Flemington review compiled by Rick Williams
Race 1. 1000M Herald Sun SuperRacing Stakes
KUROSHIO GLEN BOSS 1st $6.50
ROCKFORD CRAIG WILLIAMS 2nd $5.50
EXCITABLE BOY BEN MELHAM 3rd $26
Excellent debut performance by the Darley runner Kuroshio. He was in the firing line the whole way and worked hard throughout the entire race and still held on to win. His performance was well above average and we will be seeing that name more often heading forward. Rockford ended up well back and came with a very strong run last but was unable to get there. It was a powerful sprint displayed and a win isn’t far away for him.
Worth noting: The first two look to be top class.
Race 2. 1800M UCI Stakes
PHILIPPI BRAD RAWILLER 1st $5
HVASSTAN GLEN BOSS 2nd $7.50
JIMANDO CRAIG WILLIAMS 3rd $15
Great win by Derby prospect Phillipi. He was coming off of a very strong win at Moonee Valley where his late sectionals suggested he was looking for the extra trip. He settled midfield and ended up behind a wall of horses when the straightened. Rawiller decided to hook back to the inside and he let down with a good sprint and was too good. Not many horses win ducking inside like that as they lack momentum so that ads merit to the win. I thought Hvasstan did well, he improved further on his previous run and Tatra can’t run 1800m, maybe they can freshen him up for the Sandown Guineas.
Worth noting: I can’t see anything here beating Phillipi going forward. That was only his third start and his upside from here is great
Race 3. 1410M Yellowglen Vintage Stakes
PRONTO PRONTO BEN MELHAM 1st $12
LIMES VLAD DURIC 2nd $6
UNION GAP STEVEN ARNOLD 3rd $21
This was a strange race to assess as there was lots of horses with maiden form going around that were well fancied. The winner Pronto Pronto is no star but he had shown last year in the Sires Produce that he had a liking for Flemington over 1400 based on an above average time rating for that run when beaten 4L behind All Too Hard. Limes was in the same sort of boat, he had performed very well behind Pierro as a 2yo and was coming off of a 6L defeat behind Proisir, a horse that was going around $1.35 in a Grp1, this was many lengths easier. He did well Limes but was unable to catch Pronto Pronto who was rated very well by Melham. Union Gap looks a big track horse to me. he has come on from his win at Bendigo.
Worth noting: Union Gap looks to be on the up and may have a race in him over the carnival.
Race 4. 2520M The Bart Cummings
TANBY DAMIEN OLIVER 1st $3.60
MALUCKYDAY(NZ) DWAYNE DUNN 2nd $5
DAME CLAIRE(NZ) PETER MERTENS 3rd $8
The race was turned on its head with the scratching of 5/4 favourite Exceptionally due to a hard track. Tanby was beaten last start when back with a big weight at Moonee Valley, he was much better placed here and was too good for them. He is a nice stayer. Run of the race was Maluckyday, he was third up from a long break and 1800 to 2500. His performance suggests he is certainly on the right track and will get better with more racing. Dame Claire poked along the fence and she looked like she was half a chance but she just lacks the class, look for her to go around in easier.
Worth noting: Hoping Maluckyday pulls up well and may get involved with some early Melbourne Cup bets
Race 5. 1410M Blazer Stakes
MOSHEEN NICHOLAS HALL 1st $4.60F
BONARIA MICHAEL WALKER 2nd $41
MISS STELLABELLE CRAIG NEWITT 3rd $17
Soft Sand was a drifter in betting as Mosheen firmed and was SP fav. Mosheen looked well placed and Smerdon suggested that she was just about back. It was a good effort and she looks a good ‘hindsight bet’. They have changed her grand final this campaign and i think that was the correct decision as she looks much better suited around the mile to me. Bonaria is racing really well. She doesn’t have the class of the others but just keeps trying. Miss Stellabelle had a poor run last start and bounced back with a solid performance. Soft Sand is getting costly.
Worth noting: Soft Sand should be switched back to a sprint trip, happy to oppose going forward 1400+, but would be interested in shorter races.
Race 6. 1610M TAB Edward Manifold Stakes
MAYBE DISCREET LUKE NOLEN 1st $5
MEMBERS JOY NICHOLAS HALL 2nd $10
COMMANDING JEWEL DAMIEN OLIVER 3rd $3.10F
Great win by Adelaide filly Maybe Discreet. Nolen wasted no time getting himself around the field and was able to sit in a good spot up on the speed. She was coming off of a strong win at a mile last start and was very race fit. Once they straightened Nolen kept her going and she was just too good. Not sure she has a great deal of upside going forward though. Commanding Jewel also enjoyed a good run but she just struggles to finish off strong enough over 1400/1600. Members Joy flew from back to run into second.
Worth noting: I think the Melbourne girls need to lift to beat the Sydney ones Norzita and Dear Demi if they run in the Thousand Guineas.
Race 7. 2000M Turnbull Stakes
GREEN MOON(IRE) CRAIG WILLIAMS 1st $4F
SEVILLE(GER) NICHOLAS HALL 2nd $31
DECEMBER DRAW(IRE) MICHAEL RODD 3rd $6
Great win by Green Moon. We know how good this guy is and he overcame a run three wide the trip to still be too good for them and claim the Grp 1 Turnbull. Going forward he looks to be very well placed to be winning wherever he goes. Seville really came on from his last start performance. The Folding Gear form is very strong, much stronger than the market thinks at this stage and he (Folding Gear) is a horse I can see running a very big race in the Caulfield Cup ($26/$1.25). December Draw is ticking over nicely, Kavanagh is very astute and we won’t see this horse peak until Cup day. Thought Ethiopia ran really well, he copped a big bump at about the 1000, and Niwot looked to be working into his campaign well, again he will keep improving over further.
Worth noting: Plenty of other good runs in the race
Race 8. 1200M Gilgai Stakes
HALLOWELL BELLE VLAD DURIC 1st $7.50
KING’S ROSE(NZ) LUKE NOLEN 2nd $9.50
SPIRIT OF BOOM MICHAEL WALKER 3rd $5
Excellent return to racing by the Waterhouse trained Hallowell Belle. She has excellent form over 1200 on good tracks which is highlighted by great runs behind Sepoy and Master Of Design/Rain Affair. She was able to produce another performance like that to win well here. She looked like she may struggle with about 300 to go but she was just too strong. King’s Rose was great also, she was only beaten 3L first up last prep in the Newmarket and Spirit Of Boom ran on well also. Bel Sprinter was beaten fav and he was coming off a very high time rating at Moonee Valley when he resumed, the likelihood he was going to be flat off of that run was high as Snitzem bounced despite winning at Moonee Valley.
Worth noting: Just forgive Bel Sprinter and back him with confidence next start where he is very likely to repeat his first up effort, hopefully at a price.
Race 9. 1410M Headquarters Tavern Stakes
FAWKNER NICHOLAS HALL 1st $2.60F
BY THE WAY JASON BENBOW 2nd $17
AMAH ROCK GLEN BOSS 3rd $4
Fawkner was truck loaded and won well. It was a perfect case of simple punting and that is just backing the best horse in the race. Bookies were willing to bet a much greater price early in the week and probably did so due to the fact he was +4kg and drew the car park. This is a very high quality horse who looks ready to win group races.By The Way was rocketing home and just missed, he grows another leg at Flemington over 1400 and always produces good numbers, he started around $30 on Betfair, a phenomenal price. Amah Rock missed out again. He is racing very well but i’m not sure where they go from here.
Worth noting: Just keep backing Fawkner
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Randwick review from Todd Burmester
Race 1
1st Brilliant Bisc Josh Parr
2nd Guelph Kerrin McEvoy
3rd Shahad Tommy Berry
Brilliant Bisc began well from its good gate and took up the running. Girls Got Rhythm was outside of it with Sugar Rush, the odds on favourite three wide on the speed. As happens a fair bit with the early two year old races, it was a simply a case of Brilliant Bisc keeping on running in front and held on to beat Guelph andShahad. The run of Guelph was good to make up a lot of ground in the straight, and looked like an improver. Sugar Rush went disappointingly even allowing for it being wide all of the way.
Follow: Guelph
Race 2
1st Whittington Tommy Berry
2nd War Nash Rawiller
3rd I’m No Phony Brenton Avdulla
The weather was very average for the running of the second event. Whittington began well with Va Penseiro andWar used an inside gate to its advantage to take up the running. When they came to the 200m, it was a race in two, with the Waterhouse pair, War and Whittington fighting it out. Whittington got the upper hand soon after and went on for a good victory. I’m No Phony made up a lot of ground from the back to run third, and will appreciate the race experience.
Follow: I’m No Phony
Race 3
1st Jolie Bay Jay Ford
2nd Knight Exemplar James McDonald
3rd Your Song Peter Robl
It was still raining for the third event, and Ichihara was sent out an odds on favourite and led them up from Your Song. Destruction was out wide all the way, with Knight Exemplar getting a nice run. At the 200m Ichihara was in all sorts of trouble, with Your Song claiming it and Knight Exemplar also moving past it on the inside. Knight Exemplar looked set for victory, but Jolie Bay came with a big run from last down the outside to claim victory right on the post. The first two runners here went very well and can be followed.
Follow: Jolie Bay, Knight Exemplar
Race 4
1st Mourayan Hugh Bowman
2nd Western Symbol Nash Rawiller
3rd Dare To Dream James McDonald
The weather had cleared for The Craven Plate, which was the fourth event. Herculian Prince took it up as he likes to do, with Mourayan the short priced favourite travelling in second. The pace seemed genuine all the way, and Bowman on Mourayan didn’t let Herculian Prince get too far away. He made his move for home before the turn, knowing he was on the best horse. At the 200m I thought about three horses may round up Mourayan but to his credit he kept fighting all the way and clung on for a narrow victory. The others definitely had their chance to win, Mourayan was too good. Class Is Class was very disappointing.
Follow: Dare To Dream
Race 5
1st It’s A Dundeel James McDonald
2nd Proisir Nash Rawiller
3rd Honorius Corey Brown
The Spring Champion was race 5, and what a race it turned out to be. On paper Proisir deserved to be favourite, but It’s A Dundeel was always going to be the main danger. King Of Olympia took it up, but took a while to cross Bradman, which left Laser Flash three deep until the 1200m mark when King Of Olympia finally found the fence. Proisir and It’s A Dundeel were second last and last respectively, and they both got going together on the point of the turn. They claimed the lead together at about the 300m, and Proisir had a better turn of foot, but It’s A Dundeel was the better stayer and ground home for a strong victory. The first two are obviously very smart, Proisir might be better suited over a mile however, where as the winner looks like it will stay all day.
Follow: Proisir (when back in distance)
Race 6
1st Norzita Hugh Bowman
2nd Longport Jim Cassidy
3rd Dear Demi James McDonald
The Flight Stakes was race 6 and Longport took it up in front. Dear Demi was pulling early, so went around them and sat second. Urban Groove and Duet were getting nice runs behind the leaders. On the point of the turn,Norzita was there to challenge and her and Longport came away to fight it out as they did last start. Today Norzita was fitter and went on for a very strong win. The jockey’s comments after the race indicate that this horse is very smart and will go on to bigger and better things. Dear Demi and Urban Groove rand third and fourth but were both disappointing and no match for the winner. Jade Marauder did very little, and is a bit of a non winner I would say.
Follow: Norzita looks very smart
Race 7
1st Fat Al Tommy Berry
2nd Ambidexter Kerrin McEvoy
3rd Rolling Pin Chad Schofield
Kontiki Park and Yosei both badly missed the start in The Epsom. Fat Al was ridden with intent to lead and did so. He had a good break on them of over 2 lengths mid race and was always going to be hard to run down. Ambidexter got a very good run the whole way and got out with 200m to run and looked a chance of running pat Fat Al. To its credit however, Fat Al fought on and got home by a half head. Rolling Pin, who we suggested last start would hold its form well, ran the race of its life to run third at good odds. Secret Admirer again ran on well but she is struggling to win, and Shoot Out was very flat second up today.
Follow: Rolling Pin will keep its form going
Race 8
1st Glencadam Gold Tommy Berry
2nd Kelinni Jim Cassidy
3rd Reuben Percival Kathy O’Hara
The Metropolitan produced another very impressive winner in the shape of Glencadam Gold. He went straight to the front and made it a one act affair. Such was the nature of the win, that there was not a lot to say about the rest. Kelinni ran another good race to run second. Lamasery looked disappointing. It will be interesting to see if the winner can measure up in the Caulfield Cup. Sometimes the Metropolitan form isn’t the best formline but his wins have been strong.
Follow: Reuben Percival
Race 9
1st Red Tracer Nash Rawiller
2nd Satin Shoes Jim Cassidy
3rd Emotional Circus Blake Shinn
Rain Affair was sent out favourite, and took up the running as expected from its good gate. The way Rain Affair stopped last start was worrying, and it was more of the same today. He traveled ok to the turn and around it, but was seriously under pressure at the 300m where Satin Shoes took the lead. Red Tracer is all class, and came out to challenge Satin Shoes and ran to the front shortly after and was set for victory. Emotional Circus belted home again from the back, it is its racing style that is costly for it though. I won’t be coming into Rain Affair any time soon until I see big improvement. You would have to suspect something is amiss.
Follow: Satin Shoes
Specials From The Meeting: Jolie Bay, Knight Exemplar, Norzita, Rolling Pin
