The $30,000 Tabtouch Marathon Handicap (3309m) headlines an action-packed 10-event card at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Group 3 stand is the longest event staged at headquarters, with the 11-horse field tasked with completing almost four laps of the track.
It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Members of the WA Media Guild have, with the exception of president Wayne Currall, steered clear of the Marathon when assessing the form and making their best bets.
Longshot guru Pat Harding believes Boom Time can post his first win this preparation.
“Racing is certainly tough at GP at the moment … and it doesn’t get any easier this week,” Harding said.
“My best bet comes up in race three with No.1 Boom Time. He is overdue for a win and from barrier one he should give the Ross Olivieri/Chris Voak combination a much-needed boost.”
The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft and award-winning journalist Ken Casellas have settled on Plutonium as their best bet.
“Plutonium looks well-placed to bring up a hat-trick of wins after consecutive Gloucester Park successes,” Havercroft said.
“The son of Auckland Reactor will look to take advantage of the prized inside draw, and also has stablemate Orlando Blue starting directly to his outside to help stave off those drawn wider.
“Likely threats Al Guerrero and Always Fast are both drawn the back line and will need to come around the Michael Young-trained gelding to win.”
And Casellas agrees with his young colleague.
“Plutonium would have derived plenty of fitness from last week’s win,” Casellas said.
“It was the horse’s first race in more than a year and from gate one and with champion reinsman Gary Hall Jr in the bike, I expect Plutonium to continue on his winning ways.”
TABradio’s Matt Young is keen on Lavra Joe in the free-for-all.
“Lavra Joe is getting back to peak fitness, which doesn’t bode well for whoever leads in this event,” Young said.
“I suspect he’ll be driven aggressively this week and I think the star 4YO will monster his rivals. I’m very keen.”
Currall is the only member of the Guild to make his best bet in the Marathon.
“The Greg and Skye Bond-trained Himself has won three and run second in his four starts for the leading stable since crossing the Tasman,” Currall said.
“His second behind stablemate Socrates in last week’s San Simeon – going down by a short half-head after doing all the work in the run – was arguably his best effort.
“He’ll relish the long trip and is the one they all have to beat.”
The West Australian’s and Sunday Times’ pacing expert Ernie Manning is a fan of Eighteen Carat.
“New Zealand import Eighteen Carat could not have been more impressive when she led and won by almost 17m from strong opposition on July 29,” Manning said.
“The Michael Young-trained five-year-old has won at two of three WA appearances and looks a top chance for the Group 1 Mares Classic in Perth’s summer carnival.
“She was caught three-wide and ran third on July 22, but should settle into a commanding positon from gate two this week.”
VALUE BETS
PAT: My double comes up in race five with No.5 Lavra Joe. He was unlucky last week after two wins from a spell. I think he can redeem himself here and win well.
RYAN: Free To Air is drawn to get a soft run in a race totally devoid of any numerical form. It’s a dead-set dartboard job.
KEN: Veteran pacer Gee Smith’s past five runs read – last, fifth, 10th, ninth and sixth. Nothing to get enthused about, but he drops in class on Friday night and could surprise at odds in a race where form is at a premium.
MATT: Jaspervellabeach is racing well. If he is saved up for one run, I expect him to power home and be dangerous late.
WAYNE: On a night where it’s hard to find any value, I’m opting for an exacta in race seven. Eighteen Carat to win from Sunshine Swift.
ERNIE: American Bullitt tackles this week’s assignment after a sequence of seven unplaced runs and he has won only once in his past 19 appearances. But the gelding showed signs of a return to winning form when finishing fifth after he was blocked on July 22.
Click here to view all of the Media Guild tips for this week.
Good punting.
