The meeting produced some very strangely run races and a few ordinary performances but there were a couple of horses worth following who should win for sure in the near future
Blackbookers from meeting
Cindys Babe
Brian Buster Brown
Drive of the Night
David Medhurst (Touchwood Bucksta), drew outside the front row in barrier 8 yet never went round a horse prior to the home straight to get up on the line. Given the sectionals in that they finished off in 28.1 he definitely wouldn't have even run a place if he went round them so is an obvious winner this week
Run of the Night
Cindys Babe, usually like to award this to a winner but nothing really stood out and she was simply enormous in defeat, was 3 and 4 wide for the entire first 400m of the race around the first turn then ground her co-favourite into the ground only to be nailed on the line by a horse who had enjoyed an easier run. Both Bonnie Wee Laddie and Albert Jones were stiff in defeat in the Claimer also
Slaughter of the Night
Todd Rattray (Blacktie Affair), strangely enough I awarded the same combo drive of the night last week but it wasn't pretty this week. Think thats the major problem with the drive actually - he tried to drive it pretty! It was okay to drive it that way last week when a $12 chance but as a $1.50 fav this week there should have been nothing left to chance. When on a long odds on pop who is travelling you don't get involved in a jostling match on the turn and finish up locking wheels and costing the horse the race. If he took off 4 wide at the 400 he would have won by 5 metres minimum. Some may say he was unlucky and that may well be the case but he simply shouldn't have been in the situation he was
From the Sectional Times
Harbhajan - lead time of 42.1 is the quickest I have seen since recording them. He actually ran the first 1800m of the race in 2.12.7 which is equivalent to a mile rate of 1.58.6. Wasn't the fault of anybody concerned though as they had to try and use him from barrier 1 and he simply took charge after that. Put it this way, if he didn't get used early and ran his last 1800m in that time he would have won by half the straight
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Race 1 - C0, 1680m, mile rate 2.01.1, lead time 5.4 (average), first half 62.0, last half 59.0
First 2 horses clearly the best runs in race
Mister Gunadoo (1st), perfectly driven to hand up front then got out at the right time and finished off well
Cindys Babe (2nd), super run, did more work than anything and got nailed on the line by a horse with a softer run. Simply has to win soon
Ark Raid (3rd), had her chance after leading, maybe goes better with a sit
Rock The Pocket (4th), got good run through early and plugged into 4th
Top Premier (5th), got a check at top of the straight but still think he should have finished off better given the soft run
Rosarium (6th), encouraging debut run as held ground with every other runner bar the first 2 over the line
Our Last Knight (7th), decent effort from bad gate, might bob up in a race soon
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Race 2 - C1-C3, 2200m, mile rate 2.04.2, lead time 45.8 (slower than average), first half 64.4, last half 59.6
First 3 over the line clearly superior to the rest
Sanreos (1st), did it right for first time in ages and a good tough win
Bajardo River (2nd), proved the cheeky run the week prior was no fluke and ran home well for close 2nd, wish she won as had something on her at the $50s
Blacktie Affair (3rd), should have won clearly bar for locking wheels on turn
Monicas Notch (4th), locked wheels with fav on turn and battled on just fairly after that
Breathing Fire (5th), resumed from long spell and despite being supported was obviously in need of the run as didn't do much after an easy run in the lead
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Race 3 - C0, 2200m, mile rate 2.02.9, lead time 46.3 (slow), first half 63.7, last half 58.0
First 2 dominated the rest of them
Biggernbettermax (1st), proved again he is a very good leader and very hard to get past when he does
Brian Buster Brown (2nd), super run, loomed up to win at the 100 but being first up plus a closing fraction of 28.1 probably told in the end. He would have run sub 28 himself so hoof is right on the till
Look Look (3rd), well driven to place again. Outclassed by first 2 over line but did beat the rest easily
Artifice (4th), struggled in her first go against the boys as only ever raced against own age and sex previously. Still kept coming in straight and despite being beaten 14 metres she gets some credit as the closing qtr made it impossible to make ground from where she was
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Race 4 - Claimer, 2200m Stand, mile rate 2.05.2, lead time 49.2 (average), first half 63.1, last half 58.8
As per a lot of claiming races it was a bunched finish with a metre separating the first 4 over the line. Mid race interference also impacted a couple as well
Waterloo Bay (1st), manners won him the race by pinging to the early lead. I was a tad disappointed in his performance actually as thought he should have won easier given the run. He did run sub 30 the last 3 quarters though so wasn't too bad
Bonnie Wee Laddie (2nd), pretty stiff not to win at first start for new stable after copping interference in the run. Definitely one to follow in this grade
Costa Smerelda (3rd), good honest run, did a bit of work and never shirked the task. If he can draw to lead will be mighty hard to beat at this level
The Cherokee Chief (4th), better run and also kept whacking away in the straight
Albert Jones (5th), probably threw the race away by galloping mid race when in a perfect position to strike and still finished off okay after that
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Race 5 - C1, 1680m, mile rate 2.02.2, lead time 5.2 (quicker than average), first half 64.7, last half 57.7
Both favs did things wrong which changed the complexion of the race big time, best drive won the race
Touchwood Bucksta (1st), was a super run at previous start but I couldn't see him figuring from barrier 8 over the mile trip but the drive was superb saving a ton of ground. Keep in mind they finished off in 28.1 so still plenty of merit in the win
Barooga Billy (2nd), very disappointing, should have been a certainty once he led and the other favourite galloped but he drifted off the fence and threw it away. Continues to be a very frustrating horse
Boozy Rouge (3rd), probably the best run in the race actually coming wide in a quick last half to finish close up. Is very close to another win
Topotheclouds (4th), never runs a bad race this bloke and will crack it for another win soon
Flying Jasper (5th), every possible, had race presented to him and couldn't take advantage
Livin In Heaven (6th), another cheeky run at odds, didn't help when fav ran off track at the 400 but boxed on okay
Saab Quality (8th), broke after the start which put paid to his chances
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Race 6 - C2-C3, 2200m, mile rate 2.00.7, lead time 42.1 (very fast), first half 60.6, last half 62.3
Strangely run race where they got slower the longer it went and as always the form in these races is very suspect
Resurgence (1st), did a bit of work early but enjoyed the gun trip after that, the slogging finish also suited him down to the ground as whacks away all day
Cancellara (2nd), another better run from him, still not at his best but not far off
As You Wish (3rd), enjoyed the solid tempo and kept coming
Harbhajan (4th), total forgive run as took charge of the driver. Was first start back in the draw and got used early from barrier 1 which they had to try and do but is obviously far better suited driven cold
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Race 7 - C4-C6, 2200m, mile rate 2.01.5, lead time 42.8 (very fast), first half 64.5, last half 58.8
Another insanely quick lead time which narrowed the chances early but first 3 over the line all went very well
Topup (1st), enjoyed a gun trip but still put the race away very quickly when asked to sprint, final quarter in 28.2 and he came from off the speed
King Albert (2nd), continues to run good races at big odds. His turn must come soon
The Musics Over (3rd), encouraging return to racing and showed that the fall at previous start hasn't impacted him at all
Wingsofaneagle (6th), showed enormous gatespeed to even keep out King Of Bling initially and I thought he boxed on okay after that. May be one to follow at odds
King Of Bling (8th), spent all his pennies early on but still entitled to fight on a bit better at the end of the race
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Race 8 - 3YO, 2200m, mile rate 2.06.2, lead time 47.4 (very slow), first half 65.8, last half 59.3
Thought the first four all went about as well as each other and it purely came down to the tempo of the race as to who won as it was extremely slow early and therefore leader dominated
Iden Noshot (1st), well driven and once he got the run was always going to be mighty hard to hold off with his speed
Brezhnev Leis (2nd), another honest run, just lacks a bit of speed currently but never gives up
Odins Dragon Rider (3rd), improved run and a win isn't far away
Bettor Draw (4th), early sectionals didn't give him much hope but should have been put into the race much earlier
