Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes: Pro punter preview, top pick and value

It’s Bletchingly Stakes time… as the last Group race in Melbourne for the racing season, the Bletchingly Stakes is one of Victorian racing’s winter highlights and a sign that Spring Racing is actually not too far away. The first Group 1 races of the new season, the Winx Stakes and the Memsie Stakes, are only around a month away!

The Bletchingly Stakes is a Group 3 weight-for-age race held over 1200 metres at Caulfield Racecourse.

Bletchingly Stakes 2022: Trevor Lawson’s preview

Track It’s been posted as Soft 6 early. By Saturday we should be looking at a 4 – 5. There’s no rain predicted… it should play fairly.

Speed The pace looks good on paper. Sartorial Splendour and Aysar go forward. Oxley Road, Mariamia and Mileva will sit handy along with Streets of Avalon and Felicia.

Runner-by-runner

8 MILEVA [$4] got a good run back on the inside to win the Sir John Monash narrowly first-up. She’s out to 1200m here which could an issue. I’m not sure she can really improve off that first-up run.

7 KING OF SPARTA [$6] was beaten resuming at Eagle Farm at Group 3 level. He’s been given a short break and a trial since. He has decent figures when he’s gone to Sydney. Barrier 1 might be a slight concern here.

6 OXLEY ROAD [$7] was disappointing first-up when short favourite in the Sir John Monash. The jockey said the ground was too wet. I’m not sure that he can run to his best here, but he still has claims.

2 SCALLOPINI [$7] is a Queenslander who is down here off a short break. Oliver is booked and it looks a bit of a target race. He looks a chance at the price.

1 STREETS OF AVALON [$7.50] resumes here and is a good class horse. He was narrowly beaten in this race first-up last year. He’s a good chance if he repeats that rating here.

10 MARIAMIA [$8.50] is a former Victorian horse who has been racing well for her new stable in Sydney. She’s run well here in the past and gets Kah on here. She’s a chance.

🔊Joe @PrideRacing joined @Mattunchained to provide and update on Mariamia ahead of Saturday’s Bletchingly Stakes @MelbRacingClub

Listen below to get the inside word 👇https://t.co/9C85N2N3iS

— RSN927am (@RSN927) July 21, 2022

4 SARTORIAL SPLENDOR [$8.50] is racing well. 1200m is as far as he wants. Gets Lane booked here and is a chance at the odds.

9 FELICIA [$17] was well beaten resuming off a long spell. She strips slightly fitter here. Rough chance.

5 WILLIAM THOMAS [$20] ran well last start when big odds. He’s raced well here in the past. Gets Melham on. Wouldn’t surprise.

3 AYSAR [$26] was okay first-up. but seems to find it hard to win. Only a very rough chance.

Verdict

Top pick Streets of Avalon
Value William Thomas

It’s a wide-open race as the market suggests, so I’ll be keeping an eye on things come raceday. Streets of Avalon is on top for me and is getting toward a backable price… he went well in this race last year and should do again.

Further down the odds, William Thomas likes Caulfield was pretty good in the Sir John Monash last start. With Melham on board, it wouldn’t surprise if he’s right in the finish.