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The Roar

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Morphettville Group 1 preview and tips

Expert
30th April, 2015
8

It’s South Australian racing’s time to shine this weekend, with their Group 1 racing interspersed with the start of Queensland’s winter carnival.

Ladies day is headlined by the Robert Sangster Stakes for the sprinting fillies and mares, while the Australasian Oaks gives the staying fillies their chance to claim a Group 1.

Do we really need any of the Group 1 races held in Adelaide? There’s a fair case to make against, and the same is true of many in Brisbane too. Nevertheless, here they are, and there’s still money to be made.

Hugh Bowman has clicked with Miracles of Life as a four year old mare, and in the 2014-15 season, she’s been mixing it with Sweet Idea and beating home the likes of Shamal Wind, which makes her very hard to beat in this grade.

Vain Queen has all the talent in the world on her day, and has been beaten less than a couple of lengths with excuses at Group 1 level in her two runs this campaign. There’s isn’t quite the depth to this race as the Oakleigh Plate and William Reid, so she’s sure to be in the finish.

We know the likes of Gregers and Politeness will always be competitive in this sort of race. The former will be up on the speed doing her thing, while the latter will be saved for one run. Both need things to go right.

Avoid Lightning had a mixed Sydney campaign and has been up for a while, but is a hardy mare. No-one is going to be surprised if Platelet wins at an attractive price as she always does, and we’ll all shake our head at why we didn’t take the $11.

The two fillies engaged, Sabatini and Wawail, have been in good form all campaign. Sabatini can at least turn the tables on Politeness from last start with a better barrier and a cosier run, while Wawail has her work cut out dropping back from 1600 metres in less than a month.

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A horse at odds is always a chance to pop up in this sort of race, and Scarlet Billows appeals as the knockout chance at huge odds if she replicates her Hareeba Stakes run behind Under the Louvre, which ties her favourably into the Oakleigh Plate form.

I Love It is going to run in a different state for the fourth time in a row, and it seems to suit her, with wins in Victoria and Tasmania followed by a second to Griante in Sydney in the lead up to this. She’s a value hope too.

Selections: 1.Vain Queen 2.Miracles of Life 3.Scarlett Billows 4.Politeness

Fontein Ruby seems to have been up longer than Stonehenge, but is relishing her racing as her campaign stretches on, and while she flopped in the Australian Guineas, she’s been far too strong at a mile in her last two runs and is ready for 2000 metres now.

Fenway hasn’t been seen since her surprise Vinery Stud Stakes in at Rosehill a month ago, but we know the First Seal form sits at the very top end of fillies level around this distance range.

Delicacy has built up a picket fence over in Perth beating the same sort of horses, and gets tested east of the WA border for the first time. Her sort of form usually measures up.

Wine Tales was knocking on the door during her Sydney campaign without being able to break through. She strikes a winnable race here, but it’s hard not to think she’ll find one or two better again.

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Ungrateful Ellen is the fresh horse on the scene for Robert Smerdon, and her colours are certainly getting the job done on the footy field, so why not. Cathy’s Mark is another low profile horse trained by a horseman who knows how to get one to peak at a distance.

Sea Spray has been crying out for 2000 metres, and there are worse $21 shots around this weekend. By the same token, Kansas Sunflower and Fitocracy also have place claims at odds.

Selections: 1.Fenway 2.Fontein Ruby 3.Cathy’s Mark 4.Wine Tales

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