Geelong Racing Tips for August 28 – Promising galloper set to break the Maiden early at Geelong

Here are our best bets from the meeting, which precedes a huge weekend of racing from around Australia that is highlighted by the Memsie Stakes meeting at Caulfield.

Hemi Two Barrell can go close in the opener. The four-year-old tackles the 2470m at just his third career start but was good last week despite racing keenly over the 2000m when runner-up behind Mission Taichi. The Shane Jackson-trained galloper led at a fast tempo and did well to stick on, putting almost three lengths on the rest of the field. The son of Heroic Valour should have scope for further improvement from a fitness point of view and should appreciate the step up in distance. If he can settle a little better this time, he should be in this for a long way.

It was a promising last-start effort by Arashi Flash to finish 3rd at Bairnsdale and the Busuttin/Young galloper can go a couple of spots better in this race. Coming off a debut at Sale where he was hampered and caught wide throughout, Arashi Flash settled midfield at his most recent start and kept coming to finish just a length off the winner. He went three lengths slower than standard benchmark, which is the best last-start figure of any runner in this race. The son of Tagaloa draws to settle just behind the speed in a race that looks to lack pressure and should get his chance to peel out as they corner. The step up in distance also looks suitable and he should be hard to hold out.

I didn't mind the performance of Captain Redbeard when resuming on Soft ground over the 1200m at Seymour on August 7 and the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper can go a couple of spots better in this race after placing 3rd. He drew awkwardly at Seymour before settling worse than midfield off a slow tempo, then worked into the race with the fastest 400m to 200m split before just peaking late behind Misty Whimper. The son of Per Incanto went three lengths slower than standard benchmark, which is a better figure than any of the raced runners in this field have produced. With any luck from the wide gate, we can expect to see him right in the finish.

Ravenclaw is worth thought in Race 6. The former Chris Waller galloper hasn't done much in two starts since switching stables, but both have come in much harder company than this and he hasn't had the races run to suit. He led at a fast tempo when resuming over the 1000m in a Benchmark 70 at Sandown, then settled back from the wide gate off a very slow tempo in a Saturday BM74 over the 1100m at Caulfield a couple of weeks ago, finding himself six lengths off them. This is a much easier assignment and he should have no problems finding a spot close to the speed from barrier 2, while he should be ready to peak at his third run back.