SANDOWN Lakeside Wednesday February 14
Well Valentine’s Day racing for some, but we’d love to nail a few winners and a bit of my theme for the day is gear changes and their significance in turning around performances. Rail out 7m was 3m last week. There is rain and windy squalls forecast for Melbourne this morning but it’s a clear afternoon predicted for when the races are timed to start. Can’t expect any issues with track.
BEST BET: ETAH JAMES Race 3#1
BEST VALUE: TATIARA Race 1#7
Race 1: 7-1-3-4
Haven’t seen YULONG METEOR ($50k Medaglia D’Oro) not exposed for public consumption in private Cranbourne jumpouts – not good enough. Liking TATIARA at odds – with blinkers on and trialled brilliantly for mine in them. A $580k Snitzel-Gallant Tess youngster, debuted and ended with muscle soreness in the Blue Diamond preview. Expecting gear to make sharp improvement. ALL TOO HANDY, a cheap $30k All Too Hard youngster, has run well both starts and hard to think not very competitive again out to 1200m and the one hardest to beat. GHEEDAA was very good chasing Al Naifa at Sale, and not dismissing that effort off the winner’s “failure” in last Saturday’s Prelude. HIKAYA gets blinkers for winkers and a tongue tie. Can improve.
SUGGESTED: Good gamble TATIARA unless you know something about 6/8.
Race 2: 3-6-5-7
HEAVENLY THOUGHT has Black Sail form (2nd to it Echuca debut 1100m) so 1300m probably a good starting point this prep. THUNDERZONE has the “ultimate’ gear change, gelded for this return and has jumped out well. THE ROUSEABOUT debuts in a tongue tie and at least its Cranbourne trial win was fully documents (and I thought quite good). WHOOMPH has blinkers off for a visor after sound return at Pakenham when wanted to lay out a bit.
SUGGESTED: HEAVENLY THOUGHT ready first-up.
Race 3: 1-2-4-6
This should run true to form and ETAH JAMES has them covered, even with 6 weeks between runs since brave Bagot run (2800m) which was probably one run too many at the time. Back to 2100m and with Thornton 3kg claim, looks perfect. ASHLEE MARIE is on the back-up from chasing the improving Ceylon and has good lakeside record. YOUNG HOSTESS best of remainder from AURORA MISS but they are long way behind top pick for mine.
SUGGESTED: ETAH JAMES wins.
Race 4: 6-4-5-1
Liked ISLE OF CAPRI last time here Hillside last time (stablemate So Splendid won with gear changes) and Waller quick to whack on blinkers a norton bit and a tongue tie here. I’m sticking. HERMANITO has finally broken through (he’s no Brazen Beau – not many of them anyway), but his brother will hold form now a winner. MACATTACK is fit and going well enough to be competitive and old AURUM SPIRIT is always a 1st 4 chance in these.
SUGGESTED: ISLE OF CAPRI with the gear changes. Big tick. Like quinella again with HERMANITO.
Race 5: 9-6-4-3
Hard not to like the 3YO SALSAMOR resuming here with a tongue tie gear change off form around Aliosa/Cliff’s Edge (Vase) Holy Snow/Showtime (Stutt), Mighty Boss/Kementari, (Guineas). Has had soft 990m trial to go 1400m here. On-pacer EPIC MOMENT was run past by RUNSON (scratched here) last time, fear will be looking for Salsamor steaming late over it here. SMART AS YOU THINK has blinkers for winkers and has trialled well since we last saw him at Flemington. KING’S COMMAND is honest and back from sound BM84 runs to this BM78.
SUGGESTED: SALSOMOR looks so well placed here. Wins.
Race 6: 8-10-6-4
Even contest with many hopes, difficult to line up the lightly raced improvers but going RESERVE STREET had excuses for failure after very good debut and comes back in blinkers. BOWERMAN resumes gelded. On-pacer with form around Snitzipeg and good before a break when Black Sail ran 2nd. SPIRIT OF ARQUADA holds the fitness edge, got the kill done at Pakenham and form around his previous runs is sound. HAUNTED might have only won a Kilmore maiden on debut but 2nd horse Pieridae since sold to Qld and won Ipswich impressively as an odds-on fav.
SUGGESTED: Wide for quaddie, SIRIUS SUSPECT might be serious prospect though, but others respected.
Race 7: 9-12-11-7
Again another Busuttin/Young 3YO taking on the older horses here in MONTASER and with blinkers going back on. Had its chance there but still on the up. Obvious threat is OUR CHIQUILLA who had no luck chasing Busuttin/Young stablemate Weapon – who ran well Saturday. CASTLETON resumes gelded, has trialled well enough. INDERNILE rarely runs poorly.
SUGGESTED: Again like the quinella but MONTASER on top of OUR CHIQUILLA.
Race 8: 3-11-5-15
Probably taking soft option here with TROJAN STORM on top and what could be a many chances race. But at face value that 3rd at the Valley in a BM70 was good enough to win a BM64 at its next start. That said, must respect others like and not only PATIENT who led all the way in a Mornington BM58 but had run well this level and beyond prior. HEPTAGON finally gets to a 2nd start in a prep in tis 3rd prep. Overs might be GALA MOSHEA who has trialled well (beating Main Stage/Vostok) and resumes blinkers off – had to get a gear change tip in.
SUGGESTED: TROJAN STORM or many hopes.
QUADDIE
9
4-6-8-10
9-12
3-5-11-15
$40 for 100%
Or
3-4-6-9
4-6-8-10-11
9-12
3-5-11-15
$100 for 50%