The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Early September Edition

This week it was all about the Cups and the Everest, with some proven big time performers getting the job done, the spruik horses failing and a three year old filly stamping herself as a star. Here is this weeks edition of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’.

KEY NEWS:

Ten Gets Cup Rights

Channel 10, the original home of the Melbourne Cup for free-to-air viewers, will return back there in 2019 with the company paying close to $10 Million to host the four days of Cup Week, taking over from Channel 7, who had broadcast the Carnival since 2002. 1.8 Million people watched the Cup last year.

Redzel Stamps Everest Credentials, Invincible Star Flops

Spruik vs the proven performer. It failed with More Sundays and Miss Fabulass, but punters thought it could change with Invincible Star in the Concorde, with the weight of money suggesting she could beat Redzel. After 200m, Redzel was home. He was trucking and he quickly put the mare away and stamped himself as the one to beat in The Everest while Invincible Star, who was lacking match fitness, you’d have to say was disappointing.

Pure Elation…How Good Is She?

That’s the question on the mind of most after her brilliant return to racing in the Furious Stakes, proving much too classy for her rivals despite being first up off a bleeding attack. She seems too brilliant for a longer trip and with bleeders, if you do stretch them out, the risk is there of more stress leading to another bleed. The Coolmore on Derby Day looks perfect…in between though, what about an Everest?

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK:

Hard to get away from Unforgotten and her triumph in the Chelmsford. She put her cards on the table to be a real force of Australian racing in the next 12-18 months with a stunning win, showing an electric turn of foot when Bowman got the split. She’s either being kept on ice for the Epsom with the Autumn/Spring of next year her goal, or do they strike now while the iron is hot and have a crack at the Caulfield Cup, where she is the second fav.

DEBUT OF THE WEEK:

He didn’t win, but keep an eye on Count Of Carford from the first at Sandown on Wednesday. He had jumped out well prior to debuting, where he was a notable drifter in betting. Drifted back to last in the run, held up a bit in the straight but once clear, he finished off strongly to only be beaten a length. Looks to be a bit to work with and can win a maiden with the right placement.

RIDE OF THE WEEK:

Been singing his praises for a little while but Clayton Gallagher is starting to stamp himself as a proper city class rider, and he produced a peach on Bel Burgess on Saturday at the Sunshine Coast. Led all the way and landed some good bets, but I’d put it down to the ride. He went at a tempo that wasn’t too quick or too slow. It looked as if they went hard, but on the clock, it was just a nice even speed and he rated it to perfection. His 3kg claim won’t last.

SLAUGHTER OF THE WEEK:

Beaten riders in the Heath. Gee whiz this was comical the way they handed up to Ball Of Muscle, who is very tough to beat when he gets a soft lead and that is exactly what he got here, giving nothing else a look in. Understandably some outstanding runs in behind, but hardly any were given a chance to win.

HORSES TO FOLLOW:

Harmattan- She’s looking for 1600+ now. Convinced she’s come back in super order
Night’s Watch- Better late splits than Humidor in the Memsie…look out for him in the Dato
Petition- First run in a while, just didn’t get much luck in the straight. Needs clear air
Dixie Blossoms/Egg Tart/Youngstar- They could all win Group l races this Spring
Libran- Bet of the month if he runs in the Kingston Town in two weeks

ONE MORE CHANCE:

I wanted to see improvement from Danon Liberty before putting the line through him and I saw improvement in the Penny Edition. Little unlucky not to place given he was held up for the first half of the straight when looking to build momentum. Is he a Group l horse? Probably not, but low level blacktype he can pick up.

NEVER EVER AGAIN:

Ah Tom, Tom, Tom…you had been going so sweetly in the trials, I thought you were back and ready to put a win on the board…but no, despite having gate one, you wanted to pull your head off and again left himself without petrol tickets at the crucial stage of the race. Got a collect out of him in the betting strategy…but again didn’t greet the judge first.