FLAMBERGE BEN MELHAM 1st $4.20F
KING KROVANH LUKE NOLEN 2nd $4.40
WIN DIXIE DWAYNE DUNN 3rd $10
Flamberge was too good for them in the first. It was a good performance and worth noting that they ran a faster time here than Platelet did in the following race. Looks to have a very bright future and is well related. King Krovanh raced without cover and he did very well also. The Elite Elle form from his debut has been good and you would expect that he will be breaking through soon. Stars In The Sky was very good last week but couldn’t do it here. Happy to forgive.
Worth noting: Follow the first two, they are above average and Moody flying.
Race 2. 1200M Tattsbet.com.au Handicap
PLATELET DAMIAN LANE 1st $2.40F
REIGNING LASS JAKE NOONAN 2nd $6
HANDCUT CRAIG NEWITT 3rd $16
Platelet just can’t get a strong enough 1200 against the higher quality 3yos but she got it well enough here. Still believe she is a better 1100m horse but can’t knock her performance here. Reigning Lass and Handcut were both coming through the Lady Melksham race at Sandown and did very well to run second and third. They will find themselves in easier races going forward and can be followed with confidence.
Worth Noting: Grecian Melody has been going well, look for her to work up in distance again as she was 1600 to 1200 here.
Race 3. 2000M Chandler Macleod Handicap
AERONWY LUKE NOLEN 1st $2.90F
STORM BURST GLEN BOSS 2nd $4.40
THE NIGHT’S HOT DAMIAN LANE 3rd $4.60
Manila Jewel was a massive drifter and although her run wasn’t a shocker the drift was spot on as she box seated in the run and failed to do anything. They dropped anchor early and went slowly so halfway the back markers looked like they may have been a little up against it but the winner Aeronwy made a good sustained run and was too strong for them. She is on a big upward spiral and backed up that excellent performance at Sale.
Worth noting: They ran about 5.5L slower than the next race won by My Bentley
Race 4. 2000M Swift Signs Handicap
MY BENTLEY LUKE NOLEN 1st $12
LANGRIDGE STREET DARREN GAUCI 2nd $4.80
TURNITUP JAKE DUFFY 3rd $4F
Blinkers and a great ride by L Nolen did the job here for the Kent trained My Bentley. We know that he has heaps of ability on his day he just doesn’t have many days! He is a hard horse to back with confidence but he is also a hard horse to risk so just assess him week by week. Langridge Street was good and he fought on well for second. The next two were Turnitup and Model To Nite, I think they both need firm tracks to be at their absolute best so the effort was good.
Worth noting: Magnifique Soleil has had enough and he needs a spell.
Race 5. 1200M Cafetto Sprint
VERDASCO CRAIG NEWITT 1st $7.50
SHOCK VALUE BEN KNOBEL 2nd $8
PRINCE OBAMA DEAN YENDALL 3rd $41
Rue Maple always looked a risk at the price and although not beaten far at all she was beaten. She just doesn’t appeal as a straight tracker. No doubt she is going very well but much prefer her around a bend. The winner Verdasco had the momentum down the outside and only made it narrowly. Newitt knows the horse well and he always performs well down the straight. Shock Value fought on very well, he looks another to me that needs a good track to show his best so a performance like that on a dead 5 suggests to me the horse is flying. Prince Obama bounced back to form and nearly caused a boil over.
Worth noting: You can follow the first four here with confidence under suitable race conditions.
Race 6. 1600M Dominant Torney Cup
ERASET BEN MELHAM 1st $2.45F
SISTER NORMA DWAYNE DUNN 2nd $10
LORD PYRUS SALLY WYNNE 3rd $8
Eraset was given a gem of a ride from Ben Melham who worked him off the fence at just the right time and he kicked away to win well. He was well supported and bounced back after his unlucky run in the Swan Hill Cup. Not sure where to for him now as he has done a bit of racing. Sister Norma really came on from her first up effort. Have backed her with success in the past and looking forward to following up again with her this prep in suitable. She gets through the wet and finds herself box seating in her runs. Lord Pyrus was again very good, he is close to a win and Our Pride and Joy held on for fourth. She can drop back to mares grade and win very soon.
Worth noting: Sister Norma the one to follow here
Race 7. 1410M City Jeep ‘Don’t Hold Back’ Handicap
CLUB COMMAND JAKE DUFFY 1st $4
MANHATTAN MAID JACOB RULE 2nd $9
DAYITA LUKE NOLEN 3rd $2.50F
Club Command did it again and it’s very hard to knock the horse. He worked across from the outside to take up the lead and when Manhattan Maid looked to have him cold at the 200m he was able to produce another kick to hold her out. He doesn’t look like he can get any further than 1400 and prefers a firm track despite winning on soft, would be happy to back him again in suitable but he will be creeping up in the weights even more now. Manhattan Maid was excellent, she races very well at Flemington. Dayita just didn’t have the kick we seen at Sale, she is looking for a little further or prefers it wet?
Worth noting: Not in a hurry to follow any of these, just assess as they come through
Race 8. 1200M City Jeep ‘I Bought a Jeep’ Handicap
GOSSIP GIRL GLEN BOSS 1st $6.50
CHARLOTTES MINT PETER MERTENS 2nd $9
SPURCIFIC STEVEN KING 3rd $5EF
Gossip Girl won here and she looks to be in for a really good prep. She can get through the really wet tracks so her effort to win here on a dead 5 was excellent. She just appeals as a horse I want to follow through the winter as she leads and kicks in those conditions. Spurcific was disappointing, she looked to have a really good run but she just isn’t producing like she used to. Not sure where to with her from here but not in a hurry to back her.
Worth noting: Big follow here with Gossip Girl, can keep winning
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Race 1
1st Hurricane Henny Peter Robl
2nd Hawkspur Hugh Bowman
3rd Queen’s Elect Glyn Schofield
The two-year-olds got the day under way on a very wet track and over a distance of 1800m that none of them had seen before. The favourite Hawkspur began well to lead early but Hurricane Henny came across from the deep to soon take up the running. Mid race Hurricane Henny was getting its own way and it looked like this may make it hard to run down. Chez Harmony which was in the market got a nice run behind the leader. Before the turn, Hawkspur which had settled one out one back came up three wide. Hurricane Henny kicked into the straight but it did look like Hawkspur may have its measure, however in the run to the line, the easy lead Hurricane Henny got told the story and it fought on to win. Queen’s Elect came home reasonably for third. The rest did nothing.
Follow: None to follow
Race 2
1st Eight Straight Hugh Bowman
2nd Nikody Blake Spriggs
3rd De La Dilo Nathan Berry
Two-year-olds again in race 2, this time over the 1500m. Kobi Sun and Be Kind To Me were slow out. Masahiko led Eight Straight, with Sacred Star out three wide. Hugh Bowman came three wide on Eight Straight on the point of the turn and he looked the winner. Nikody came through on the inside to hit the front but Eight Straight fought on too well in the run to the line to get the win. It was a slog to the line.
Follow: Nikody
Race 3
1st Rushing To Win Corey Brown
2nd Embark Brenton Avdulla
3rd Divya Hugh Bowman
Think Mink missed the kick in the third, which is a bit of a habit. It was a bit of a race for the lead, one which was won by Rushing To Win, with Sea Gem outside of it and Matiya’s Pride three deep. Embark got a nice run on the fence behind the leaders. Rushing To win kept finding in the straight to hold off Embark and Divya on the inside. Arguably, Divya was now on worse going and the run was good.
Follow: Divya
Race 4
1st Eucumbene Hugh Bowman
2nd Bello Kerrin McEvoy
3rd Irish Dream Josh Parr
Eucumbene was always going to be hard to beat here after its impressive last start win and again it jumped very well to find the lead. It basically ran the race to suit itself and that was that. Bello got a nice run on the fence all the way and tried to chase Eucumbene in the straight but realistically was never going to get there. Irish Dream did the best of the rest but was a long way away. Something to note out of this was that Mecir that was previously unbeaten, just did not handle the ground and the run should be forgotten.
Follow: Eucumbene, Bello
Race 5
1st Adroitly Kerrin McEvoy
2nd Roi D’jeu Brenton Avdulla
3rd Reigning Glyn Schofield
The Stayers Cup, over 2 miles on a bog track. This was always going to be a slog fest and that is how it turned out. Star Hawk took up the running early from Roi D’Jeu. The short priced favourite in the race, Adroitly, was getting a nice run in fourth or fifth spot. They went slowly mid race and there was no change in the order until the 1600m when Roi D’Jeu decided to take the lead, with Ashwahgandha moving to second. Adroitly made a move at around the 700m and appeared the winner on the turn. In the straight, Roi D’jeu did a good job to keep fighting him off but in the last 50m Adroitly dug in and got the win. The best of the rest was 10 lengths away. Adroitly, although the winner, is not a great betting proposition!
Follow: Roi D’Jeu
Race 6
1st Australian Star Tommy Berry
2nd Saramenha Josh Adams
3rd Flying Zero Brenton Avdulla
Australian Star which was the eventual winner was slowly out here. Conroy’s Gap took the lead, from Flying Zero and Skip Town was out wide. As it turned out, they all fanned on the turn looking for better ground and Australian Star got the saloon run through to hit the front. The rider on Saramena went bush looking for better ground and ended up almost on the outside fence. It was somewhat of a ‘Veandercross’ ride and whether he needed to come that wide, who knows? But in the end Australian Star that had saved all the ground held on for a narrow victory. I thought the run of Sindarin was quite good here, running on from well back.
Follow: Saramenha
Race 7
1st Thumbtacks Chad Schofield
2nd Dunrossil Brenton Avdulla
3rd Slick Sniper Lauri Wray
It was a bit of a charge for the lead here with Kaypers finding it from Calvo and Dunrossil getting a cosy run on the fence behind them. Thumbtacks ended up in the one out one back position, although the rider moved wide at the 600m and he was challenging for the lead on the point of the turn. Dunrossil kept coming on the inside in the run to the line and the run of Slick Sniper was very good running on out wide.
Follow: Dunrossil
Race 8
1st Euryale Kerrin McEvoy
2nd Thebigiam Chad Schofield
3rd Peck Corey Brown
1900m for race 8 on a track that was now a heavy 10. The Zeebac took up the lead from Caroun which worked around Euryale into second. Just before the turn, the rider on Euryale got going, which seemed to be a winning pattern here today. Inside the 400m Euryale had established what looked like a winning break. Thebigiam made good ground in the straight, although Euryale was tiring due to making a fairly long run for home. On the line Euryale prevailed narrowly from Thebigiam, with Peck and Dancing Attendant running on well down the outside.
Follow: Peck, Dancing Attendant
Race 9
1st Famous Seamus Robyn Freeman-Key
2nd Turf Hero Glyn Schofield
3rd Nash Rambler Brenton Avdulla
Girls Go Racing, which can have bad barrier manners missed the start badly here and settled a few lengths behind the body of the field. At the top end, there were basically four across the track with Nash Rambler on the fence, leading Famous Seamus, Hurrara and Pimpala Secret. Nash Rambler stuck closest to the fence, but was headed by Famous Seamus. In the final 200m, these three basically drew alongside one another and it looked like Turf Ruler may come through in the middle for victory, but Famous Seamus fought on and got the win narrowly. I liked the run of Martin Place which was getting to the line well in the concluding stages, this being its first run back for 12 months, it was very encouraging.
Follow: Nash Rambler, Martin Place
Specials From The Meeting: Divya, Bellow, Peck, Martin Place
