier seven, Brooker can settle closer and give this five-year-old every chance of returning to the winner’s stall.
Next Best
Race 9 – 
#12 Platinum Euros (7)
5yo Gelding | T: Natalie McCall | J: Tiffani Brooker (54.5kg)
$5.50 with Palmerbet
Best Value at Eagle Farm – Always Sure
Gary Moore and Jimmy Orman combine in the opening leg of the quaddie with four-year-old gelding Always Sure. The son of Not A Single Doubt has been racing in Midway races in Sydney behind the likes of More Sundays, Military Expert and Achira, which is very good form for a Benchmark 72 at Eagle Farm. Having raced on wet tracks at his past two, Always Sure now gets onto a hard deck, while he steps out to a mile fourth-up where he is undefeated over. Despite having to carry 60kg, this galloper gets the services of the leading Queensland hoop, while barrier seven allows him to settle down midfield off a moderate tempo, where he will be flying home late. There are lot of favours for this horse on Saturday, so we are confident he can give us a huge sight at $7.50.
Best Value
Race 6 – 
#2 Always Sure (7)
4yo Gelding | T: Gary Moore | J: James Orman (60kg)
$3.30 with Unibet
Saturday quaddie tips for Eagle Farm
| Eagle Farm quadrella selections | |
|---|---|
| Leg 1: | 2-5-11-13 |
| Leg 2: | 1-2-3-8 |
| Leg 3: | 1-6-8 |
| Leg 4: | 2-3-4-5-12 |
| Investment: | $240 for 100% |
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