BENDIGO – CARL DI IORIO
BET OF THE DAY
Chorlton Lane (race 10) won two of six starts in his first Australian campaign which extended from July to November, placing during the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The son of Mehmas is likely to progress into stakes grade this prep and prepared for Saturday’s resumption by comfortably winning his Avoca 1200-metre jumpout on April 8.
VALUE BET
Expecting Makram (race 9) to appreciate being kept fresh since his excellent fourth in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) on March 2. Makram’s four British wins all came with over a month between runs, while his three Australian wins have been notched within his first two runs back from a spell. Saturday’s Golden Mile appearance will be the first time in Australia he will race with over a month between runs. Makram’s Blamey performance, where matching the final 200m split of winner Atishu, proved his $151 Elms Handicap win was no fluke.
MORPHETTVILLE – PAUL RICHARDS
BET OF THE DAY
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Rampant Lion (race 3) is likely to appreciate the better alley despite winning two of her past three from bad draws. Last outing she went back from 10, but finished too strongly to score Pakenham. She jumped from nine when scoring three back. Rampant Lion has been allocated four and may settle closer than she has been. Either way, she looks hard to beat.
VALUE BET
Vivy Air (race 7) should relish the bigger Morphettville track and rise from 1600m to 1800m. At her latest run she closed well for third at The Valley in a race where the pressure was on from a long way out. It may have taken her good sprint away from her. At Vivy Air’s previous run she was an unlucky second to Legacies.
CLASSY
Gumdrops (race 4) took her record to three wins from five starts when a strong victor at The Valley. That form has held up with the runner-up, Moesha, finishing a close second last week. Gumdrops has drawn ideally in three and should be hard to hold out again.
DOOMBEN – CARL DI IORIO
BET OF THE DAY
Evocator (race 9) has featured in this column the past three weeks. The first occasion saw the Doomben meeting on March 30 abandoned, while he was scratched from Eagle Farm last Saturday. His first-up victory over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm was impressive, coming from last with 400 metres remaining, relishing the fast early pace to overrun his rivals.
VALUE BET
Dune Forty Five (race 8) is a noted first-up performer, winning three of six starts when resuming. The six-year-old Americain gelding was runner-up fresh last prep, closing against the tempo behind stakes performed winner Ekaterina over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm. That performance foreshadowed his second-up win in the Mooloolaba Cup (1600m), with five of his seven career wins coming within his first two runs each prep.
RANDWICK – JOEL MARSHALL
BET OF THE DAY
I like the way Athabascan (race 7) has been coming along this time in and he looks ready to take plenty of beating in the Sydney Cup. From his first trial back, I thought he had come back a better prospect and, although he was well held over 1600 metres and 2000 metres at his first two runs back, there was really nice improvement noted in his Tancred run where he was savaging the line. He gets a tiny weight swing on Kalapour for clashes in the spring and in that race and I think he’s ready to run out the two miles now.
VALUE BET
Willinga Freefall (race 3) didn’t get through the heavy conditions when tackling the Country Championship Final 12 months ago at just his eighth start. He’d also had to go through an extra qualifier on the way through and was fourth-up. The Kris Lees-trained gelding looks better prepared this time around third-up and on what should be a much drier track. His two runs this time in have been excellent in defeat without much luck and he comes here under the radar.
EACH-WAY
Ruthless Dame (race 9) had a good run and was probably entitled to finish a bit closer to Olentia in the Emancipation, but I think with that run under the belt and 3kg weight swing she can turn the tables and prove hard to beat in the Queen of the Turf. Ruthless Dame was 1200 metres to 1500 metres second-up after being beaten 3½ lengths in the Newmarket and should be fitter again. Third-up in the spring she was a close second to Espiona off a three-wide run (with Magic Time third).
ROUGHIE
I liked the trials of Savabeel filly Empress Of Japan (race 4) before she went to Gosford and sliced her way through the field from the back to get up and win right on the line. This is obviously a step up in class for her, but she’ll eat up 1200 metres and is worth thought at odds for the in-form Michael Freedman.
Randwick: Race 9 – 4. Ruthless Dame
Randwick: Race 4 – 14. Empress Of Japan