Racing returns to Headquarters
December 13th 2007 21:18
There is a big weekend of racing ahead around Australia with the Perth summer carnival heating up and Sydney and Brisbane getting back into full swing. The babies begin racing in Sydney, which is always greeted with a sense of anticipation by racing enthusiasts.
I'm going to kick off at Mornington today (Friday). Usually, Friday itself is a day of rest to prepare for the night meeting or the big Saturday ahead but I will be taking an interest in a first-starter in the fourth race. Light Fantastic makes its debut here over 1216 metres. He is a three year old gelding trained by Mick Price and is very well bred being by Danehill Dancer, the sire of such notables as Choisir and Private Steer. His dam Leica or Not has produced the New Zealand Derby winner Leica Guv and the recent impressive Melbourne winner Lectrice. Price has engaged the services of Craig Newitt, Newitt only has the two rides for the day today and wouldn't be sacrificing a day of rest before the Valley meeting tonight if the horse wasn't a winning chance. Punters can take a lead from that riding engagement.
Price and Newitt combine again at Moonee Valley this evening on the Show A Heart filly Showy Little Miss. She is also bred very well being by Group 1 winner Show A Heart out of the brilliant filly Little Miss Marnie who was no stranger to the Valley herself having won a couple of races there. Showy Little Miss was very impressive on debut at Yarra Valley and looks to have the makings of a handy sprinting filly. That race jumps at 7.15 Melbourne time so hopefully she will be able to put some cash in your pocket for the weekend.
Fabulous Flemington hosts its first meeting since the Melbourne Cup carnival on Saturday and it is of an excellent standard for a summer race card. There are some talented proven gallopers and some up-and-comers of some potential engaged and it may pay to keep an eye on some of these irrespective of their performances on Saturday.
The first is a two-year-old race over 1100 metres. The big stables of Freedman and Hayes have a couple engaged but I am going to go outside those stables and have a little something on the Tommy Hughes trained Minnesota Shark. He is a two-year-old colt by the multiple Group 1 winner, Lonhro. Minnesota Shark’s dam is the very good mare Ponton Flyer. She is by Flying Spur and was a multiple group winner herself. She was particularly honest and had a very good Flemington record, racing in the best fillies class. I will only be having 25% of my normal wager on him as he is trained by Tommy Hughes. Hughes has a fairly ordinary record, having only a 9.9% winning percentage in his career. According to the Virtual Form Guide, a very good statistical website, Hughes has only had one two year old winner from ninety-two attempts! I can’t find the details but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if that two-year-old winner was, in fact, Ponton Flyer. Punters just get hunches every now and then, this is one of mine, hence the lowering of the amount wagered.
Race two sees a two horse race between Arbitration and Gallopin. Both were successful on the first of December at Moonee Valley. Neither beat much on that occasion. They did it on contrasting styles, Arbitration sat back off a fast pace while Gallopin raced handy to the speed and ground out his victory. I would think Gallopin is the superior horse, especially with 3.5 kilos less than Arbitration. Steven Arnold has stuck with Arbitration rather than Gallopin , but I think that is due to the fact that he may not be able to ride at the 54.5 kilos Gallopin has been allotted. Gallopin for me but I will be taking a trifecta with Gallopin and Arbitration bracketed to fill the first two placings and the field to run third and hope an outsider fills the third position.
Race four sees Viking Turf Belle engaged. Last start in Adelaide, she lost her unbeaten status, running third to stablemate Indovina. I am totally wiping that run as David Hayes had two runners in the race, Indovina was ridden by senior rider Dwayne Dunn whilst apprentice Ryan Plumb rode Viking Turf Belle. The interesting thing about that is that, once again according to Virtual Form Guide, Ryan Plumb has not ridden a winner this season and has only ridden five winners in his last hundred rides, yet David Hayes puts him on a long odds-on chance. It’s a bit hard to fathom really. Equally as hard to fathom is that in the Stewards Report there is no mention of the performance of Viking Turf Belle being queried. I get the feeling that there may be a bit of money floating around for Viking Turf Belle tomorrow, there is no doubt about her talent. If it comes, it should be followed.
Redondo Beach was scratched from Caulfield on Wednesday. Trainer Mike Moroney obviously thinks the horse is going well enough for a crack at $100,000 prizemoney, for times the amount of Wednesday’s race. I think he’s good enough to beat this lot, some of which have been tried and found to be ordinary hurdlers, such as Pantani and Vengo. Redondo Beach, a half brother to Cox Plate superstar El Segundo, last ran at Ballarat three weeks ago, comfortably accounting for his rivals over 2200 metres. Billywing, who was in that race and was flogged by Redondo Beach has since won two city races, runner up Cruyfforme has since won as has fourth placegetter China Causeway whom he meets again at Flemington. He is on trial for a Bagot Handicap start and must win here to justify it. Back Redondo Beach.
TIP SUMMARY
Mornington - Race 4 no. 7 Light Fantastic
Moonee Valley – Race 2 no.7 Showy Little Miss
Flemington - Race 1 no. 2 Minnesota Shark (small bet only)
Race 2 no. 2 Gallopin Trifecta 1,2 – 1,2 – 3,4,5,6,7
Race 4 no. 4 Viking Turf Belle
Race 5 no. 11 Redondo Beach
Good Punting
I'm going to kick off at Mornington today (Friday). Usually, Friday itself is a day of rest to prepare for the night meeting or the big Saturday ahead but I will be taking an interest in a first-starter in the fourth race. Light Fantastic makes its debut here over 1216 metres. He is a three year old gelding trained by Mick Price and is very well bred being by Danehill Dancer, the sire of such notables as Choisir and Private Steer. His dam Leica or Not has produced the New Zealand Derby winner Leica Guv and the recent impressive Melbourne winner Lectrice. Price has engaged the services of Craig Newitt, Newitt only has the two rides for the day today and wouldn't be sacrificing a day of rest before the Valley meeting tonight if the horse wasn't a winning chance. Punters can take a lead from that riding engagement.
Price and Newitt combine again at Moonee Valley this evening on the Show A Heart filly Showy Little Miss. She is also bred very well being by Group 1 winner Show A Heart out of the brilliant filly Little Miss Marnie who was no stranger to the Valley herself having won a couple of races there. Showy Little Miss was very impressive on debut at Yarra Valley and looks to have the makings of a handy sprinting filly. That race jumps at 7.15 Melbourne time so hopefully she will be able to put some cash in your pocket for the weekend.
Fabulous Flemington hosts its first meeting since the Melbourne Cup carnival on Saturday and it is of an excellent standard for a summer race card. There are some talented proven gallopers and some up-and-comers of some potential engaged and it may pay to keep an eye on some of these irrespective of their performances on Saturday.
The first is a two-year-old race over 1100 metres. The big stables of Freedman and Hayes have a couple engaged but I am going to go outside those stables and have a little something on the Tommy Hughes trained Minnesota Shark. He is a two-year-old colt by the multiple Group 1 winner, Lonhro. Minnesota Shark’s dam is the very good mare Ponton Flyer. She is by Flying Spur and was a multiple group winner herself. She was particularly honest and had a very good Flemington record, racing in the best fillies class. I will only be having 25% of my normal wager on him as he is trained by Tommy Hughes. Hughes has a fairly ordinary record, having only a 9.9% winning percentage in his career. According to the Virtual Form Guide, a very good statistical website, Hughes has only had one two year old winner from ninety-two attempts! I can’t find the details but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if that two-year-old winner was, in fact, Ponton Flyer. Punters just get hunches every now and then, this is one of mine, hence the lowering of the amount wagered.
Race two sees a two horse race between Arbitration and Gallopin. Both were successful on the first of December at Moonee Valley. Neither beat much on that occasion. They did it on contrasting styles, Arbitration sat back off a fast pace while Gallopin raced handy to the speed and ground out his victory. I would think Gallopin is the superior horse, especially with 3.5 kilos less than Arbitration. Steven Arnold has stuck with Arbitration rather than Gallopin , but I think that is due to the fact that he may not be able to ride at the 54.5 kilos Gallopin has been allotted. Gallopin for me but I will be taking a trifecta with Gallopin and Arbitration bracketed to fill the first two placings and the field to run third and hope an outsider fills the third position.
Race four sees Viking Turf Belle engaged. Last start in Adelaide, she lost her unbeaten status, running third to stablemate Indovina. I am totally wiping that run as David Hayes had two runners in the race, Indovina was ridden by senior rider Dwayne Dunn whilst apprentice Ryan Plumb rode Viking Turf Belle. The interesting thing about that is that, once again according to Virtual Form Guide, Ryan Plumb has not ridden a winner this season and has only ridden five winners in his last hundred rides, yet David Hayes puts him on a long odds-on chance. It’s a bit hard to fathom really. Equally as hard to fathom is that in the Stewards Report there is no mention of the performance of Viking Turf Belle being queried. I get the feeling that there may be a bit of money floating around for Viking Turf Belle tomorrow, there is no doubt about her talent. If it comes, it should be followed.
Redondo Beach was scratched from Caulfield on Wednesday. Trainer Mike Moroney obviously thinks the horse is going well enough for a crack at $100,000 prizemoney, for times the amount of Wednesday’s race. I think he’s good enough to beat this lot, some of which have been tried and found to be ordinary hurdlers, such as Pantani and Vengo. Redondo Beach, a half brother to Cox Plate superstar El Segundo, last ran at Ballarat three weeks ago, comfortably accounting for his rivals over 2200 metres. Billywing, who was in that race and was flogged by Redondo Beach has since won two city races, runner up Cruyfforme has since won as has fourth placegetter China Causeway whom he meets again at Flemington. He is on trial for a Bagot Handicap start and must win here to justify it. Back Redondo Beach.
TIP SUMMARY
Mornington - Race 4 no. 7 Light Fantastic
Moonee Valley – Race 2 no.7 Showy Little Miss
Flemington - Race 1 no. 2 Minnesota Shark (small bet only)
Race 2 no. 2 Gallopin Trifecta 1,2 – 1,2 – 3,4,5,6,7
Race 4 no. 4 Viking Turf Belle
Race 5 no. 11 Redondo Beach
Good Punting
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