We have studied the form from all races across the country for Saturday, January 1, and provided our best horse racing tips.
2022 is upon us, and it is fair to say we all have our fingers crossed that it is going to be a sight better than the last couple of years. And whilst that might seem a big call given the current state of affairs around the globe, let’s park all that doom and gloom to one side for now and try and kick off the new year with a winner.
Magic Millions and January go together like a hangover and New Year’s day, so it is no surprise the racing focus shifts to the sunshine state over the next few weeks, kicking off this Saturday with a bumper feature meeting at Doomben to complement a quality meeting at Flemington and tricky card on the Kensington circuit in Sydney.
We have made five selections in total and are confident that we have found you some winners! So, read on below to find our best horse racing tips for this Saturday, January 1.
Flemington, Race 1 – 1. Kin ($2.60)
It’s the first of the first and let’s unload on race one, number one at racing HQ Flemington. This Impending filly was very solid on debut when she just got tightened at a crucial stage when running second to the smart Stupendo.
She should be all the better for the experience down the straight at Flemington and gets a middle of the road draw here in a small field against mostly debutants barring the stablemate of whom she had its measure on last start. Should go one better here.
Doomben, Race 3 – 5. Golden Artie ($11/$3.00)
There’s poor rides, and then there’s this bloke’s last start!
Bryan & Daniel Guy prepare a talented youngster named Golden Artie – speaking about him now @RadioTABAus – Debut excellent behind Palazzo Spirit back in October (wins one more bound) – Cheap buy $30K @mmsnippets @BryanGuyRacing – drawn well tmw night @SCTurfClub pic.twitter.com/aW3yYePCHy
— STEVE HEWLETT 🏇🎣 🛥🏃♂️ (@stevejoseph69) December 15, 2021
Rider took all the wrong options in the straight before he knuckled down strongly late for a desperately unlucky fourth. He should have won that, and showed plenty of promise on debut behind the smart Palazzo Spirit who he chased home for a good second with a margin to third.
Has wanted to over race in both starts so far so he’ll need to switch off in order to run out the strong 1200 but they generally run along at Doomben which will suit. The favourite looks hard to beat, but this Artie Schiller gelding is worth a ticket at tasty each way odds.
Kensington, Race 5 – 1. Irish Angel ($4.80)
If we were on a soft track then I think we would see this mare start close to even money. It is no secret that she is a superior racehorse with the give in the ground but we are prepared to overlook that here on account of a number of factors.
She carries the top weight for a reason as she is the class runner of the field and we love the idea of claiming on her with quality apprentice Tom Sherry who takes a crucial 1.5kgs off her back.
Her record on the Kensington is quite handy and it is a surface that offers some yield even when rated good and with this race scheduled around the halfway mark of the card, we expect them to start looking to make runs out wide. She only has to reproduce the run behind Snippy Fox, who has franked the form with another win since, to beat this lot at a nice price.
Kensington, Race 6 – 5. Bottega ($5.00)
We declared Kirwan’s Lane would be too good for them last week which came to fruition, and we spruiked Purple Sector as our best roughie of the day a fortnight ago when he resumed at big odds and he ran a desperately unlucky second in what Hugh Bowman would have to chalk up as being ‘not one of his better rides’. But we are going for Bottega here after we have lined them all up.
They were very negative on him out of the gates first up in the same race as Purple Sector comes out of, and he meets him much the same at the weights but from a better draw, getting out to his right distance range and is a previous winner second up.
He was coming with a sustained run when resuming and looked like he would feature in the finish before his condition gave out late. Expect him to strip fitter for that run and give punter’s a bold showing here.
Doomben, Race 9 – 5. Jamaea ($5.50)
They have certainly saved the best for last at Doomben in the inaugural meeting of the calendar year with the running of the Magic Millions Nudgee Stakes to anchor the program. An absolute ripper field highlighted by the return of the Tony Gollan trained Isotope from an injury layoff, and the highly talented filly Jamaea from the Robert and Luke Price yard.
There can be no doubt about the ability of 4yo mare Isotope which has been best highlighted by her astounding Darby Munro win on Golden Slipper day as well as a courageous second in the Arrowfield where she split Wild Ruler and Prague but we are going for the filly here.
Both ooze class but when you line the two up, whilst Isotope might have some form in and around some bigger names, it is the way Jamaea puts them away is what we really like.
Rob & Luke Price’s star filly Jamaea wins a 790m trial at @kemblaraces on Wednesday in 47.10 under jockey @TommyBerry21, running down Real Key with Da Nang Star in third. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/7gdNQFM5IB
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) December 7, 2021
Already being a Group 2 winner, she has the runs on the board and went to the paddock in good order at the end of her last prep whilst Isotope has had serious complications and although she has always threatened to win a big race, circumstances have conspired against her and her best victory to date is a Listed win.
Jamaea showed a blistering turn of foot to win the Furious at Randwick and whilst she starts her campaign on a tighter Doomben circuit on Saturday, she strikes a capacity field with a good tempo ensured and she will do no work from the inside draw.
Only needs a shade of luck in the straight and a good steer from Berry and she will be very hard to hold out. The better play at the odds but both very nice horses.
Best Bet – 1. Kin (Flemington, Race 1)
Next Best – 5. Jamaea (Doomben, Race 9)
Best Roughie – 5. Golden Artie (Doomben, Race 3)
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of Sportsbet.