Mick Bennett has our Sydney Specials as racing returns to Rosehill.
Open betting races are the order of the day at Rosehill on Saturday, before scratchings at least. Not a day for ‘good things’ but a couple at nice each-way odds are worth a look.
The first comes in Race 2, the TAB Highway over 1500m.
The Matthew Dale-trained CANADIAN RULER chases the hat trick and at around the $8 mark in early markets is great value.
The four-year-old’s determined win in a Class 2 Highway at Hawkesbury three weeks ago marked a career-high for the son of Vancouver. After being allowed to drift back to settle just off the pace by apprentice Braith Nock, Canadian Ruler quickened impressively in the heavy going to get the better of Pharoahzano at the end of Saturday’s 1500m journey.
The gelding steps up to a Class 3 now but drops 1.5kgs and gets the services of senior rider Ashley Morgan who has a healthy strike-rate aboard Dale-trained gallopers.
A wide draw may be responsible for the market being a little generous but Morgan will have plenty of time to cross and settle handy and give his mount the best possible chance.
The other value play comes in Race 7, Team Hawkes’ lightly raced BRAVE ONE.
The three-year-old tackled older horses and lumped 58kgs when resuming at Canterbury a month ago. He was the widest runner on straightening and gained a narrow lead at the furlong but a lack of race fitness in the sloppy going told and he found Cruel Summer too strong in the closing stages.
The son of Exceedance goes from a midweek BM72 to a Saturday BM78 but drops to the limit weight.
His only previous second-up run was a respectable effort in the Listed Rosebud behind Gatsby’s last Spring.
There is a good deal of pace on offer here so expect Dylan Gibbons to be content to settle midfield from a centre draw. From there he can get wide if the track happens to deteriorate by that stage of the afternoon.
There are some handy types engaged for a BM78, notably pre-post favourite Kerguelen, but at $6.50 or thereabouts this up-and-coming gelding makes plenty of each-way appeal.
SYDNEY SPECIALS – Each-way plays:
Race 2 No.1 – CANADIAN RULER at $8.00
Race 7 No. 16 – BRAVE ONE at $6.50
