| What | Moonee Valley Races |
| Where | Moonee Valley Racing Club – 2 Feehan Ave, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 |
| When | Saturday, December 24, 2022 |
| First Race | 12:35pm AEDT |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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It is Christmas Eve racing at Moonee Valley on Saturday afternoon with a competitive nine-race program to help punters bring in the festive season. With rain forecast leading into the meeting, it would be no surprise if the meeting starts on a Soft 5 with an upgrade to a Good 4 throughout the day. The day of racing gets underway at 12:35pm AEDT, with the rail out 2m for the entire circuit.
Best Bet at Moonee Valley: Riverplate
The Trent Bussutin & Natalie Young-trained Riverplate has strung together a couple of smart victories at Sandown recently and looks destined to continue his purple patch on Saturday. He put a space on his rivals two starts back when leading throughout on the Lakeside track and backed it up with a gritty victory last time out after being left in front a long way out. Despite not finishing in the top three in three starts at 1600m, he has come back in tip top shape this time in, and this race is well within his grasp. From barrier three, Daniel Moor will look to take up the running and if he can gain a cheap sectional or two out in front, Riverplate should have a class edge on his rivals.
Best Bet
Race 7 – 
#5 Riverplate (3)
4yo Gelding | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: Daniel Moor (59.5kg)
$2.50 with Bet365
Next Best at Moonee Valley: Vegas Knight
Having been best of the beaten brigade in the Listed Pakenham Cup, the Nick Ryan-trained Vegas Knight looks to be one of the better bets of the day as he steps back to the 2040m. He was a determined winner at the track and trip two starts back where he got the better of Pitchanun when leading throughout. Despite being there for the taking on the occasion, the Declaration of War gelding kept finding under pressure to nose out his rival in a ding-dong battle. With Ivy League and El Gladiador expected to cross and lead, Blaike McDougall will need to be patient, but as the run appears, we expect Vegas Knight to prove a touch too classy for this field.
Next Best
Race 5 – 
#7 Vegas Knight (1)
6yo Gelding | T: Nick Ryan | J: Blaike McDougall (57kg)
$4.50 with Palmerbet
Best Value at Moonee Valley: Port Albert
We will be hoping it is a successful day for the Nick Ryan barn as we are quietly confident Port Albert can get the job done in the 1000m scamper in race four. The three-year-old gelding wasn’t beaten all that far by Dusse last time out at Pakenham and with a half-kilo advantage and a tactical advantage on his rival on Saturday, we expect Port Albert will turn the tables on Dusse. The Sooboog gelding has won two of his last five starts, including two runs back at this track and trip. Damien Oliver will look to have this bloke settled just on the heels of the leaders throughout and when the gap appears at the top of the straight, Port Albert should be sprinting clear and bringing up a third win at his eighth start.
Best Value
Race 4 – #2 Port Albert (1)
3yo Gelding | T: Nick Ryan | J: Damien Oliver (60kg)
$10 with Betfair
Saturday quaddie tips for Moonee Valley
Moonee Valley quadrella selections
Saturday, December 24, 2022
- 3-4-10-13
- 3-5
- 4-7-12-14
- 8-10-14
Investment: $96 for 100%
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