Racing Preview: Saturday 28/5/16

May 26, 2016
14 min read

Picture: Jason McCawley

The Brisbane Winter carnival is well and truly under way and this weekend sees the running of the $750k Group 1 Doomben 10,000. Azkadellia is the warm favourite after some fantastic form throughout the Sydney Autumn carnival in what looks to be a less than vintage edition of the race. The meeting looks strong and competitive outside of the 10,000 and it is sure to be a great day.

The Listed McKell Cup will also be run from Randwick with the Darren Weir trained import Raw Impulse all the rage at $1.60. It's Australian Steeple and Hurdle day at Sandown, with some good jumpers engaged in those events. The meeting from Morphettville Parks looks full of depth and very even, so there will be plenty of value to be found should you find a winner or two!

Doomben

The track is rated a Good (4) at the time of writing and it looks like staying that way with fine weather forecast for the rest of the week and Saturday. The rail is out +4m the entire course.

Race 1 1200m Ambassador Travel Handicap

No age restriction. BenchMark 95. No sex restriction. Handicap.

Fine Mist looks well placed to win 2nd up where she is 3:2-0-0. 1st up she drew 9 of 9 in the Hawkesbury Rush over 1100m and was back and wide before somehow ending up near the rails in the straight on a day where it was poisonous to be there. She still worked home nicely to only be beaten 1.8L. I fancy from barrier 4 in this event she will get a nice run closer to the speed and be hard to hold out late.

Saluter is a danger but has to give Fine Mist 3.5kg. He won well 1st up in a 1000m Open Handicap at the Sunshine Coast and should take good improvement from that. He's been a good, consistent galloper at this level for a while now and is sure to be prominent again.

Rock Royalty was only beaten 3.9L to Fell Swoop in the Victory last time out and goes well at this track/trip. Pago Rock is 9:5-0-0 1st up and a change of trainer and environment may help him recapture his old form. He carries only 52.5kg after the claim.

Summary: Fine Mist looks to map perfectly here and is well weighted with 55.5kg. Blake Shinn is riding in good form at the moment and should give her every conceivable chance. Happy to back her in this.

Race 3 1350m Glenlogan Park Stakes - Group 3 $150k

No age restriction. No class restriction. Fillies and Mares. Set Weights plus Penalties.

I've been waiting for Ghisoni to pop back up for a while now following her run in the Arrowfield on the 9th of April. She was hopelessly held up for the entire straight on that occasion and with an ounce of luck she would've won. She won the Surround 1st up this beating subsequent Group 1 winner Single Gaze over 1400m and then acquitted herself well when 6th beaten 2.4L in the Coolmore. She draws 10 here but with a distinct lack of speed in this event she should be able to come across underneath Traveston Girl and lead or sit handy without too much trouble. She is 7 weeks between runs but had a nice quiet trial on the 16th of May and is a noted fresh performer.

Press Report has drawn kindly in barrier 1 to get a trail right behind the speed and be competitive here. She was 3rd to Nancy in the Hawkesbury Crown before running 3rd to Danish Twist in the Dark Jewel at Scone last time out.

Amicus is 2 months between runs (with 2 trials) and is a high class mare. Last time we saw her she was a 0.6L 3rd to Zanbagh in the Emancipation Stakes. She goes well at this trip and must be included. La Passe is another classy mare who gets out to a distance range where she is well performed after two runs over 1100m (albeit poor ones).

Summary: I think Ghisoni is a very nice horse and assuming (dangerous, I know) she gets across without doing much work she should be the winner.

Race 7 1350m James Boag's Premium Doomben 10,000 - Group 1 $750k

No age restriction. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Standard Weight for Age.

The 10,000 is usually a great race and has been won by some great gallopers in recent times including Falvelon, Takeover Target, Apache Cat, Hot Danish and Boban. This looks a relatively weak version of the race when you compare it to the fields of the last few years but it's a $750k Group 1 all the same!

Azkadellia comes in to this race on the back of a fantastic Autumn preparation which inluded a 0.5L 2nd in the Coolmore, a 3rd to Winx in the Doncaster and a dominant win in the Queen Of The Turf. She is 7 weeks between runs since that victory but performs well fresh so I don't see that as an issue. She has drawn barrier 10 here and wouldn't want to get too far back around this track either. Also, she must also prove herself at WFA which is a slight query, but her recent form is simply better than the rest of them!

Delectation was very good in the BTC Cup when running home hard from well back in the field. He would have finished closer if not for running out of room late in the race. The query with him is that he has been to 1350m twice and didn't settle at all on either occasion. At the end of the Spring he did beat Chautauqua in the Darley Classic though so his talent cannot be ignored.

Fell Swoop is a ripper as we have written before and was brave in the BTC Cup when 3 wide without cover. He comes in to this is career best form but gets to this trip for the first time. He will do no work from barrier 1 though and if he runs out the 1350m he is clearly a big chance.

Dothraki was 2nd in the BTC Cup and can run well again although I query him at this trip. Music Magnate is still lightly raced and is an exciting horse but this might come too soon for him, especially at WFA.

Summary: Azkadellia has been fantastic this preparation and despite drawing wide appears to be the one here. Happy to back her but wouldn't want to see her much shorter than the $2.90 she's at currently.

Race 8 2200m Mullins Lawyers Grand Prix Stakes - Group 3 $150k

Three-Years-Old. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Set Weights.

Howard Be Thy Name has never missed a place in 11 starts (11:5-3-3) and has won his last 4, including a brilliant win in the South Australian Derby. He was super in winning the 1800m Port Adelaide Guineas before a run away victory in the 2000m Chairmans Stakes. At his most recent start he won the SA Derby defeating some very good 3 Year Olds including Etymology, Cool Chap and Charlevoix. He draws 10 here and will need an ounce of luck but he is far and away the best performed horse in the race.

Mackintosh looks the obvious danger. Following a strong on pace win over 1500m 1st up he went to the 2000m Rough Habit and again led and kicked away to score a dominant 2.8L victory. He looks the only horse from that race capable of beating Howard Be Thy Name.

The other horse I'm giving a genuine hope here is Unbreakable. He had to do a stack of work two back over 1800m at Caulfield, yet was still able to win in impressive fashion. At his last start he was butchered by Michael Dee, taking off in to a strong headwind 700m out and understandably tiring late. He was still only beaten 0.5L and there is no doubt in my mind he should have won the race. Barrier 14 is a tough ask but he is talented.

Summary: Howard Be Thy Name is a last start Group 1 winner and is racing in phenomenally good form. Sticking with him.

Morphettville Parks

The track is rated a Good (4) at the time of writing but with a lot of rain Wednesday and the likeliness of rain on Friday I'd be very surprised if we didn't race on at least a Soft track. The rail is in the true position the entire circuit.

Race 5 1550m ResourceCo Handicap

Three-Years-Old. BenchMark 70. No sex restriction. Handicap.

This is a good quality 3 Year Old BM70 with a number of chances. In saying that, I've gone with Complete Class on top. I saw her in the flesh last Monday at Morphettville when she was victorious over 1400m by 4.3L in a BM60. She looked a lovely type of horse and on type looked like she would appreciate 1600m and beyond. She was completely dominant at her last start and from barrier 6 she will get a good run in transit and have every opportunity to repeat the dose.

Model Dragon is 2/2 including a good win over this track/trip last Monday. He too appeared a nice style of horse and looked to win with a bit up his sleeve. He's up from Class 2 company but can measure up.

Justa Hint is coming off back to back wins, the first in a 1400m BM64 at Ballarat which was followed by handy win in the same grade over 1600m at Pakenham. You have to respect Weir's decision to bring him here and he gets in with 57.5kg after the claim.

Day Of Rest is 2:1-1-0 but that win was a 1415m Maiden at Sale. Patrick Payne is a good judge though so I doubt he would bring the horse here if it didn't have some ability. Nielsen on board helps too but he may have a task ahead of him from barrier 11. Enchanting Beauty was okay in the Adelaide Guineas last time out when 3.9L off Antelucan. A repeat of that effort puts her right in the finish here.

Summary: I was very impressed with the win of Complete Class last Monday and thought at the time she would appreciate a mile. She has considerable upside and you should get quite decent odds too. Happy to be on her in this open event.

Race 7 1250m Alan Sheppard Constructions Handicap

No age restriction. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Handicap.

Voodoo Lad comes to this following an outstanding win 1st up. He was 395 days between runs and struck a Heavy (10), sat 3 wide without cover outside the leaders and won basically untouched by 2L. That was his first run for Weir and was only a BM78. This is clearly harder but he has form around Artlee from his last preparation which stacks up. Jason Holder, 54kg and barrier 2 all work in his favour. His overall record of 9:5-3-1 is superb and he looks a very good horse in the making.

His biggest danger is Daytona Grey. He's having a fantastic preparation, starting with a win in the Manihi 1st up. He then ran a super race when a 1.6L 6th in the Irwin and followed that up with a 1.5L 2nd to Super One in the McKay. Those runs have all been on Good tracks and he is a much better horse on rain affected going which we are likely to get here. Gets in with 56.5kg after Jones' claim and he is clearly the biggest threat to Voodoo Lad.

Shaf is in super form since coming to South Australia but is untested on rain affected tracks and this is easily his hardest test. Baligari is a high quality galloper and goes well around this circuit and must be respected also.

Summary: I'm all in on Voodoo Lad and am willing to back him at the short odds even though he's sharply up in grade. Daytona Grey is clearly the one he has to beat.

Randwick

The track is rated a Good (4) at the time of writing but there is rain forecast for both Thursday and Saturday so there's a decent chance we race on at least a Soft track. The rail it out +3m the entire circuit.

Race 2 1100m TAB Highway Plate

Three-Years-Old and Upwards. Class 3. No sex restriction. Set Weights.

I loved the run of Star Shaft at Scone last time out in BM77 grade when 2nd behind All Summer Long. He beat home some handy horses on that occasion, some of which are racing in Brisbane today. He seems to be at his best at 1100m, with a record of 6:2-2-2. His 2nd up stats are good and he will be giving them a start but I fancy he is good enough to run over them here in the smallish field.

Wonderbolt comes through the same race as Star Shaft, finishing 5th beaten 2.9L. I fancy that race may end up a decent form guide and as such, his effort was quite good. He gets 2kg off for Jennings and draws softly in barrier 2.

Beau Tirage looks the other one with a winning hope. He was 3rd to Supply And Demand 1st up over 1000m and then ran 3rd beaten 1.2L in a BM72 at this track. He overraced last time out over 1100m but still hit the line nicely and although he has failed in two attempts at 1200m I don't think it should pose too much of an issue.

Summary: In a race where the top three chances are hard to seperate I've gone with Star Shaft on the back of his great performance at Scone. He won't be giving them too much of a start and if they run along that will help him even more.

Race 3 1400m Candana Bathrooms Handicap

Three-Years-Old. BenchMark 72. Fillies. Handicap.

Pioneering was good last week when a 2.8L 3rd to Spieth/Kings Troop. Both of those horses have been competitive in much higher grade than the race they contested last week and both horses got runs inside or between horses, whereas Pioneering had to go wide on cornering. Last prep she backed up 3rd up and ran 2nd to Denmagic beaten a lip. She follows the same profile here and carries 60.5kg after Jennings' claim.

I think Roeinda looks the logical danger. After a 1st up 2nd to Daysee Doom she went to the Listed Denise's Joy at Scone and ran well, beaten 0.1L in running 2nd. She got all the favours in that race and it was a very bunched finish so I am a little reluctant to trust that form.

Wahng Wah gets to this trip for the first time and looks well suited. Dee Nine Elle brings some good Brisbane form here and should be the leader. Dixie Chick has shown ability also and should be respected.

Summary: I love the form lines of Pioneering and the fact that she has performed well 3rd up on the back up before. 1400m suits her down to the ground. Backing her with some confidence!

Race 5 1100m Wilson Asset Management Handicap

Three-Years-Old and Upwards. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Handicap.

Inz'n'out strikes a very winnable race here. This prep he has run two 2nd's, both over this trip. The first of those was in the Hawkesbury Rush when beaten 0.2L by Furnaces. At his most recent start he was 2nd to the smart Kaepernick but jumped from barrier 15 and was wide throughout. From barrier 1 here he will get a cosy run and hopefully be presented at the right time. He's quite well in at the weights.

Princefamous may be hardest to beat. He was 1st up on a Soft track when a close up 4th to subsequent Stakes winner Palazzo Publico. He should go forward from barrier 2 and be in it for a long way.

Voilier was a talented 2 Year Old but hasn't been able to break through since turning 3. He has raced in some good quality races and been placed behind smart horses such as Shards, Sebring Sun and Headwater. He is thrown in with 53kg and could surprise 1st up.

I Am Zelady is a chance 1st up but I fancy 1100m may be too sharp against this lot. Fine Mist is a chance if here but I suspect she goes to Brisbane. That's A Good Idea is the best horse in the race but has to carry 62kgs and that looks a bridge too far.

Summary: In an open race I'm with Inz'n'out. He looks to have come back a better horse and this is a very winnable race with some queries on the other runners.

Race 7 2400m Fujitsu Air Conditioning McKell Cup - Listed $100k

Three-Years-Old and Upwards. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Quality.

Darren Weir is being careful to place exciting prospect Raw Impulse as he moves through his grades in Australia. He's been utterly dominant in his 3 wins since coming here and gives no impression that the 2400m will pull him up. He has performed on Soft tracks in Europe so that shouldn't worry him either. He's thrown in with 54kg and Sam Clipperton gets the ride. From barrier 4 he shouldn't encounter too much trouble in running either. Everything points to him winning again.

Even though every single way you look at it it seems as though Raw Impulse is essentially unbeatable, it's horse racing, and even the silliest of us know that there is no such thing as a sure thing. The ones with a chance to win should the favourite not run the trip or decides to stay in the gates are Ecuador who got back in to the winners circle last start in the Lord Mayor's Cup and is at 2400m for the first time. Havana Cooler was 3rd in that race and has been in the money 4/5 at this trip.

Summary: Raw Impulse looks a dead set moral, but to quote the great Jay Trotter, "even when you know, you never know". (That's a Let It Ride reference for those scratching their heads - a must watch movie for all punters and racing fans!)

Sandown Lakeside

The track is rated a Good (4) at the time of writing but there is rain forecast for Thursday and Saturday, so a Soft track wouldn't be out of the question. The rail is in the true position the entire circuit.

Race 1 The Australian Hurdle - $125k

No age restriction. No class restriction. No sex restriction. Handicap.

Gingerboy is the short favourite in this event for the deadly Weir/Allen combination. He is 2/2 over the hurdles, the latest a strong effort over 3200m at Warrnambool on a very Heavy track. He then went to Caulfield over 2000m and ran very well to only be beaten by 3.35L by Raw Impulse. He has been kept going with a quiet trial since. If the rain stays away he is clearly the most advantaged.

Arch Fire is his biggest danger. He was 4L behind Gingerboy at his most recent hurdle run but meets him 2.5kg better off at the weights. He went around on the flat as well recently before winning the same trial that Gingerboy ran in. I can't see him turning the tables unless we get a very wet track here though.

Summary: Gingerboy is the one again and is entitled to be short in the market. Backing him and hoping we don't get too much rain.

Race 3 2400m Le Pine Funerals Plate

No age restriction. BenchMark 90. No sex restriction. Handicap.

I'm backing Darren Weir to train an early double here, which wouldn't be unusual at all. Master Of Arts proved that the trip and a wet track are both no worry to him when victorious in the Warrnambool cup last time out. He won a 2000m BM70 before that at Morphettville as an easy kill but did it in good style. He gets 57kg here after gun apprentice Ben Allen's claim and should go very well again.

Spur On Gold won nicely in a BM78 at Flemington over 2000m before running on well behind Raw Impulse over that same trip at Caulfield. Not convinced 2400m is his go, after failing at further than this before. He's in good form though and gets his chance.

Golden Mane is on trial at the trip and gets his chance to run it out with 55.5kg after the claim. He should be able to settle closer to the speed here too from barrier 4 with less pressure on up front. Last time out he chased Raw Impulse home in what was a good effort over 2000m at Caulfield.

Summary: This is a great race for Master Of Arts and if he runs up to his last start effort he will win here.

Our Bets

Doomben

Race 1 - Fine Mist - 1 unit win

Race 3 - Ghisoni - 2 unit win

Race 7 - Azkadellia - 1 unit win

Race 8 - Howard Be Thy Name - 1 unit win

Morphettville Parks

Race 5 - Complete Class - 1 unit win

Race 7 - Voodoo Lad - 2 unit win

Randwick

Race 2 - Star Shaft - 1 unit win