Race 1

1- SGHIRRIPA

5- ROCKSTAR MEGGSY

2- WHO’S CLANG

SGHIRIPPA won his last start a fortnight ago when he was up slightly in grade. He comes down in grade here today and does have to carry a bigger weight than the last start, but he looks like he should get suitable conditions to push forwards and control the race from the front. ROCKSTAR MEGGSY is one at a price that isn’t without a chance, she is 2nd up here today and she ran a pretty good race 1st up where she was 3.8L off the winners at listed level. She pulled up with an issue after that run so considering that she has performed well and this is a good drop back down a level. WHO’S CLANG resumes today after a successful 1st up prep which included 2 wins. He looks right in it at this level but will have some weight to carry here 1st up in a hot race, might be a tricky one for him but he is worth following going forwards.

Race 2

1- HARLEY N ROSE

4- NODACHI

3- AIR ASSAULT

Have not much to knock for the fave NODACHI, I thought she showed some super improvement when winning last start and should get a good run here but she is a very short price, and I can get a nicer price about a runner with some strong recent form in HARLEY N ROSE. HARLEY N ROSE was 2nd behind HEURISTIC in a listed race and then 3rd behind TREASURWAY at Group 3 level. He will sit just behind the leaders off a hot speed and will be around the mark again with some luck. AIR ASSAULT comes from the same form lines as HARLEY N ROSE and if he finds some improvement should be there abouts also

Race 3

2- EAST INDIAMAN (EW/VALUE OF DAY)

4- PLATINUM WOLF

7- STARTS WITH HELLO

EAST INDIAMAN looks the good value play of the day here today. I thought his 1st up run was good considering he had to contest with a heavy weight and a wide run from a wide barrier. He still managed to hold on to 3rd that day so expecting he can improve here today and do a lot less work in the run with carrying 5 less Kgs and he has drawn an inside barrier. PLATINUM WOLF was the winner of the race that EAST INDIAMAN last contested at Murray Bridge last start, he produced a big run late to run over the top of the field there. He looks a type that has some good upside given he is only lightly raced. There maps to be some good speed on so he should be every chance to find a run, but the risk on him is the parks track that can lend itself to favour leaders. STARTS WITH HELLO wasn’t far away from the winners last start in a good race. He looks to have a good race map here today and comes from a smart stable, so expecting he will be around the mark again.

Race 4

2- MANHATTEN TIMES

8- RUSHAWAY LAD

4- EXTRA MILE

MANHATTEN TIMES looks well suited coming back down in grade here today and with a few more favours. His last start was the G3 Irwin Stakes over the 1100m where he looked to find them a bit to sharp there and no back to BM82 grade suits him. He has a good 2nd up record with 2 wins from 4 starts so expecting he hits this is good order and finds a suitable race. RUSHAWAY LAD looks a big danger, he comes in lightly at the weights and maps to be in a prominent position in running from barrier 3. He is 3rd up here today and has won 2 from 3 3rd up runs in his career. EXTRA MILE is a very consistent type and never far away from the winners as well.

Race 5

5- CAPTAIN BRITIAN (BEST OF DAY)

2- PRINCE JOFRA

3- WOLFBURN

This looks a much easier assignment for CAPTAIN BRITIAN today than his last start at Murray Bridge. Don’t feel that last race was above him, but the fact he had to carry 65kg over the 1600m from a wide barrier wasn’t ideal at all. They had to run him in that unsuitable race to qualify him for this provincial series final. He looks every chance now after dropping 8.5kgs for this and getting up to a 1800m trip. He will have a good level of fitness now and will be hitting the line hard. PRINCE JOFRA was disappointing when very well supported last start. His 2 wins prior to that were very good and that is why I expect he can bounce back here today. He has a very wide barrier to deal with which is the big query, but with some luck he can settle midfield and be prominent. WOLFBURN steps up in grade after winning his last start. It was an impressive run considering the big weight and wide barrier he had. Gets in lighter at the weights here today but still drawn wide. He will need to jump well to cross them.

Race 6

7- SHIRSHOV

6- HONGBAO

4- QUEMAN

This race is an SA Sprint Final, so expect it is going to be run at a very solid tempo and has a lot of runners bringing in last start win form just to make it a little trickier. Was super impressed with the last start win of SHIRSHOV in very tough conditions. That day he had a wide barrier and a heavy weight and was still too strong for a good field late. He has had a small freshen up since that run which should help him and he gets 4.5kgs off the back here which should also help him late, if he can produce a similar run to the last start he should be hard to hold out. HONGBAO produced a big effort to win last start when he had to carry 65kgs over a 900m trip. He has won 2/2 over this track/trip and looks well suited if this race is run at a very hot tempo. If they go too quick up at the front, it will set him up perfectly to produce a big run late. QUEMAN has had a very good prep this time in work, he has been competing at Group and Listed level and has placed in 5 of his last 6 runs. Maps to lead them up and control the race, if he can recapture some of his better form from earlier in the prep he will be tough to get past.

Race 7

16- SHE’S FIT

2- ABERFELDIE BOY

7- LOCO

9- PROMISES KEPT

The feature Group 1 race of the day today is the SA Derby over the 2500m, it is a another very open Group race with a strong field. WA filly SHE’S FIT takes on the boys after she contested The Oaks a fortnight ago. She had a wide run through The Oaks and when she eventually got clear, she was the runner hitting the line hardest. She will definitely see out this 2500m trip and is drawn perfectly in a middle barrier. She looks very well placed in this and if she has the fitness she will be hard to hold out. ABERFELDIE BOY brings in some interesting form lines that need to be respected, his last start he was 3rd behind WHITE MARLIN at Pakenham which may prove very good form. He also closed out his prep last time in work when running 3rd in The Victorian Derby. Sneaky good form lines for him in this. LOCO looks a good staying type, but has had trouble in his last few runs getting past the last horse. Thought he had every chance to win last start. If he can get over that last hurdle mentally, you expect that he will be around the mark again and will see out this trip. PROMISES KEPT make his debut for a new stable off the back of back to back wins including winning The St Ledger Trial over the 2200m at Bendigo by a good margin. The way he won that race suggests that he will see out the 2500m trip and he is fit. Drawn well and a strong senior rider booked, you would expect that he will be around the mark.

Race 8

10- PARTY PRINCESS

3- STAR VEGA

2- PEARL ADIOS

This does looks some what of an after thought race for PARTY PRINCESS after she competed last start in The Group 1 Oaks. She missed a key lead up race prior to the Oaks run which in the end potentially has cost her the race as she faded out late. This is an easier race today and I feel that she would have been very competitive in the Group 1 had she not had the issue leading up into it. We know she is fit and a class type, that should be enough to see her get past these types today. STAR VEGA is a lightly raced runner who won in impressive fashion on debut and then was 2nd last start out. He does look a good young type and comes from a smart stable, but he is probably short enough around the $2.90 mark to take this risk on him. He may have the upside going forwards to be up to this level but is a small risk with the limited form. PEARL ADIOS won 2 races in a row recently going through his grades before he ran 4th behind the eventual winner of The Oaks Affaire A Suivre. That was a highly rated race and he wasn’t all that far away from them, enough to feel he will compete strongly here as well.

Race 9

8- THE GOV

14- MY RUBY

4- DEMON BLOOD

A very open race to finish here today. Happy to lean to THE GOV at some value to finish off this today. He made a bold effort last start against short price fave SGHIRRIPA before fading late. Coming back slightly in trip is going to suit him as he has a solid 4:2-1-0 record over the 1050m and out of barrier 2 he will likely push forwards and be in a strong position. Forgiving MY RUBY for her last start run where she finished a bit down the track. The track rating says a Soft track, but by that last race of the day, the rain had hit and it was a very wet track which doesnt suit her at all. prior to that, she was 3rd 1.1L behind SHIRSHOV who may jump fave in the SA Sprint Final here today. She gets much more suitable condition in this today which should see her improve. DEMON BLOOD is a Victorian visitor who looks more than suited to this grade today and his best is likely too good for these. But he is at a big risk of finding a lot of bad luck out from barrier 16, he will be back in the field and needing that luck late to get through, but a smart ride from a senior jockey will boost his chances.