Bobby The Brute ($51) offers the best value in the Sale Cup ‘All In’ market, according to form expert The Watchdog.

The Gippsland Festival of Racing kicks off on Sunday with four sensational heats of the Group 1 Sale Cup (650m), with the first two placegetters in each heat to qualify for the final on Boxing Day.

Early-bird punters have until just after 7pm on Sunday to take advantage of TAB’s ‘All In’ market, in which Houdini Boy has been instilled a $3 favourite ahead of Christo Bale at $4.

“Bobby The Brute is my value runner for the entire series, especially for the place at $13.50.”

However, The Watchdog has suggested there is value to be found elsewhere for early shoppers, singling out six value contenders (list below), three of which – Bobby The Brute, Burn Time and Mepunga Katie – are paying a juicy $51 for the win and $13.50 the place.

Punters will recall Bobby The Brute storming home in the Geelong Cup Final (520m) in October, going down by just a length to champion sprinter Simon Told Helen in an eye-catching performance in the rain (replay below).

Now stepping up to the 650m distance at Sale, Brendan Pursell’s Bobby The Brute appears ideally suited, and should “find the fence” behind Dark Arrow in the early stages before battling out the finish with Weblec Ace in what looms as a mouth-watering third heat at 7.44pm

“Bobby The Brute is my value runner for the entire series, especially for the place at $13.50,” said The Watchdog. “I expect him to qualify and if he does happen to draw an inside box in the final he’ll probably only go around at about $5 or $6.”

“His past couple of runs don’t look that great on paper but he was flying just before that. A couple of his runs around Sandown were enormous and his run in the Geelong Cup final was huge.”

“He should be able to find the fence in his heat, which could give him an advantage over Weblec Ace, and he’s got a massive motor.”

THE WATCHDOG’S BEST VALUE ‘ALL IN’ BETS:
Run Like Jess ($8 win; $2.75 place)
Weblec Ace ($8 win; $2.75 place)
Arizona Eyes ($15 win; $4.50 place)
Bobby The Brute ($51 win; $13.50 place)
Burn Time ($51 win; $13.50 place)
Mepunga Katie ($51 win; 13.50 place)

*prices as at 5am on 19 Dec 2020. Gamble responsibly.

EVERY CONTENDER: TAB’S ‘ALL IN’ SALE CUP MARKET

SALE CUP HEATS – SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER
Heat 1 (7.07pm): https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/559398346/race/5
Heat 2 (7.24pm): https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/559398346/race/6
Heat 3 (7.44pm): https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/559398346/race/7
Heat 4 (7.59pm): https://watchdog.grv.org.au/meeting/559398346/race/8

WATCH: Bobby The Brute (3) powers home into second place in the star-studded Geelong Cup Final suggesting he could relish the rise in distance in the Sale Cup series.