Cranbourne Racing Tips for October 16 – Crocodile to snap back at Cranbourne after narrow last start miss

Here are our best bets from the meeting, which comes on the even of a massive day of racing from Caulfield for Caulfield Cup day.

Conquer The World looks the clear top pick in Race 4. The locally trained galloper has placed in both career starts, overcoming early trouble to finish in the placings over 1100m at Geelong on debut before stepping up to 1325m at the same track and narrowly missing out behind Discover Lupino. He recorded a performance just 3.8 lengths slower than standard benchmark, a figure four lengths superior to the next-best last-start rating of any runner in this field. The son of Toronado has drawn much more favourably this time around and should enjoy a more economical run, while the booking of Ben Melham is another positive, with the jockey striking at an impressive 27% for the stable.

Eye Tracker looks a solid chance at the price when she steps out over 2580m in Race 6. The Shane Jackson-trained mare has taken some time to find her feet but appears to have turned the corner since being tested over longer distances. She was a dominant maiden winner two starts ago before making a significant jump in grade to contest the Pinker Pinker Plate (2025m) at Cranbourne, where she acquitted herself well with a respectable fifth behind Ocean Bay. That was a much tougher assignment than what she faces here, and the return to a staying trip looks right up her alley. The five-year-old also gets in on the minimum weight and looks well placed to produce another strong performance at attractive odds.

Crocodile looks ready to break through in Race 7 after putting together three solid performances this preparation. The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper has finished in the placings at all three starts, including a tough third behind Miss Castelvecchio at Sale two runs ago when forced to race wide without cover. He then stepped out at Ballarat and was narrowly denied in a photo finish by Yausson, with the pair putting a commanding five-length margin on the remainder of the field. That performance suggests he is knocking on the door, and with three runs under his belt, the four-year-old should now be approaching peak fitness. He draws to enjoy a soft run with Ben Allen aboard and gets an excellent opportunity to go one better.