Canterbury Tips & Preview | Wednesday 5 August

Phantom Major showed promise at the trials prior to debuting and couldn’t have done a lot more without winning at Newcastle last month. With natural improvement this week, Chris Waller and James McDonald can combine for yet another victory.

Having performed fairly without threatening on debut at Randwick-Kensington last month, Glissando took plenty of improvement into a dominant win at Kembla Grange most recently. This is harder, but she has plenty of upside and is another boosted by the booking of James McDonald this week.

Gambler was too bad to be true in his first run back from a break, but enjoyed plenty of improvement into a far better performance in BM64 company last time out, finishing on the placegetters’ heels. With a case to be made for many of them in this field, he’s one that appeals at each way odds and has options in the run this week from the rails draw.

Matt Smith holds a strong hand in this contest, headlined by odds-on favourite Aethelwulf. Aethelwulf has won two of three starts back this time, including a near seven-length romp at Kembla Grange last time out. He’s a fitting favourite and I think he’ll win, but I’m going to pump up my odds with one of Smith’s other gallopers, Scalextrics, running into the first three. Scalextrics has improved with racing recently, culminating in a tough victory over 1580m here last time out. In peak order this week, he looks well placed getting further out in trip.

Same Race Multi selections:

• 6 Aethelwulf (Win)
• 4 Scalextrics (Top 3)

We haven’t seen Stubborn Emmelie at the races since April, but she turned in some fine performances during her debut prep, breaking her maiden before a tough run at Hawkesbury saw curtains drawn on her campaign. Having had the benefit of a trial ahead of this week’s return, she gets into the race well in a low draw and we can have an each way play at the quote.

While yet to strike in four runs back from a break, Snack Bar has only just been denied in stronger races at Rosehill at his last two starts, finding form around some strong opposition in the process. In peak order today, he need only hold his form to take a power of beating in something like this.

Sister Daae hasn’t won a race this time in, but she also hasn’t been far away on any occasion and was last seen finishing off well to place behind Satono Jasmine at Warwick Farm. The form has been franked, Sister Daae is down in the weights, and I can’t find a reason why she won’t be in the finish again.