Picture: Galactic Path stretches out to win comfortably at Kenilworth on Sunday (Wayne Marks).

Professional punters always talk about good value and this refers to the bookmakers pricing up a horse at over the odds it should be.

A case in point happened yesterday with the Piet Botha-trained Galactic Path (Pathfork).

In a small seven-horse field he opened up biggest outsider at around 16/1.

This was not surprising on the bare facts as he had taken nine runs to win his maiden and this was his first subsequent run.

He was also from a small yard.

However, a look at the replay of his maiden win told the story of a big horse who had blossomed.

Furthermore, he had expended energy overcoming a wide draw in that 1600m race in soft going and yet had still managed to fight all the way to the line with big strides to get up by a neck.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REPLAY OF THAT WIN

The handicappers gave him a mere 69 merit rating, meaning on his handicap bow, also over 1600m, he would be carrying the minimum weight of  52kg, but, importantly, would be in the handicap. 

Furthermore, he was drawn well in  barrier position two.

The odds looked too long.

Then in race three on the day the form of his maiden was franked in no uncertain terms when Triple Time (Twice Over), whom he had beaten by 4,50 lengths in his maiden win, came out and won impressively by 4,25 lengths in a 1400m maiden.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REPLAY OF THIS WIN

The odds now looked way too long.

It took a long time for the market to react to that new bit of form. In fact, it might show that most punters bet race-by-race and only start doing their in depth study between races.

After the fifth race and before the off of his race, the sixth, Galactic Path’s odds shortened right in to 11/2.

Even that proved to be a big price.

The impressive specimen led from the off and fended off the challengers in the straight before stretching out well in the closing stages to beat Shavout by two lengths under JP van der Merwe.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE REPLAY OF THE RACE

This horse can continue to progress.