Horses To Follow - Scone

May 18

Scone (May 16)

Only five horses that I want to take out of the meeting at Scone which played mostly to the middle and outside, inside lanes were slightly inferior.

GORGEOUS (Race 7): The tragedy beaten of the year? She was absolutely luckless. The market really liked her when compared with the ratings that she’s achieved to this stage of her career, that suggests that the big players have her going to a big number in the near future. She found the right spot after beginning ok, the problem was she got shuffled back at a key stage and then was never really clear in the run home. She should have won, I will be conservative and say by 2-lengths.

SEQUISTA (Race 7): The market also liked her first-up from a short break. She began ok before being restrained to last, she’s found the line well but was really given limited to no hope from the wide draw. She can improve sharply next time from a better barrier.

GOLDEN STRAAND (Race 8): He was another that was truck loaded late in betting, $4.60 into $2.90. He was restless in the gates and missed the start (not badly), but from the draw he ended up last on the fence (not the spot to be). He found the line along the inside, inferior going. Forgive.

VERDOUX (Race 9): Maybe the best second-last that I have every seen?! He was kept safe first-up by the market before being slightly slow to begin and settling worse than midfied, he genuinely was never clear. Completely forgive the beaten margin. Let’s hope the bookies miss this one.

ESTADIO MESTALLA (Race 10): He’s ready to win now. Warmed up late first-up, much of the same here. He was a bit slow to begin before warming up late in limited room. He’s ready for further now, a mile would be ideal but is Joe Pride getting him ready for the Stradbroke? Maybe.

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Have a great week punters,

Blake Johnston

Blake Johnston is an Australian horse racing analyst, professional punter, and founder of The Leg Up Australia, a leading platform providing horse racing tips, betting strategy, and market analysis for Australian racing.

Before working full-time for punters, Blake spent years inside the betting industry, working with major bookmakers including bet365, UBet (Tabcorp), Unibet, and TopBetta (now BetMakers). His role involved compiling markets, assessing winning probabilities, and understanding how bookmakers frame prices — experience that now shapes his analytical approach to betting.

This industry background gives Blake a rare perspective on how betting markets are created, where prices can be wrong, and how disciplined punters can identify long-term value in horse racing markets.

Blake is also the 2024 Tipster of the Year (TheGreatTipOff) and hosts one of Australia’s most popular horse racing podcasts, where he breaks down races, discusses betting strategy, and helps punters understand the thinking behind professional wagering decisions.

Through The Leg Up, Blake provides:

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Blake’s philosophy is simple: successful punting isn’t about chasing winners — it’s about finding value, managing risk, and beating the market over time.

His work focuses on structured form analysis, speed maps, race shape, and market intelligence, helping everyday punters approach betting with the discipline and framework used by professionals.

Today, The Leg Up Australia has built a community of thousands of punters who follow Blake’s insights to bet smarter and understand the game behind the game.

Horses To Follow - Scone

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