Cranbourne Racing Tips for September 25 – Former Kiwi to make it four wins in a row

Here are our best bets from the meeting, which comes on the eve of a massive weekend of feature racing.

Obambulate should be hard to beat in the opening race at Cranbourne. The Busuttin and Young galloper showed promise during his debut preparation with two wins from three starts, including one at Caulfield. He needed the run first-up and found the class above him in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes at Caulfield over 1200m last month before settling handy and landing within two lengths of the winner Lara Antipova in the Listed Exford Plate at Flemington over 1400m at his most recent start. The son of Tiger Of Malay drops significantly in class and went more than five lengths faster than standard benchmark at Flemington, which is five lengths better than the next-best last-start figure of any runner in this race, produced by Over The Bridge, who looks the clear danger. Obambulate was an eight-length improver when third-up during his last preparation when scoring at Caulfield and will look to cross over from barrier seven in the small field. Expect him to be hard to beat.

Keen on Ocean Bay in Race 4. The former Kiwi didn't do much in her two runs earlier this year but has clicked right into gear in her current preparation, winning three on the trot. The best of those came at her most recent start when she stepped up to 1600m at Sandown in Benchmark 74 company, settling handy before proving too good for Jenni Gone Bonkers. The Gavin Bedggood-trained mare sticks to this grade and rises in weight but should enjoy the step up to 2000m. She also has the racing pattern that should be suited at Cranbourne, with the four-year-old preferring to settle handy. She can go on with the job.

This looks to be a winnable race for Romantic Encounter. The Hayes galloper has had two runs this time in, both in harder company than this, placing fifth when resuming in a Benchmark 88 before finishing sixth behind Buccleuch over 1400m at Sandown at his most recent start. He settled handy and stuck on in okay fashion in the dying stages, which was a good performance in the circumstances given he was forced to work early from a wide barrier to find a position up on the speed. This time around, the four-year-old draws the inside barrier and can either lead or take a sit behind the leader, giving him the opportunity for a much more economical run. The prospect of a drier track should also play into his hands, while Jackson Radley rides and claims 2kg.