Flemington, Saturday, 10/9
Conditions - Soft
Race 1
6- DOULL
8- SPACEWALK
4- ALPHA ONE
Thought DOULL was huge when winning on debut here down the Flemington straight. He won in relative ease and still ran the hands off the clock, he just needs a repeat performance and I feel he will be hard to beat. SPACEWALK comes down from NSW where he has been competitive in 2 races this prep while still doing some things wrong that may have cost him. If he can correct the issues and be at his best he looks a capable chance. ALPHA ONE has been in good form this prep and has some good fitness built up. Gets ideal track conditions and drawn on the outside which may play as an advantage.
Race 2
10- SIR DAVY
12- HEZASHOCKA
13- LYRICAL LAD
SIR DAVY has had a freshen up. He has good form after having breaks so should have enough fitness. He was beating good competition and was good in strong level races recently, 1700m should suit. HEZASHOCKA is in strong form, but only a small question mark the drop back in distance as I feel he is better at 2000m, but he has a good record here at Flemington and the expected wet conditions should play into his favour. LYRICAL LAD is the current race fave. His recent form is good, but he is stepping up a level in grade here.
Race 3
2- SEE YOU IN HEAVEN (EW/VALUE OF THE DAY)
7- GHAANATI
12- ENGLISH RIVIERA
Giving SA visitor SEE YOU IN HEAVEN a huge chance in this race and feel she is over the odds so we get a good EW price. She has been super in competitive level 2yo races back in SA, her SP profile is strong but it’s a big tick for her that she has won 1st up here down the Flemington straight before and that was on debut at Group 3 level. The Jolly stable are very good at selecting when to bring their horses across the border to races they will be competitive in. GHAANATI won her debut down the Flemington straight before just getting pipped in her 2nd career start when she was strongly supported. She has looked a good type in those races and does deserve to be the current fave. ENGLISH RIVIERA went on a Group 1 Blue Diamond path early in her career and she was competitive in that race before spelling. She has since come out and made a mess of a maiden race at Ballarat.
Race 4
8- BERMADEZ
16- EL ROCKO
6- MEDIA AWARD
BERMADEZ is 1st up here today and he is usually super when he is fresh. He has won all 4 of his other 1st up starts in his career. Apart from that he has a good record here at Flemington and won’t mind a wet track, only knock is the wide barrier he will have to come from, but he has won from out wide here before. Putting EL ROCKO into the selections anticipating that it will potentially be a wet track and if it is deteriorating, he looks best to be able to handle a heavy track. He is in good form and can continue that with the right conditions. MEDIA AWARD is a resuming Group 1 winner. She has won 1st up before and will handle a wet track, deserves respect.
Race 5
4- ALLIGATOR BLOOD
7- WESTERN EMPIRE
1- I’M THUNDERSTRUCK
Found these hard to split and this race for me is going to depend conditions and how the track is playing, so potentially this is in no particular order. I’m mapping ALLIGATOR BLOOD to get the run of the race here from barrier 2. If he wants to lead, I feel he may get that run easily and will be in control of this race. He has had 2 other starts here at Flemington for 2 wins but potentially doesn’t want it to be too wet. WESTERN EMPIRE is another that I feel won’t want it to get too wet as he is a bit of an unknown on a wet track. But he has a huge reputation coming from WA, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him be a big improver coming out of the 1st up run, hasn’t missed the top 2 in both other 2nd up runs. I’M THUNDERSTRUCK deserves to be the race fave, and especially rising in trip to the 1600m now. He is the one I want to be on if it’s raining. The only knock I have on him is I feel barrier 2 isn’t ideal for him. Think he can’t afford to land more than 1 or 2 spots behind the leader. He may need luck late.
Race 6
3- POINT NEAPAN (BEST OF DAY)
5- HORRIFYING
4- INTERPRETATION
This race will have a handful of runners who are aiming at a Melbourne Cup campaign, in particular POINT NEAPAN, who has already won his spot in the race. His last prep was super winning 3 of 4 starts including the big race to win a Melbourne Cup ticket. He is a strong 1st up performer and proven at these staying distances, I feel he will push forwards and take control of this and be too good. HORRIFYING has been super this prep and has won 2 in a row here at Flemington. Proven at the trip and is fit but the only question is how he goes from the wide barrier. INTERPRETATION is another who needs to be sharp early to get across from a wide barrier, but he had an encouraging Australian debut run where he came home really strong, feel a rise to 2500m is really suitable.
Race 7
5- KISSONALLFORCHEEKS
6- FLYING MASCOT
11- LADY OF HONOUR
KISSONALLFORCHEEKS was placed when 1st up and could be an improver here now, she has a strong 2nd up record (4:3-0-1) and has won at Group 3 level here at Flemington. Has a wide barrier to navigate but that is the only small question mark. FLYING MASCOT comes out of the same 1st up race as the fave did where she was 5th herself. She is another type who has a good 2nd up record and will appreciate having some extra fitness now. Won well here at Flemington last time she was at the track. LADY OF HONOUR maps to get the run of the race as a leader coming out of barrier 3. There isn’t a lot of others with early speed in this, If she gets it too soft up front, she spoils run away and steal this race.
Race 8
12- SWATS THAT
7- THE ASTROLOGIST
17- VERANSKOVA
SWATS THAT is on debut for a new stable here today and think she looks primed to figure strongly in this. She has a patchy record here at Flemington, but I’m willing to forgive the record as her last 4 runs here down the Flemington straight were in strong Group 1 races where she wasn’t far away from the winner in any of them and this is an easier level race than those previous runs. THE ASTROLOGIST is a straight track specialist. His record over this track and distance is (6:2-2-2). Don’t mind him being drawn out of barrier 10 here if it is a wet track as the inside may be chopped and being wider will be ideal. VERANSKOVA was an impressive winner here in her last start, this is a step up in grade but she does have a good record down the straight.
Race 9
11- FOUJITA SAN
3- TIJUANA
14- CADAZIO
Forgiving FOUJITA SAN for his 1st up performance where he looked to have missed the kick and it cost him at Moonee Valley. He should appreciate the rise in distance to 1400m and improved fitness for being 2nd up now. Expecting TIJUANA should find this slightly easier than his last start race where he was placed at Group 3 level. He has won over this track/distance before at Listed level, just needs some luck from the wide barrier. CADAZIO was a winner on debut and now takes a quick step up from maiden grade to listed level. The stable have been very patient and he has shown good talent at trials, looks to have the potential to be up to this grade but is a bit of an unknown.
Quaddie
3
1,5,6,11,14
4,5,7,8,10,12
1,3,6,11,14
$150 = 100%
