Opinion
R1: Tricky way to kick off the program and It is hard to bet into. PRINCETON AWARD will need luck from back in the field after drawing a low gate (2) but he relished the step up to this trip last start when a fast finishing second to WAHINE TOA.
He just got too far back and had to sustain too long of a run so I think the run peaked at about the 100m mark. He drops 3kgs off that and is probably slight value at the $8.
SO UNUSUAL is a progressive Gelding out of the McEvoy yard. He stomped home to beat them at the Valley over 2040m two-back and then was very tough when winning over this track and trip last start. Goes up 3kgs off that and draws nicely (8) to sit near the speed again.
PRINCE ZIGGY is the blowout chance. $23 seems a bit ridiculous considering he is going as well as ever and was only 1.75L off Wahine Toa last start who is $8.50 here.
Generally peaks fourth-up and at this trip. He is worth having a couple of dollars on.
R2: Happy to have a smaller bet on THE FORTUNE TELLER here.
He was super over this track and distance in the Spring when 1.25L off Bank Maur (was a neck away from Jacquinot resuming) and was then very good in the Caulfield Guineas when 1L away from Golden Mile.
I think that is the A1 form leading into this race, his trials have been good leading in, and he maps to sit just behind the speed and is in the right camp.
He is a box ticker. AMENABLE was good from a long way back in that Caulfield Guineas to finish narrowly ahead of our on topper and can sprint well fresh. Damien Oliver jumps on and he will be running on.
CALICO JACK probably leads and is the hard fit horse. Cannot have him at anything under $8 though. He only beat Richter by 3L last start and this is much harder. GLINT OF SILVER will sit outside him and probably be in it for a long way. He is a big price at $27.
R3: I am siding with the undefeated Western Australian in BRAVE HALO.
He was very good two-back over 1000m when leading throughout for a big win at Ascot when recording the second fastest last 400m of the meeting and he then absolutely destroyed them by 5L over this distance at Ascot when running slick time.
He draws perfectly (3) to either lead or sit just off them and Damien Oliver takes the ride for the Casey camp who he strikes at 33% for. I doubt they go overly quick here and he will be hard to run down. GOODES is worth backing at the $51 quote.
(Paul Crock/AFP/Getty Images)
A few dollars on him will not hurt. He trialled very nicely leading into his debut run in the Preview, missed the kick and then flashed home late to record the second fastest last 200m of the race. If he jumps cleaner here, he can be rattling home getting out to the 1100m.
BARBER has done nothing wrong when winning two from two in Sydney, the latter in excellent fashion. The form stacks up with Summer Loving an unlucky third in the Magic Millions.
GANGITANO will be running on late. There was plenty of merit to the debut run and he has trialled well.
R4: I do not usually do this but I am happy to back three horses here. CHARM STONE is a deserved favourite and the $3 is a fair price.
The Price trained Filly was good on debut behind a smart one and then won with a leg in the air when beating Empress of Wonder and Hell Queen over 1000m.
His trials leading into this have been terrific and I think he gets the perfect run just off a hot speed here.
The main bet. I am also going to speck a couple at odds and one of those is ZOUSUKO at the $14. I think when the sprint when on she got a bit lost on debut in the Preview but she did pick herself up late and was doing her best work at the end of the 1000m.
Think 1100m is ideal and I think she turns the tables on De Sonic Boom off that run. The debutant down the bottom in SOJU has been unbelievably impressive at the trials leading into this and the Zahra camp are on an absolute tear at the moment.
I think she is very, very fast and she will utilise the inside peg to her advantage here and look the winner for a long way. PARTY FOR TWO brings down the Queensland form that is very hard to match up. She is very promising though.
R5: Thought it was a tricky race at first but I kept coming back to the main two.
DUSSE ticks all the boxes. She toyed with them at the Valley three-back when winning with ease over 1000m, then was disappointing at Pakenham (can happen to the best of horses), before being an incredibly luckless fourth in the Christmas Stakes behind Jigsaw and Shamino.
That form is essentially the best sprinting form in Victoria at the moment and her recent trial win indicated she has only improved.
She comes back to her own age and sex here and maps perfectly to sit behind a hot speed. 1100m is her sweet spot.
Having something small on CYTHERA. The Snowden Filly has only had two starts for a tough win over Lady Laguna and a third when on the IG at G2 level as a 2YO.
She has trialled very well leading into this, draws to get the run of the race and when Snowden books Zahra they generally mean business. $20 is overs. LACED UP HEELS is the only horse to beat Amelia’s Jewel but that was over 1400m.
Think is a bit short but she is the best horse in the race. GHAANATI and RICH FORTUNE should be included in the exotics.
R6: Happy to be with the favourite here in UNCOMMON JAMES and he looks like one of the better bets on the program.
The Queenslander has won five from six early on in his career and the latter two were terrific wins in both the Darby McCarthy in Queensland and the Regal Roller at Caulfield over the 1200m. I think he gets the perfect set up here from the ideal draw (6) to sit just off the speed and with a bunny to catch. I think he wins here on route to some of the bigger races in the Autumn. He is a star.
MARINE ONE was very good last preparation when winning two of his last three. He was unlucky not to get past In the Boat at Caulfield and his win in the Rubiton when beating Oxley Jack ($26 here) by 1.25L was arrogant. He can only improve.
CHAIN OF LIGHTNING has won six from eight with one of the only fails coming in the Golden Eagle. She will appreciate the fast track we get on Saturday and will improve this prep.
TRIPLE MISSILE fires fresh and he has been targeted for this. Will appreciate the hot speed out in front and will be running on strongly. Best roughie.
R7: The feature arrives and it is hard to go past the favourite in JACQUINOT.
This is a target race for the Price trained Gelding who brings in stellar form from his last preparation. When second-up last prep he dead set jumped out of the ground late to beat the subsequent Coolmore winner In Secret over this distance at Rosehill, before being a luckless fifth in our richest race in the Everest behind Giga Kick.
He was outsprinted first-up a fortnight ago over the 1300m at this track but picked himself up to nab them on the post in the last 50m. That run would have brought him on, I think he settles closer than the stablemate and he gets in well carrying the 55.5kgs. GENTLEMAN ROY gets his chance at G1 success after running a tough third in the Toorak in the Spring when finishing 1L behind TUVALU.
They will settle 1-2 in the run and I think with the added fitness Roy might be able to turn the tables. I’M THUNDERSTRUCK has the class edge but from the gate (9) he will have to get back.
He was only half a length off Anamoe in the Cox Plate so he cannot be discounted but you can not help but think he has bigger fish to fry.
R8: Pretty keen on SUNSHINE RISING here and I think he will be very hard to beat. The former Hong Kong galloper was 2.5L away from champion Golden Sixty in his last start there and his first-up run was enormous in the Festival Stakes when 2.5L away from Dajraan.
He settled 3WNC punching the breeze and still had the audacity to keep finding to the line. He goes well first-up and if he is anywhere near his best, which a recent trial win suggests so, I do not think they will beat him. He has a few lengths on these if he turns up ready to go.
CORNER POCKET gets a 7kg weight swing on POUNDING here and draws much better (1 compared to 15) so you would think the tables will be turned there. Corner Pocket has found his grade and is as honest as they come.
CROSSHAVEN seems a big price at $10 considering he was unlucky two-back when never really seeing daylight and being beaten 1.8L by the favourite. Should not have to many issues crossing with most of the speed engaged drawn wider.
DENY KNOWLEDGE is the best of the rest and the Savannah Cloud form can be tied in with Corner Pocket and Pounding.
R9: Tricky race in the get out but I think you can make a case for BRIGHT DIAMOND at a big price. The Western Australian brings in form around Angelic Miss and Comfort Me which reads well for this and her first-up record is terrific, winning two from four and never missing the hole.
She draws perfectly here (7) to camp on the back of the speed and her trials leading into this indicate she is ready to go first-up. Her ratings measure up with those in the market. SPARKLE is the X factor in this field. The Japanese import ran in some of the best races in the world last preparation and has since been sent down under to Danny O’Brien.
She draws terribly (13) but trialled very well and if there is market support late you can justify jumping on the train. EAST INDIAMAN was 2L off Gentleman Roy last start who goes around at $7 in the feature. Draws perfectly (2) to camp on the speed and be fighting it out late.
HERE TO SHOCK fires third-up and had genuine excuses last start. Just needs a touch of luck from the gate (10) to be in the finish.
STAKING PLAN:
RACE 2 #3 THE FORTUNE TELLER – $5.50 – 0.5U WIN
RACE 3 #3 BRAVE HALO – $3.80 – 1U WIN/#9 GOODES – $71 – 0.25UWIN
RACE 4 #1 CHARM STONE – $2.80 – 1.25U WIN/#7 ZOUSOKO – $14 – 0.25U WIN/#17 SOJU – $21 – 0.5U WIN
RACE 5 #13 DUSSE – $7.50 – 1U WIN/#7 CYTHERA – $21 – 0.3U WIN
RACE 6 #5 UNCOMMON JAMES – $3.40 – 1.5U WIN
RACE 8 #6 SUNSHINE RISING – $5 – 1.5U WIN
RACE 9 #7 BRIGHT DIAMOND – 0.5U WIN
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