WA Media Guild thoughts 19th February

Members of the WA Trotting Media Guild are keen on three horses – Lavra Joe, Wildwest and Always An Angel – for Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park.

Radio Great Southern’s form analyst Warren Wishart and Guild president Wayne Currall believe punters can get the night off to a winning start by supporting Lavra Joe in the opening event.

“My best bet comes up in race one with No.1 Lavra Joe,” Wishart said. “Punters can start the night with a win by supporting Lavra Joe. Showed his class last Saturday with a soft win. Well drawn and should win.”

Currall agrees.

“Lavra Joe won’t go out at any fancy price, but he should be winning,” Currall said. “Champion reinsman Chris Lewis should send the son of Roll With Joe straight to the top and then dictate the pace in front. I’ll be banking on Lavra Joe as the first leg of an all-up wager.”

TABradio’s Hayden King and veteran trotting journalist Ken Casellas have made Wildwest their star bet at the meeting.

“Wildwest comes up with the pole in the Governors Cup, with noted frontrunner Talktomeurmattjesty drawn out wide,” King said. “I fancy Hall Jr will take luck out of the equation and try for an all-the-way win, as opposed to sitting. Wildwest is the mould of horse that can absorb pressure and keep running. I think he will step up and prove himself on Friday.”

Casellas is in the same corner as King.

“Wildwest, an inexperienced campaigner with only 14 starts, is still learning how to race,” Casellas said. “But he has great raw ability and should carry too many guns for his rivals in the Governors Cup on Friday night. The five-year-old, trained by Gary Hall, is perfectly drawn at the No. 1 barrier and is my best bet.”

The West Australian’s Ernie Manning, longshot guru Pat Harding and The West Australian’s racing co-ordinator Ryan Havercroft have all landed on Always An Angel as their best bet.

“The Justin Prentice-trained three-year-old Always An Angel looks set for her seventh straight win after an impressive first-up victory last Friday night,” Manning said. “A third was run by the filly in her debut 11 months ago, then she made sharp improvement and scored a top win despite covering extra ground in the $100,000 Diamond Classic. Always Angel appears to have benefited from her lengthy spell.”

Harding agrees.

“Looks like another tough night at GP, but there is the opportunity for punters to have a win or two,” Harding said. “My best bet comes up in race six, the Daintys Daughter Pace. Always An Angel has been performing so well for trainer Justin Prentice and coming out of barrier three with Hall Jr aboard looks like adding to her winning ways.”

And Havercroft makes it a clean sweep.

“Always An Angel made an impressive return to racing last week when defeating Black Jack Baby,” Havercroft said. “A winner at six of seven career starts, including last season’s Diamond Classic, she should be further improved for this assignment and has a favourable barrier draw.”

TABradio’s Matt Young is the only Media Guild tipster to “go it alone”, with his best bet coming up in race eight.

“Al Guerrero has tremendous gate speed and has crossed quicker line-ups before,” Young said. “He was far from disgraced in the Golden Nugget last Friday night and with this nice drop in grade looks the leader and winner.”

VALUE BETS

WARREN: Space Junk resumes and the trial reads up OK. Has always shown ability and if the advertised price of $15 is correct is super value.

WAYNE: Talented mare Has No Fear resumes after a two-month break, but has drawn well in race two and can play a part at each-way odds.

HAYDEN: Shadow Roll is drawn to get a dreamy run over the long trip. There looks sufficient mid-race pressure and I think he can extricate over the concluding stages, before finishing too well for them.

KEN: For value, I suggest Shadow Roll in race two in which he will start from the inside of the back line. His recent efforts have been most encouraging.

ERNIE: Saleahs Comand has been out of luck in three unplaced runs since a win last month and he could have a change of fortune when Mark Reed resumes driving him. He scored a 10th Gloucester Park win when successful on January 15, but was back on the pegs at his next two appearances and broke gait last start. The veteran is capable of surprising.

PAT: My value bet comes in race eight with No. 3 Divinia Bellezza. I think she is ideally placed to cause an upset and give punters a good return.

RYAN: Vultan Tin resumes off a short let-up in the Governors Cup and Talktomeurmattjesty could set up a pace that brings last year’s Pacing Cup winner right into calculations.

MATT: Just Makemine Diamonds has been racing well, this looks a suitable race and Chris Voak jumps back aboard. Looks a great each-way play.

To view all of the Media Guild tips click here.

Good punting. 

Wayne Currall