Strange meeting with hardly anything out wide doing much all night, a lot of horses also got beaten a very long way so a few doubts as a true form reference going forward
Blackbookers from meeting
Denvers Boy
Peace Chief
Harley Fella
Barooga Billy
Binabelle
Flight To Mikinos
Drive of the night
Todd Rattray - Melman, some say its easy to drive leaders but he rated it perfectly going quick enough to not cop pressure and then kicked for home at the perfect time
Best performance
Flight To Mikinos - not many horses run a sub 43 lead time and survive late, he managed to destroy his rivals at the end though
Carve up of the night
Harleken Wized - started at $26 but was one/one on the back of a $2.20 fav who was certain to take it into the race and the driver (Shelley Barnes) decides to take off at the 1200m mark in a 30.1 quarter to get the death seat. Not surprisingly tired to run last. Amazing decision though
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Race 1 - C0, 1680m, mile rate 2.00.4, lead time 5.3 (average), first half 61.2, last half 59.2
Best horse drew to lead in mile race, simple as that
Ashkalini (1st) - Good drive by Todd as well running even quarters with main dangers drawn out the back which made it difficult for them to work into the race. See tons of drivers with the mentality that when they lead the slower they go the better and that is a total crock
Denvers Boy (2nd) - super run, out wide and miles off leader (and winner) at 1200 with last 3 qtrs in 30.4, 30.1 and 29.1. He is certain to win again soon when drawn better
The Detonator (3rd) - much improved run, beat 4th horse by 10 metres which is usually a decent form reference so may go on with it now
Charlie Grattan (4th) - boxed on okay again at big odds, lacks the dash to win but will continue to be around the mark
Cindys Babe (5th) - draw killed its chances as lacks the speed to come wide, still boxed on okay and pay to follow when draws better
The rest all got beaten a very long way
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Race 2 - C1-C3, 2200m, mile rate 2.03.1, lead time 46.0 (slow), first half 62.2, last half 60.1
Winner just too classy, got soft lead (46 lead time is walking) and average sections after that. All 2,3,4,5 placed horses went about the same
Julias Song (1st) - would call the win workmanlike instead of impressive. Only ran home in 60.1 and never broke 30 for any qtr but never looked in doubt so hard to guage what she could have run if pressed
Balencia (2nd) - usual honest race, always struggles to win with lack of high speed but tries her guts out
Alma Grant (3rd) - given the sectionals was entitled to do a tad more but still fair
Sanreos (4th) - pretty similar to Balencia, tries hard but lack of speed means its always difficult when drawn badly
Doves Patch (5th) - did enough to show why she has been supported in previous races
Those 5 finished way ahead of the rest
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Race 3 - 3YO, 1680m, mile rate 2.00.6, lead time 5.1 (quickish), first half 62.0, last half 58.8
First 2 horses clearly the best runs in race, all of 3,4,5,6,7 were fair. Rest pretty average
Cardinal Tucker (1st) - showed surprising gatespeed and once he led was always going to be very hard to run down. Well deserved win and will win more if can show that speed again
Peace Chief (2nd) - super run again, is his own worst enemy currently and will win shortly
Anoptomist (3rd) - well driven and best run inages
Willie Winalot (4th) - hard to make ground from the back in 58.8 half but kept coming, given a better draw can win shortly
Cardinal Dreamer (5th) - very similar to Willie Winalot
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Race 4 - C2-C3, 2200m, mile rate 2.02.4, lead time 44.3 (average), first half 62.7, last half 60.3
Strange race, winner brained them yet sectionals were just fair and a lot of horses got beaten a long way
Harley Fella (1st) - good tough win, did more work than anything and cleared out
Currynroses (2nd) - every hope but no match for winner
Prettyboytoby (3rd) - got buried on the pegs but was entitled to run home a tad better
Hydehurst Boy (last) - prepared to ignore as caused false start then was gone a long way from home to be beaten 75 metres so obviously wasn't there to race
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Race 5 - C1, 2200m, mile rate 2.02.3, lead time 44.0 (better than average), first half 63.0, last half 60.2
Strangely run race, winner got the perfect run. Have doubts about it as a formline race though given the way it was run
Jet Black Flyer (1st) - every possible, got out at top of straight and they staggered home in 30.4 so was a tad flattered. Did however get used a bit early on so was some merit in the win and did win easily on line
Special Gallenti (2nd) - pretty good run given that ran a decent lead time then got no peace from the 1200. One to follow if drawn to lead
Barooga Billy (5th) - handed up death at the 1200 to a $26 pop who was never going to take him into the race. Then resented racing between horses and galloped back to last and flew home again in the straight. Should have bolted in
Saab Quality (6th) - proved he is a front of the field horse as been average nearly every time he has drawn 2nd row
Flying Jasper (7th) - every possible hope and just battled late at first Tassie start
Boozy Rouge (8th) - did a bit wrong but run was just fair
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Race 6 - 2YO, 1680m, mile rate 2.03.4, lead time 5.4 (slowish), first half 65.2, last half 58.2
Slowly run and leader dominated but thought the first 3 went as well as each other
Brezhnev Leis (1st) - first glimpse of form this time in, was strong to the line as well and last 800 was okay
Iden Noshot (2nd) - driven cold and did well to get within 3 metres coming wide in 58.2 half
Hamish Sanz (3rd) - sat leaders back and took ages to wind up so may do better driven aggressively
Guernica (4th) - very good gatespeed to lead but entitled to find more given the soft run
Binabelle (7th) - galloped twice as fav, was actually still bolting at the 300 when galloped for the 2nd time so can certainly win next start despite now being ODM
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Race 7 - C4-C5, 2200m, mile rate 2.01.1, lead time 42.5 (super fast), first half 64.2, last half 58.8
Winner just smashed them (3rd horse beaten 28 metres), 2nd horse good and rest pretty average
Flight To Mikinos (1st) - exceptionally quick lead time then just left them for dead at the 400, he is just about unbeatable when he leads
Murillo Bromac (2nd) - return to form, beat 3rd horse by 15 metres so pay to follow
Topup (3rd) - not going as well as he was a month ago
Loaded Franco (8th) - disgraceful run on paper but too bad to be true, if she was beaten 10m after sitting leaders back I would say she was disappointing but to be beaten 40m means something was obviously amiss
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Race 8 - 3YO, 1680m, mile rate 2.01.8, lead time 5.5 (slow), first half 62.3, last half 59.4
Leader dominated mile race, first four all decent runs and can't say much for the rest
Melman (1st) - good gatespeed to lead, got left alone and well driven to score
Safina Leis (2nd) - every hope, thought she should have won given her run and the sectionals
Sing And Dance (3rd) - continues to overrace when used early and have nothing left late, heaps better when driven cold. Still only beaten 2.8 metres so forgive run
El Jays Modeena (4th) - went as well as the first 3 over the line, might bob up at odds soon
