Saturday Racing Tips - Ascot 16/12/23

No fewer than 9 races make up a super card at Ascot, with Damien Oliver’s farewell the key area of interest with the biggest and best Aussie bookmakers. 

16/12/23 – Ascot (odds provided by PuntersPal). 

It will be a seismic day of racing at Ascot and race 3 should be a potentially fascinating contest. With an eclectic mix of horses in the field, it does look to be a very open contest – with some horses in the field in this race in the search of form. 
 
Ran over 1600m, there is A$80,000 in a modest prize pot but with some excellent jockeys and trainers in action, it is a racing being invested in by punters with the biggest and best Aussie bookmakers.   
 
Lexus of Perth Handicap 

The openness of this field here at Ascot will present some excellent opportunities for punters, with a plethora of horses that could break their way into bigger race contention with a win here. 

Topping the betting in the paddock is the enigmatic Billy Ray a horse that knows what it takes to prevail here at Ascot, and it should relish the conditions and the trip. Finishing second in its last outing over 1600m was a suggestion that the distance suited, and it is the horse to beat in this one at $3.25 with Playup. 

Another Ascot flyer is Megami, a horse that has proven its worth over both course and distance in recent times and it could be well placed in this relatively open field here. Whether it has the pace to trouble some of the other names in the mix remains to be seen but Megami should be one to watch here at $4.60 with Bet365. 

The aforementioned openness of this contest is epitomised by the other horses in contention, with both Big Bada Boom and Long Weekend two horses could go the distance in this one and they are coming in at $8.50 and $9.00 respectively with Punterspal.  

The ante is upped a little in race 4, with the Starstruck Classic on the agenda with both old and new betting sites. 

There is a handsome A$125,000 in the prize pot for this one and with the stakes continuing to rise throughout the day, it should be an excellent contest at Ascot over 1600m once more.  
 
Starstruck Classic  
 
Despite only 125,000 being offered out in the prize pot here, there is a superb field assembled, with many owners and trainers looking to take the opportunity to put miles in the legs ahead of the chaotic Christmas period. 

The horse to beat in this one is unquestionably Super Smirk, a horse that has lofty ambitions and previous performances have suggested that the future is very bright for the 3-year-old flyer. 

With the prolific Craig Williams on board, Super Smirk will take some beating and it should get over the line if it gets a clean run here at $2.50 with Punterspal.  

Following on in the betting is Rusty Dreams, another horse with a big reputation and with some excellent results in the bag. Overcoming Super Smink would be a real coup, but it looks to be in with more than an outside shot at $3.40 with Playup. 

Saturday at Ascot is all about Damien Oliver, as the legendary jockey steps away from racing after his meet and he will be seeking a final day race win on board the equally as dangerous Yonga Lass, a strong shout at $3.70 with Bet365. 

Drawing the curtain on Damien Oliver’s excellent career will be the aptly named Damien Oliver Gold Rush – the final offering from Ascot on Saturday. 

With a healthy A$1.5 million in the prize mix, it is by far the biggest race of the day and is arguably the biggest contest remaining in 2023. 

All eyes will be on Damien Oliver of course, as he bows out in style at his home course and if he could finish on the ultimate of highs, he would etch his name even further into Australian racing folklore. 
 
Damien Oliver Gold Rush 
 
Ran over 1400m, this should be a fascinating battle between some of the very best horses around and the conditions at Ascot should provide the perfect backdrop for the Damien Oliver Gold Rush. 

The horse to beat in the eyes of the bookmakers is Ripcord, a horse that has been prolific this season and who just continues to grow in stature. Coming 3rd at Ascot over a slightly shorter distance of 1200m was a suggestion that a slightly longer trip should suit and with pace to burn, Ripcord is the horse to beat here at $6.50 with Bet365. 
 
Next up in the congested betting ring is Comfort Me, another horse that knows what it takes to win here at Ascot and a horse that will relish the quicker ground in Western Australia currently. A disappointing last outing has raised question marks but Comfort Me should be one to keep an eye on at $7.50 with Playup. 
 
Damien Oliver will be chasing his historic finish as a jockey and his ride Munhamek should be firmly in the mix at $10.00 with Punterspal, whilst Bustler could sneak under the radar for the Parnham family at $9.00, also with Punterspal. 

Nothing can replace the thrill of horse racing betting and there are plenty of races to get involved with this Saturday. Check out our best betting apps and new betting sites and follow our expert Australian horse racing tips.

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There is no doubt who the jockey of the day is here at Ascot, as Damien Oliver prepares to step away from competitive racing in style here in Perth.  

He saddles 7 rides on his final day as a professional, with Captain Pluto in race 5 a very strong shout at $3.60 with Punterspal, whilst Devine Belief should also contend in race 7 at $3.90 with Bet365. 

Damien Oliver Rides – 16/12/23 – Ascot 

Race 2: San Fabrizio - $4.40 
Race 3: Big Bada Boom - $9 
Race 4: Yonga Lass - $3.70 
Race 5: Captain Pluto - $3.60 
Race 7: Devine Belief - $3.90 
Race 8: Magnificent Andy - $5.50 
Race 9: Munhamek - $10 
 
(All odds listed with Bet365). 

Saturday 16th December at Ascot will be all about Damien Oliver, who is set to step away from racing for the final time, with a stellar day of racing in prospect.  

Here are our multi picks at Ascot on Saturday: 

Race 3: Billy Ray – ($3.25) 
Race 4: Super Smink – ($2.50) 
Race 5: Captain Pluto – ($3.60) 
Race 7: Devine Belief – ($3.90) 

A $5 multi returns $570.38 if all horses win. 

Odds provided by Playup, sign up for a new account here to start betting!  

Whilst conventional horse racing betting is the bread and butter for most punters and bookies, having a more exotic flutter can often bring about bigger rewards.

Inevitably, exotic tips hold longer odds and tend to be low risk, high reward but with plenty of options on the market, there is something for everyone with this week’s exotic tip.

Ascot - 16/12/23 Exotic Tip 
 
Leg One: 3, 5, 9, 11 
Leg Two: 7 
Leg Three: 1, 8, 9, 13 
Leg Four: 1, 2, 5, 7, 16 
 
$50 Investment = 62.50% of the dividend if successful.