Monday sure things: Five bets for Easter Monday

The guts are full thanks to the Easter Bunny, but the wallet took a caning no doubt. Well it’s time to fill that up with public holiday racing on Monday, so here are my five bets for the afternoon.

Bet One- Win- Oakbank Race Eight Number 4 Yulong Xiong Ba
The Yulongs have been going horribly in recent times, but this Darren Weir youngster should stop that. Talented colt for the Weir camp that performed very well in three runs in his first prep in the Spring.

Spelled and resumed at Mildura where he probably didn’t beat much but he did it with a fair bit of arrogance. Strikes a thin race and he should just about be winning despite some nice types engaged.

Bet Two- Win- Sandown Race Five Number 15 Diamond Meteor
He looks one of the better bets at Sandown. Handy mare for the Waterhouse/Bott stable who was 25 days between runs when racing over 1500m at Geelong last time out where she sat on speed and ran well but just lacked the turn of foot produced by the winner Macattack.

2100m looks perfect for her, she should control things in front and take some running down if she does indeed get the lead to herself.

Bet Three- Win- Sandown Race Seven Number 2 Banacheck
In a tough race to sort out, I think he is the safe way to go here. Darren Weir trained youngster that spanked them on debut at Ararat, winning by nearly five.

He then went to Ballarat and got off the speed and was off the bit before the turn but chased hard and nearly got the win but had to settle for a close up second. Draws to get a lovely run from the gate and rates highly.

Bet Four- Win- Canterbury Race Four Number 4 Nonpariel
Pretty keen on this filly, who could develop into a blacktype class horse. Godolphin filly that is building up a nice record and looks to have come back in outstanding order based on her first up win at Kembla Grange where she showed a lovely turn of foot when asked for the effort and charged right away for a dominant win.

She can go on with that with natural improvement. Confident.

Bet Five- Win- Canterbury Race Eight Number 12 Dixie Chick
On a tough program, I think she is the best bet. Resumed at Newcastle and sorry to bring it up if you backed her. She was very, very stiff and to my eye, she should have won comfortably.

Given her racing pattern, she’ll receive more bad luck than good, but with the wide gate, no chance of her being pocketed. Just needs normal luck, or an ounce of better luck from the fresh effort to just about take care of these.