Canterbury stages the Sydney midweek program on Wednesday, September 16, with a seven-race card assembled.
The track is currently rated a Good 4, with the rail in the true position.
Canterbury Tips September 16
Schweppes Handicap Tips (Race 2)
Canterbury Best Bet - Race 2 No. 6 Saffron Veil
A three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Communist, Saffron Veil has been unlucky in both starts to open her career and connections will be hoping for better fortune at start three on Wednesday.
There was support for the Chris Waller-trained filly on debut over 1100m at Warwick Farm on August 19, where the daughter of Wild Ruler was held up before launching late to narrowly miss.
She again ran into trouble when stepping to 1200m at Warwick Farm on September 2, with a tactical small-field affair leaving her held up at key stages behind Godolphin filly Sequin, who arrived off a nice Randwick-Kensington maiden victory.
There are some first starters and resuming runners here who have trialled well, but the return to maiden company favours Saffron Veil and she brings the benefit of race fitness into the contest.
Champion jockey James McDonald takes the reins and, with even luck from barrier two, Saffron Veil looks well placed to go one better.
Ranvet Handicap Tips (Race 5)
Canterbury Next Best Bet - Race 5 No. 8 Whatalegacy
The Bjorn Baker stable often produces winners in waves and is currently in excellent form, striking at 30% through September after preparing five winners across three meetings last Saturday.
Whatalegacy resumes from a lengthy spell after two August trials in fast-run heats, narrowly going down over 740m at Randwick before showing plenty of freshness and tenacity to win comfortably in his latest hit-out.
It is worth noting that James McDonald stays aboard after partnering the four-year-old in both trials, with McDonald and Baker boasting a 25% career strike rate when combining.
The gelding showed promise early last season with back-to-back victories before finishing runner-up to Miss FreeLove, who subsequently won at Listed level, and he has since been gelded ahead of his second preparation.
On what is likely to be a firm Canterbury track, Whatalegacy should be suited racing prominently and, despite a slightly awkward draw, his early market respect looks justified.
TAB Handicap Tips (Race 6)
Canterbury Value Bet - Race 6 No. 11 Found The Gold
There was plenty to like about Found The Gold's professional debut in a 900m Newcastle maiden in April, where she overcame trouble early in the home straight before showing a sharp turn-of-foot once clear.
That performance earned her a crack at the Listed Woodlands Stakes during the Scone carnival, where she was supported late in betting and stuck to the task well for second after being exposed early in the long home straight.
The filly was spelled following that May 16 effort and appeared to be moving nicely in an August 28 Randwick trial, travelling under a hold before working through the line well in the 742m heat.
Louise Day again combines with Ron Quinton, and the pair have been profitable to follow over the past 12 months with a strike rate of almost 16% and an ROI better than 29%.
From barrier four, Found The Gold should secure a soft run against her own sex and, while there is enough depth to the field to explain the double-figure quote, she has upside and has done very little wrong to date.
Asahi Super Dry Handicap Tips (Race 7)
Canterbury Roughie - Race 7 No. 9 Rileycat
Take out her Highway appearances and Rileycat has been remarkably consistent across last season and the early stages of this campaign, with four of her five career wins coming since last November.
The latest came first-up at Bathurst on July 28, where she won an 1100m Benchmark 66 and recorded the fastest final 800m, 600m and 400m of the entire program.
She has since produced two competitive Canterbury metropolitan efforts at this benchmark level, including an unlucky 1250m run here second-up when working home in restricted room and recording the fastest final 200m of the race.
Rileycat then stepped to 1550m and made ground for third-of-nine, producing the second-fastest final 200m while going straight past Cobra Club, who is the outright favourite for Wednesday's finale, while $20+ is available for this mare.
With three runs now under her belt, including one over this journey, she should be at peak fitness and the return to firmer ground after two Soft-track appearances in August is another positive.