Racing was at MOONEE VALLEY on Saturday on SOFT-6 track with the rail back TRUE.
With that protected (inside 3m - effectively unused since March) ground inside there was a definite advantage to those horses leading and/ or racing on that inside 3m strip.
In Sydney iy was RANDWICK and yep, the rain came again. Another bottomless track, they went HEAVY-8 - 9 - 10 very quickly and it was very testing ground, many didn’t handle it.
Add to that there was a savage bias to those racing on that inside rail… Very tough to make ground. Very tough to assess post-races too.
Spirited voting and opinions this week but it was MR BRIGHTSIDE and his demolition of the G2 Feehan Stks field that saw him secure 38% of the vote, and the ‘’win’’ from EDUARDO (24%) and ROTHFIRE (27%), this only left 11% for the might ZAAKI.
Let us start with that G2 Feehan Stks at WFA and MR BRIGHTSIDE’s dominant win. He sat up second on leader EARLSWOOD (who dropped out - but made the ‘forgive file’) and they did not go hard at all, in fact, their first 600m section was run some 13.8L below the G2 average (and even 6L below all averages for track/ trip), winner MR BRIGHTSIDE was then able to simply sprint the best, he took over turning and raced away running 35.48 last 600m (bettered only by two sprinters in the 1000m McEwan Stks) and his 12.20 last 200m was the fastest of any horse all day.
INSPIRATIONAL GIRL had the rails trail and made a move off the inside but winner had sailed away, she bumped with SPANISH MISSION (who had winner’s back but could not match his sprint at all over 1600m off a slow speed - no shock !! He is an endurance athlete after all).
INSPIRATIONAL GIRL ran 12.48 last 200m Vs SPANISH MISSION’s 12.64 and hence she gained second spot. SOUND hit the line late, in fact his 12.40 last 200m was bettered only by winner so given tempo/ pattern, he has run very well 1st-up. Time: 1-39.18 had them -5.9L Vs class (still +6.6L Vs all) but they had no hope of smashing the clock off that tempo.
MILITARY EXPERT also won over 1600m on the day (R8) and he went straight to the front then steadied before slipping away 450m and winning easily! He did not crawl in the lead, in fact, his 61.03 1st-1000m meant had his race been run at the same time as the G2 Feehan he would have been leading that field roughly 15L with 600m to run.
His 1st-section was +1.2L Vs class and +7.6L Vs all averages, as stated, he kept running and ran 1-37.87 (would have thrashed Mr Brightside on overall times - say 7L? But… yeah two completely different races).
Overall time +2.4L Vs class and +12.8L Vs all averages. UNCLE BRYN had a good trail early then drifted back off-pace, he ended up with 3-wide trail and came to the outside turning but winner (in best ground) was off and gone, UNCLE BRYN worked home well into a clear second with SO SI BON (who had rails trail) and veery chance 3rd some 5L off the winner.
Liked the return of THE AMAZONIAN here, mile back and hopeless 400m out she really went over the line sweetly, in fact, her 12.76 last 200m was race-fastest.
POUNDING had the gun trail and won the last, it was BM78 and he nailed leader DO YOU RECKON with GLOBAL GIFT (wide/ good) in third. UNANIMOUS has flown home 12.56 (clear race-fastest - some 3+ lengths faster than anything else in the race) and, against the bias.
This race was also 1600m so we can line-up against Feehan/ Military Expert races: They went 61.06 1st-1000m and 1-39.32 overall …. In short, no comparison to Military Expert but Pounding would have been very competitive with 4th, 5th etc.
R5 was the G2 McEwan and it looked a mad speed on paper however, they did not go anywhere near as hard as we anticipated. ZOUSTYLE led (no shock there) kicking-up to narrowly hold out the fave COOLANGATTA but their 23.48 1st-400m section had them -4.8L Vs G2 averages for 1000m here (still +3L Vs all averages).
The winner ROTHFIRE took the 1-1 sit and had the last crack at those two leaders before proving too strong late. ZOUSTYLE kicked back to beat COOLANGATTA for second with THE INFERNO running home nicely into 4th without threat.
Worth noting his 12.33 last 200m was actually 1/100ths slower than that of winner ROTHFIRE who was race-fastest. Time: 58.9 was -.9L Vs class but some +11.6L Vs all averages.
The Listed Atlantic Jewel Stks was R6 for 3yo Fillies and they ran the first section hard with LADY LAGUNA’s rider unhappy to sit on early leader TROACH and she kept working to lead outright running +1.8L Vs class average 1st-half.
Winner TROACH just used less petrol, sat on her and took over last 50m to score. Best ride wins! I’MLOVIN’YA was off their back but held-up at the most vital stage, she balanced-up and battled home well but was only ranked 6th-fastest last 200m so cannot say she should have won.
PORTRAY was 1-1 and every hope, she was 8th-fastest home. Despite the strong speed the race was run/ win first-four out, first-four home. REVOLUTIONARY MISS ran home hard out wider against the pattern of the race/ day and only BOOGIE DANCER who stayed on inside lanes, had a faster last 200m, she just looked beaten for speed BOOGIE DANCER back in fast-run 1200m race but ran very well for 1400m next time.
Overall time: 1-12.29 was +2L Vs class (+7l Vs all)
AYSAR (despite a life ban from this punter) had the rails trail and won the listed Chatauqua Stks (R7) and beat ENCHANTED HEART who was wide/ working and kept closing Vs pattern, he has gone enormous here! CORNER POCKET sat up 2nd and battled well to keep 3rd.
CALYPSO REIGN did get good run through and did attack the line, his 12.48 home was race-fastest. AGE OF CHIVALRY also worked home nicely on inside (best going) running 12.52 home (ranked 2nd). RANGES was an honest effort but seemed less happy around Valley inside of horses to my eye. Speed was 35.03 1st-600m (-1.8L Vs class) and they ran 1-12.13 (-4L Vs class / +7.2L Vs all).
SHALAMAN led and fell in to win R3 also over 1200m. They went 35.47 1st-600m and 1-12.27 overall (tempo -1.2L Vs class / Overall: -.6L Vs class but still +6L Vs all). MERIDIUS flew his last 100m to just miss after covering plenty of extra ground compared to the winner, MILLANE was wide/ good.
AMENABLE was luckless and SIR BAILEY had little luck key stage, they both ran 12.44 home (ranked equal first) and the boys here have run 2/100ths quicker than Girls (Troach et al) despite 1st-600m being run some 2L slower.
Not sure what to make of this meeting on tough/ biased track but we did see the two world class horses win and win well…. EDUARDO sat up second and took over before racing away from his rivals with 60.5kg and doing what he always does, that is, runs terrific time.
He was a big betting drifter with all the money coming for ANDERMATT despite the track pattern being obvious by now… ANDERMATT did hit the line quite nicely late out wider in the quicksand and given the money for him, I am very wary next time I see him in the form guide! ATHELRIC (his stablemate) ran second after securing the covered rails/ trail. HANDLE THE TRUTH has flown late in a terrific return given pattern and the fact he is no 1000m horse!
ZAAKI of course was the other ‘’world class’’ athlete on the card and he too was able to take up a prominent spot leading (but stayed off rail) before simply proving too strong for them… ICEBATH had good backing (again despite bias) and she made up plenty of ground to run clear second from NIMALEE who had sat on ZAAKI. That was the race….
The G2 Chelmsford was R8 at 1600m and smart ride on KNIGHTS ORDER to lead on this track on the now Heavy-10 and he kept going too well for the well-backed NUMERIAN who had settled 5th the rail before leaving that spot in the home straight and spotting leader 4L, he ran him to 1.25L in a pleasing return. NO COMPROMISE had rails trail and battled well for third at the price, at WFA. BENAUD came wide before the turn (wrong day !!) and ran on well, he is flying!
R6 was G2 Furious Stks and it was first two out, first two home with NORTH STAR LASS leading WILLINGA BEAST and they had a two-horse war, North Star LASS was headed but fought back, tough win (albeit in best going) and they had 3.5L on the resuming SHE’S EXTREME who has run on very well from 2nd-last against the nasty bias.