Australian horse racing picks for Ascot and Kembla Grange

There’s Group 1 racing in Australia tonight, as Perth’s premier track, Ascot, will host the Railway Stakes in the state of Western Australia. The race has been running since 1887 and is held under handicap conditions over the mile.

In addition to Ascot, BetAmerica horseplayers will also be able to enjoy racing from two New South Wales tracks — Kembla Grange and Gosford — as well as the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Two New Zealand tracks, Pukekohe and Awapuni, are also available for BetAmerica players Friday night.

Here are a couple tips to get your night of Down Under racing action underway.

Ascot, Race 8: #14 Too Close The Sun

We’ll start with the big one of the night, the Railway (G1).

The Lindsay Smith-trained Too Close The Sun rocketed into contention for this race with a comprehensive win in last week’s Ascot Gold Cup. The son of Carlton House will have to overcome a wide post position, but he his versatile, and jockey Joseph Azzopardi will have options.

I don’t mind the drop back in distance, as the horse has won over similar trips and also loves the track. He has hit the board in four of his five starts at Ascot. He’ll also be rock-hard fit for two runs back from a layoff.

The 13-2 morning-line odds look generous.

Kembla Grange, Race 7: #15 Bottega

Kembla Grange stages its own feature tonight, with The Gong, a million-dollar race. The carrot of a big paycheck has attracted a fantastic field.

Bottega is an extremely talented, lightly raced 4-year-old, who has group-class ability and might just be ready to show that class tonight. He hasn’t had much go his way this preparation, but he has run admirably in all three starts since a layoff.

Last time out, he contested the Golden Eagle at Rosehill, against some of the nation’s best 4-year-olds. While never looking comfortable on the heavy ground, he still battled away to finish within three lengths of the winner.

From the wide post position, he will most likely be ridden very quietly and will have plenty of time to mow them down, in what is a long home stretch at Kembla. At (hopefully) double-figure odds, he is a great value play.

Good luck!