On The Money - Ascot Opening Day

Matt Rigby | On The Money | Tue 18 October, 2011

Perth Racing turned it on again for Ascot Opening Day, as is usually the case for this meeting. A great day, well supported and good money around in the betting ring. It was a shame Dashing Danny Miller couldn't pull off the big coup in race 1 as it would have set the bookies off on a good note!

Daring Dasher:

It was the Dashing Dan of old on The Moon Day in the first, careering away mid race to lead by many lengths. He was always going to get tired, but had he gotten out far enough? As much as $41 was bet in early markets and The Moon Day drifted from $17 to $21 on course, only to be denied by one of the favourites, Peg's Pride who was slightly easy, drifting from $2.50 to $2.70. Offer Me Jewels was unlayable early, wobbling from $3.80 to $6 before very late money saw her firm into $5.

Crunch Time:

Dark Miss was smashed from $3 into $2.50 while the other Peter's fancy in race 6, Shining Knight, was crunched from $3.50 to $2.50 in two of the biggest moves of the day. Both were well under the odds at their starting prices, but the damage was well and truly done at more generous quotes. Thankfully for the bagmen, neither managed to win.

The Match Race:

Waratah's Secret and Ranger looked to be a race in two and the market suggested the same. Despite carrying a massive 7kg more than Ranger, Waratah's Secret was the best backed runner, firming from $2.50 to $2.10. Ranger was well supported too, and remained steady at $2.60 to $2.80. They battled out the finish in a neck and neck tussle before only a bob on the line determined the result.

The Bookies Result:

Babeica Noire is probably in the best form of his career but he drifted from $9 to $14 before winning the 7th over the heavily supported Solsay ($4.20 to $3.40). Thankfully Solsay took on Pin Rouge for the entire trip and was a huge run to go down less than a length. The result was the best all day for the bookies who had missed out on the bolter in the first by a short neck.

Pure Heaven ($11 - $16) was unlayable in the ring, got the front and won easily in the second. It was a good result for the books after our narrow miss in the first.

The Monty:

Barakey wasn't a moral, he wasn't a certainty....he was an absolute Monty! There was a bit of $1.45 bet early, which was money for jam. Barakey led them up and brained them yet again. I'm not usually a fan of the terminology, but he has become a "put in, take out" proposition.

The Puzzler:

Lisetta had never performed on a Saturday, let alone over 1200m. She had only fallen in at the midweeks and she was always going to cop some pressure from the speedy Lee Rani. But the punters came from everywhere to get on her. They crushed her from $3.50 to $2.40. We even laid big place bets at $1.40! She had to be a big risk due to the forward pressure and our theory paid off. Still a big run nonetheless.

Where Theres Smoke:

Bites the Dust was specked with a few of the bookies from $31 to $26 and $26 to $21. The mare hadn't started for a year and only went down by 3/4 lengths. One to follow this campaign from the Paul Roberts yard.