Weekly Review - June 29 to July 5
CRANBOURNE - 29 June 2020
With no jump out vision for Heats 1 to 7, there weren't too many horses to follow from Cranbourne this week.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
DUKE OF MAGNUS could be a good sneaky first up bet. With $98k in prize money but only 1 win and 5 placings from 17 starts, this gelding’s form doesn’t give off a great deal of confidence but he does have 2x 2nd’s from three first up runs so he runs well fresh. After winning Heat 7 (49.84s) on Jun 29 quite well ahead of ZOUMANOR (who can run well on his day), he’s one for the watch list first up in a bm58.
CASTERTON - 29 June 2020
PICCADILLY STREET - S Wilde
This 3yo filly was as hard held as they come in Heat 3 on Jun 30 over 880m. She was clearly the first out of the gates by a length or so and could’ve taken up a leading position but was restrained hard to the back of the field (look at the pink silks leaving the gates). She raced in behind the speed throughout, running behind horses in behind the speed and then was eased back late. While she didn’t finish in the placings, she was only 2-3L off the winners. She started $3.10 last start but had excuses with lacerations to both foreleg’s, complete forgive run. The daughter of Street Boss will be much improved come her third career preparation. Keep an eye out for a country maiden.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
Couple of horses worth noting from Heat 5 on Jun 30. The winner AASIRA (yellow silks) for the new Lindsay Smith stable was the most impressive here. She is always thereabouts in bm64’s and expect it to be no different first up. The other was MARVELLOUS MAY closing down the outside in the pink silks. She was quietly ridden in 3rd in a Jun 17 jump out and has now backed that up with quite a nice run late. While she didn’t set the world on fire with this heat, the un-raced 4yo is one for the watch-list.
BENDIGO - 30 June 2020
DANA POINT - B Stanley
This 2yo filly had a few jump outs, six (6) to be exact under her breeding I Am Invincible x Kemizengo, before a little break and returning in Heat 5 (49.96s) on Jun 30. She won the heat quite easily in the end and in pretty good time for the day. Liked how she controlled the heat from the front and did so under her own steam. Brett Stanley has been patient with her and it looks like it will pay off when she finally gets to the races, especially considering she was a $350k Magic Millions purchase. Keep an eye out for one more jump out before she debuts, for fitness purposes so she’s forward enough for the run.
JUST FOLK - J Julius
Winning Heat 7 (1:02.59s) on Jun 30 over 1000m was this un-raced 3yo gelding. After being ridden out the back on Jun 4 before finishing in the placings on Jun 16, the son of Magnus stepped up to the 1000m and looked comfortable when winning under minimal jockey pressure. While there was only two 1000m heats, his time was quicker than far superior runners in Heat 6 to suggest he might have some ability. He’s a good looking horse, keep an eye out for him on debut.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
No surprise to see a super return by LATENIGHTTOUGHGUY, taking out Heat 2 (49.89s) on Jun 30 by a considerable margin in a very easy win. His debut was brilliant, winning by 4.25L while eased down but still running the meetings 2nd fastest last 200m. Tiny Rebel was 2nd and has since gone 1st MDN and 3rd BM64 while Low Level Flying (3rd), Red Robin (4th) and most notably Young Liam (8th - who has gone on to win a MDN and 2x BM64’s since) have all broken their maidens since. Very excited for the career of this lightly raced 3yo gelding.
MYSTERY DANCER ran over the top of them in Heat 3 (49.54s)on Jun 30. The 2yo colt was disappointing in his first two career runs, but after another quiet jump out on Jun 16 behind 68-rated She’s Beneficial, he’s travelling well ahead of a late season 2yo return.
The West Australian, COMING AROUND, was a very easy winner in Heat 6 (1:03.29s). The 82-rated 4yo gelding was held together for the new Stanley stable and showed his class to win ahead of a much harder ridden SHE’S BENEFICIAL.
CAULFIELD - 30 June 2020
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
IMPERIAL LAD won as easy as you like in Heat 2 (46.18s). The 3yo colt was competitive in a nice ran in town last start and after finally breaking his maiden, he’ll be looking to contest some nice races this coming prep. Travelling well.
We put AYAHUASCA on the watch list after a Jun 23 (50.95s) jump out. She looked pretty handy when a close 3rd in Heat 4 (46.38s) and think she could be quite handy. She is by Tavistock so expect her to be best once she gets out over a mile or so.
The 2yo filly SUNFLARE won Heat 5 (44.80s) in the quickest 650m time of the morning.
MORNINGTON - 1 July 2020
DEEL BLASTER (DUNDEEL x BUCKLEBURY) - M Laurie
We don’t know the name of this runner but we do know this $90k MM purchase is a half-sibling to the very impressive grey Bumper Blast so certainly has the breeding. The closing speed this runner showed in Heat 4 (1:07.92s) on Jul 1 was very impressive. Dropped back to last after jumping away clean, this runner rounded the field and made up a lot of ground in the straight to only just miss like a good horse.
UPDATE (Tue, Jul 7): for some reason this runner jumped out under his breeding last week, rather than his name of DEEL BLASTER that he has been jumping out under. The 2yo colt has had 4 jump outs now (incl. this one), being on Mar 18, Jun 17 and Jun 24. This was none-the-less impressive and he's a big watch from a handy family.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
KNOWLES (again) had the field covered in Heat 1 (1:05.48s) on Jul 1, running the quickest 1000m heat of the day. Thought she ran well last start from barrier 13 at Moonee Valley, so expect a much improved performance second up and hopefully drawn much better.
LOCO MOJO was a nice winner in Heat 5 (1:07.02s) on Jul 1 over 1000m. The filly made some good ground in the straight without being asked for too much of an effort. Coming off a 7-week let up after a disappointing run under the guidance of D Oliver, a change of trainer to the Shane Nichols yard but be what she needed to get the best of out her.
It was the quickest 1000m synthetic jump out, but MY BLUEWINGS was ridden out and asked for an effort in Heat 8 (1:06.45s). She did travel wide throughout and did respond to the riding, putting a gap on the field in the straight but would’ve liked to see more from this filly who we have mentioned previously in reviews.
Slow time, but KING TYCOON won Heat 9 (1:08.34s) on Jul 1 with the head down… Changed from the Mick Price yard to Brett Scott, would love to this gelding in a bm58 which would be the lowest grade he’s contested since his maiden win on debut. This run looked like a simple jog to him he did it that easily...
Fresh off two consecutive bm58 wins by a combined 8.3L, HE CAN STAR took out Heat 12 (1:07.03s) on Jul 1 convincingly, albeit with the benefit of that race fitness coming off a 6-week let up. He controlled the heat from the jump and never looked like being beat. Don’t expect to see him in another bm58 though, being 65-rated now after some dominate wins.
ST ARNAUD - 1 July 2020
KIANI - C Maher & D Eustace
This 2yo Headwater filly first jumped out at Ballarat on Jun 17 against older horses and looked to hold her own on the fence to finish third. She then took out Heat 3 over 900m, extending the margin after being ridden out. She appeals as she looks quite forward for a 2yo and possesses a nice turn of foot. She should be very competitive against her own age.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
Maher and Eustace had a couple of nice looking 2yo’s in Heat 2 on Jul 1 in $400k purchase SACRED SNOW (light blue) and WISE COUNSEL (red).
Another super jump out from HARD PRESS as we highlighted on Jun 17. The now gelding won Heat 6 on Jul 1 and looks super as he gears up for a return. Will be following him, he couldn’t have jumped out any better.
CAPTAIN HARRY is deep into this preparation, but won Heat 7 on Jul 1 quite well and does like the Heavy tracks with a record of 9 starts for 2-2-2. A 1600m bm70 on a wet track would be very ideal.
GEELONG - 1 July 2020
SHANTARA - K Vella
She was super on debut over 1000m at a good price, but just ran into one better on the day. She ran an 11.92s final last 200m, which was the 3rd fastest of the meeting behind the winner and Really Swish in R5 (bm64). She looked well held in the first 200/300m of Heat 2 on Jul 1 before being allowed to run more freely and looked to round up the leaders quite easily including the 68-rated Kawabata. A half-sister to Admiral’s Joker, the very lightly raced 4yo will be much better suited second up over a 1200m+ race.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
No surprise to see KING OF CAMELOT put his field to the sword in Heat 3 on Jul 1 and win by a big margin resuming for his new Jamie Edwards stable. REGARDSMAREE was ridden out over the 1000m event in heat 4. FEEL THE BEAT showed early speed and took it up to Regardsmaree.
FLEMINGTON - 2 July 2020
FREDERICK THE DANE - D & B Hayes & T Dabernig
Quickest time of the day in the return of this Group 3 placed 2yo gelding. He took out Heat 4 (47.24s) on Jul 3 in the yellow silks by a huge margin, albeit under a little bit of riding. This was only his first jump out back though so expect him to come on from this and has to be one to watch when resuming as a late 2yo/early 3yo. Would expect to see him in a Saturday grade race, but hopefully we can get him in a maiden first up.
KINEMATICS - D & B Hayes & T Dabernig
Another Hayes 2yo that looked nice in this un-raced 2yo colt what took out Heat 10 (49.13s) on Jul 3 in the white silks where he had the group-placed BLONDEAU chasing for much of the heat while they opened up a gap on 3rd in good time. This is his third jump out now after finishing 2nd on Jun 5 and 2nd on Jun 15. The $120k purchase will be close to a debut now and will be competitive.
OTHER NOTABLE RUNNERS AND JUMP OUTS:
Only a 3 out of the 11 heats were sub-49s. One of these was Heat 1 (47.82s) on Jul 3 won by a hard held REFLECTIVITY.
Heat 9 (48.16s) on Jul 3 was won by WIDE AWAKE who was only 4L off Conceited on debut in Dec 2019. She hasn’t been seen since while the form stacks up and looks to have returned well. In second place was 3yo multiple-winner RULER BY CHOICE, who looked more pleasing to the eye than the 2yo filly but just didn’t quite have that late speed to keep up.
Super return by the impressive 2yo SUPREME IDEA in Heat 6 (49.21s) on Jul 3. After returning from Sydney that included a Listed win, this filly had a fair bit on this field and will be contesting some nice races soon.
We highlighted I’M THE BUSINESS on Jun 26, and happy to highlight again as he took out Heat 7 (49.14s) on Jul 3. He was pushed out today and was even on the whip, but that will bring him on for his first up assignment. RESURGE was the main eye-catcher from this heat, making up a bit of ground in the final 200/300m and then making further ground past the line.