If punters got paid out for stiff beats, every single one of us would have had a fill-up on Saturday. Social media was in crisis mode as the likes of Frumos, Waltz On By and Spacewalk were all morals beaten. For the punters that were brave enough to go again on Sunday, they had something to smile about as Sky Racing’s Paul Joice tipped a $151 winner at the Sunshine Coast. Elsewhere, there was plenty of Aussie representation in a hot Group 1 in France.
THE COFFIN
A quick scroll on social media over the weekend would tell you that most punters backed one, if not a dozen horses who were hopelessly unlucky. At Rosehill, the fence was the place to be. In Race 5, unbeaten mare Frumos was given a questionable steer by Hugh Bowman, with the odds-on favourite never seeing daylight as the star jockey tried to find a run along the fence.
It’s a double for Rachel King on Riduna. A huge upset win over backed in Frumos. pic.twitter.com/009fioLK45
— 7HorseRacing
(@7horseracing) August 13, 2022
A few races later, two well-backed mares in the same race – Elusive Jewel and Monfelicity – never got out of the coffin they were in, before the heavily backed Spacewalk threw the feature race in Sydney away. Looming like the winner under James McDonald, Spacewalk wanted to lay in at the 50m mark, and because it was going to get tight, McDonald had to stop riding for a brief moment and straighten the horse up, which gave Zoukerino a chance to dive through on the fence and nail him. A sick, sick beat for those who were on him (us).
Where to look?
Zoukerino claims the Rosebud from Spacewalk!@JohnOSheaRacing @brentonavdulla @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/cRJarC0qwo
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 13, 2022
In Melbourne, the three-year-old fillies contested the Group 3 Quezette Stakes. Following a few handy trials, Waltz On By was a horse many were keen to follow, and she proved to be the reason many were reaching for the vomit bags at about the 300m. It was a textbook steer by Jamie Kah on the $5 chance. From barrier two, she landed on the heels of the leader in the box seat, but the horse to her outside kept her in a pocket and never let her out of it.
If you backed all of these horses, you’d almost give it away… until next Saturday.
Bound For Home takes the Quezette! A great performance from Declan Bates combining with Archie Alexander. pic.twitter.com/5rdxvgnqp6
— 7HorseRacing
KUDOS
‘You’re only as good as your last winner’ is a timeless saying in the betting world. For Sky Racing’s Paul Joice, that last winner just happens to be a $151 chance. Joice was tipping at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday afternoon, and after his two best bets saluted earlier in the program, his best value play was next up. After he tipped Komata at $151 on the radio in the morning, the Kim Loy-trained runner was into $81 by the time Sky Racing’s preview was aired, before starting $31.
In three starts, this seven-year-old maiden hadn’t finished closer than 4.6 lengths, but Joice’s eagle-eye picked up a bit of work past the post in his most recent start at the Gold Coast. The blinkers went on for Sunday’s 1600m event, and so did the money. The horse didn’t fall in, either, romping in by 2.3 lengths.
“Hopefully a few punters got a piece of it…” @Kiaarn does her best to calm @PaulJoice1 down following the win of Komata…
pic.twitter.com/WbuPDdiKh5
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 14, 2022
STATE OF UNREST
The 2021 Cox Plate winner went around in a Group 1 in France on Sunday, but the 9.5-length defeat is probably not what connections and all-in punters wanted to see. State Of Rest has been racing in really good form of late, so he is rightly towards the top of Cox Plate betting markets as he looks to defend his crown, but online bookmakers were happy to wind him out a roll or two following a plain performance. While the 1600m is short of his best – he is an out-and-out 2000m horse – it was a pretty lacklustre run.
Running second in the Prix Jacques Le Marois was Light Infantry, who is owned by the likes of Colin McKenna, Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neil, The four-year-old will race next in the Golden Eagle, where he is now a $9 chance.
She’s back! Inspiral lands the Group 1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marois at @fgdeauville for @FrankieDettori, the Gosdens and @CPStudOfficial! pic.twitter.com/4wuprgF9VQ
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 14, 2022
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Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
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