The top class racing action is on the move around Australia, away from the spotlight of Melbourne and Sydney and into Adelaide and Queensland.
The best racing of the weekend is taking place at Morphettville and the Gold Coast.
The Sangster is worth a million dollars, and sees the fillies and mares take each other on over 1200m at weight-for-age.
Quillista is the most improved horse in the country in the space of three months, and is right in the winning zone having peeled off three victories on the trot. Each win has been rising in grade, from Saturday class to Group 3 and then Group 2 level, all of them by comfortable margins.
Quillista has always raced forward, and has been running rivals ragged from the front in her string of wins. Drawing barrier two, she’ll have every chance again, and can take a sit if any of her opposition want to take up the cudgels.
Her biggest dangers have questions marks – Viddora will get right back from the inside gate and might not be able to make clean ground, Super Cash is a first-up flyer but is a big query at 1200m instead of her favoured 1100m, and Catchy has been up for a long time on an arduous schedule.
At around $6, Quillista appeals as an each-way special.
Keen Array feels like he’s been around forever, even though he’s only five years old. He’s a top quality gelding that is usually around the mark in the Listed/Group 3 spring events, and he’s found a very winnable race here.
He resumed off a four-month break with a second to Rich Charm last start, and has been known to go better second-up. Barrier four gives him a preferred midfield run, where he can find his rhythm while the pace in the race sorts itself out up the front.
Sprightly Lass is the market-elect, and she’s a talented mare from the Hawkes yard that’s on the up. Already this prep she’s been from Melbourne to Sydney and back to Melbourne, and now finds herself in Adelaide. It’s a lot to ask of a horse that only has seven starts, and it may find her out late given her wide draw and on-speed pattern.
Keen Array looks a good bet at $5.
The Group 2 Hollindale Stakes is the feature race at the Gold Coast on Saturday, run over 1800m under weight-for-age conditions.
Is it Tom Melbourne’s time? It seems to be the eternal question of the Australian racing game. He’s probably the most famous non-winner this century, renowned for finishing in the placings, usually second, but never taking home the chocolates.
His last win was March 2016, over two years ago. Since then, he’s run a drum 11 times from 22 starts. He doesn’t always do himself justice with his erratic racing manners, but if he didn’t have bad luck he’d have no luck at all. If there’s a way to be beaten on a race track, Tom Melbourne will find it.
Tom resumed with his customary second in the Ajax Stakes, but a closer inspection revealed that the jockey’s whip got stuck in the reins at the most vital stage, probably costing him victory. Second-up in the Doncaster he was brave in finishing fifth. Last start in the All Aged Stakes, he was dropping back in distance to 1400m, and it looked like he wanted further. He gets that in this race.
Tom Melbourne’s stablemate, Comin’ Through, is rightfully seen as the one to beat, but there is a sense that his grand finals have been and gone after being set for the Doncaster and Queen Elizabeth, where he ran extremely well.
Perhaps the safest bet of the weekend is to put the ego aside and forget about backing something on the nose. There is even money available for Tom Melbourne to run a place. It looks a lock.
The Gold Coast Guineas can often produce a winner that goes on to better things, and we might see an example in this year’s edition.
Champagne Cuddles is a classy filly, and has been from her debut race, which she won, beating subsequent dual Group 1 winner Ace High.
In the spring, she didn’t win a race, but twice ran second at Group 1 level, to Trapeze Artist in the Golden Rose, always the best three-year-old race each year, and to Alizee in the Flight Stakes. Both Trapeze Artist and Alizee went on to win Group 1 races against the older horses in the Sydney autumn, franking the spring form beyond doubt.
Champagne Cuddles has trialled twice for her first-up assignment in this race, and is ready to go. She’ll be targeting Group 1 glory of her own through the Brisbane carnival, against far stiffer opposition than what she faces on Saturday, and will be a winning threat in everything she contests.
We can bet confidently that she’ll kick things off with victory here, and it might even pay to have a sneaky play on her in the Stradbroke futures market.
Smart As You Think has always been a handy sort of horse, usually competitive in most races, albeit one that doesn’t land in the winner’s circle that often.
Her last couple of preps have been good, proving competitive at Group 2 level, and she finds herself in a benchmark 84 race at Flemington at a quote of $8 with Crownbet.
The John McArdle mare looked ready to win after pleasing first-up and second-up runs in February, but plans went awry in a trip to Sydney where she didn’t run well. A let-up followed this disappointment, but she showed that was a one-off with a very solid third behind Sebring Dream on Anzac Day.
Smart As You Think was seven weeks between runs there, will be fitter for it, and is ready to pounce now stepping up in distance. She appeals as an each-way chance, and can be bet that way accordingly.
All odds accurate as of 2pm (AEST) Thursday, May 3.
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