US racing tips: Shane Ketteridge with two fancies at Oaklawn Park on Saturday

Matera
9.47pm Oaklawn Park
2pts win

Last Samurai
10.56pm Oaklawn Park
1pt win

We are set for some fantastic action in the southern US state of Arkansas on Saturday as Oaklawn Park plays host to two very competitive Grade 3s. Brad Cox saddles a five-year-old mare in Matera who could have plenty more to come, and she can win the $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes, race 8.

After breaking her maiden tag at Santa Anita in October 2019, she was not seen on the track for over a year and returned to finish seventh in an allowance optional claiming event at Los Alamitos.

She was then given a couple of months off to gain fitness, and really stepped forward when winning an allowance optional claimer by a comfortable two lengths over this course and distance. That remains her only start at this track.

Her form figures over the last seven months read 1142, with those two wins being in Listed class and the other two efforts being in this grade, so the overall impression is that we have yet to see the best of her.

To summarise, this mare has been unlucky with small injury problems in her career, but she is fit, well and improving so can start to show us what she is made of and win her first Graded race under Florent Geroux, who was on board when she won here previously.

The $600,000 Grade 3 Razorback Handicap has been won by some top-class colts over the years including Gun Runner and Mystic Guide.

Dallas Stewart has never won it, but he has a good chance of doing so this time around with Last Samurai, who won the black-type Poinsettia Stakes over course and distance last time out.

This colt has plenty of ability. He finished fifth in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby here last year behind Super Stock, who he outbattled to beat here last time out, so that shows he is getting better as he gets older and gaining more experience.

His last three starts have also been three of his best, as the speed figures suggest, so if jockey Jon Kenton Court can get a good spot in behind the leaders from stall seven, he should go well.

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