EARLY PLAYS

@ CANTERBURY & BENDIGO

By Richard Callander

CANTERBURY-       Rail +6m         Track- Heavy              Race 1 @ 12.50amEST

BENDIGO-                Rail True         Track- Soft                 Race 1 @ 1pmEST

 CANTERBURY

Race 5             No.1    Cismontane                Waterhouse & Bott               A Hyeronimus

To my eye it’s a two horse race between CISMONTANE and Estikhraaj whom is yet to win past the mile having raced here at Canterbury seven times over the 1900m for four second placings. Only a week ago he loomed looking a moral here at this trip to be found wanting in the final 50m with Life O’brien kicking back to win. That said he is the danger to my top pick.

Cismontane has also failed to win past the mile but he has been placed at 2200m at Warwick Farm and I believe he will control this race and be hard to run down. Cismontane resumed after an 80- day let up to finish second at Kembla over 1400m on 10 June but tomorrows extra journey will be right up his alley. The expected heavy surface is an added bonus as he relishes the wet ground.

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Great value.

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 BENDIGO

Race 5             No.4    Smokin’ Bella                                    C Maher         L Nolen

I was taken with the win of SMOKIN’ BELLA first up from a seven month break at Ballarat a month ago over 1200m. She got well back and was held up for part of the straight before sprinting quickly to win in final few strides but with authority. Ciaron Maher has given her a month to get over the first up run and now steps out here over 1300m and although stepping from a BM64 to a fillies and mares BM70 I don’t think this is such a big jump. Only a small field but there looks a couple that will roll forward which should enable her to settle where comfortable then run over the top on the big roomy Bendigo track.

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Good luck