Mildura Racing Tips for July 17 – Future looks a fine bet in the Mildura Cup

Here are our best bets from the meeting, which also feature in our daily selections.

King's Anchor looks well placed to bounce back here. The three-year-old had been building nicely with three consecutive placings as he stepped up in distance before being thrown in the deep end in the Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m) at Flemington last start, where he weakened to finish 12th. That race was run at a genuine tempo and, despite the margin, he still produced figures faster than the standard benchmark. This represents a significant drop in class, the blinkers come off, and Harry Coffey takes the ride for a stable he combines with at a healthy 23% strike rate.

Fine Future is the one to beat in the Mildura Cup. The five-year-old has had a solid preparation, scoring at Oakbank and Morphettville then finishing 4th at Group 3 level in Adelaide before rattling home to just miss out in the Swan Hill as the runner-up in a race that has produced three winners. The Stephen Theodore-trained galloper has since lined up in the Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Flemington, drawing wide and settling back before sticking on well to place 7th, going a very healthy 11 lengths faster than standard benchmark. He drops back to the 1400m, which is the trip that he had success with earlier this prep, while the race sets up nicely for him with a few inside of him to go forward and set up a nice tempo. Expect him to be hard to hold out at the business end. 

We close off with a BenchMark 66 over the 1400m and Zorro’s Flight is a great chance of making it back to back wins. The Patrick Payne-trained galloper ran home strongly at Sale on a Heavy track when second up, scoring on protest ahead of El Tercero and only just missed out at Donald prior to that. He carts the 60.5kg but looks to have come back in excellent order and at his only previous third up run he improved six lengths on benchmark figures when going from a Sale Maiden win early in his career to a BenchMark 70 win at Flemington. The son of Toronado is three from five at the distance and tucks into a nice spot from barrier 7 with Brad Rawiler to ride. The experienced hoop strikes at 25% for the stable.