Another of Racing NSW’s pop-up feature races, The Gong was introduced in 2019 as the $1 million feature on a standalone Saturday spring raceday at Kembla Grange. The race is run over 1600 metres.
The Gong 2022: Alfie’s preview
Speed: The pace is above average. Riodini and Surf Dancer will lead. Purple Sector can sit in behind the lead from Barrier 1. Old Flame, Love Tap and Just Folk have tough draws. Rustic Steel gets a nice run in midfield. Brutality will be back off midfield.
The Gong: Runner-by-runner
Prices courtesy of TopSport at time of publication.
8 Old Flame [$5.50] was brilliant last start, winning the Linlithgow at Flemington. Going up in distance is not an issue.
13 Brutality [$7] is a get-back, run-on horse who now gets to the right distance.
12 Hope In Your Heart [$7.50] only finished 1.3 lengths back in the Golden Eagle. She’s a chance if she can improve again.
16 Riodini [$8] is a Group 1 placegetter at this distance (two preps ago). He’s got the right camp and jockey in Waterhouse / Bott and Tim Clark.
4 Rustic Steel [$8.50] won is fifth-up, where he won last prep. He may need to improve slightly off his win in The Big Dance..
14 Purple Sector [$12] was great last start and a knockout chance.
3 Promise Of Success [$13] is better on the soft.
11 Oscar Zulu [$15] hasn’t won second-up before, so might want another run or two.
6 Surf Dancer [$18] is the leader and the pace will be on.
9 Sky Lab [$20] is one with a big run in him… but I’m happy to risk him.
1 Just Folk [$21] is a chance, but the jockey change from Hugh Bowman to Jarrod Fry is a negative.
20 Kiss Sum [$26] has a rating to win this, but is a bit off that this prep.
The others don’t have the figures to challenge here in my opinion… 5 Kirwan’s Lane [$21], 15 Love Tap [$21], 19 Steely [$21], 2 Kolding [$31], 17 Wild Planet [$51], 7 Berdibek [$67], 18 Parry Sound [$151].
Betting strategy
Best Bet Purple Sector (each-way)
This is a very open race with many chances. I think the play at the moment is an each-way outlay on Purple Sector . He’s run a rating that could win this and was great last start.
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