The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – 22/7/2018

It was a rather quiet week in the racing world, but gee the juices got flowing towards the end of the week, and on Saturday, most notably at Doomben. Here is this weeks edition of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’.

Ferrari Confirms Everest Climb

He hasn’t raced in nearly 12 months, but that hasn’t stopped Max Whitby from getting Menari to represent his slot in The Everest. The soon to be four year old for Gerald Ryan hasn’t raced since the Golden Rose, with plenty of time off combined with a throat operation. He will trial in the next couple of weeks before having possibly one or two runs leading into the October 13 Grand Final.

Dark Dream Off To Honkers

Queensland Derby winner Dark Dream has continued the trend of recent winners of the race by being purchased via Hong Kong interests and will continue his career there, where he’ll be aimed at the 2019 Hong Kong Derby. The three year old was formerly with Kerry Parker but was controversially taken away from the Kembla Grange horseman.

Bayliss Out For Six Weeks

The ride on Tumbler from Corey Bayliss lit up Racing Twitter on Saturday with the mare being desperately unlucky not to win when beaten narrowly by the very consistent resuming sprinter Amanaat. Stewards charged him with failing to go to the outside from the 500m to the 400m and from the 400m to the 300m. In my opinion, I’m okay with a suspension because he was on an even money favourite and he didn’t give it every chance. The problem I have is that I see that sort of ride nearly every day, not just from apprentices but senior riders too. Only have to go back to last week and Boris Thornton on Privlaka. Similar, near identical set up. Yet nothing handed down as a deterrent. I’m fine with suspensions for these sort of rides. But consistency please.

PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK: 

Not ride of the week, but I want to give a wrap to Nathan Punch. I gave him a pasting for his ride on Street Sheik last Saturday because it was just an ugly watch with little to no initiative. I went on to say he’s not a Saturday metro class rider at this stage of his career. I swallowed my pride and put Invincible Al on top at Flemington with Punch steering and it was one of the rides of the day. Not easy to make ground on the inside section of the field when racing down the straight but he played it very cool, waited and asked the horse for a big effort at the right time. It was an absolute peach and I’m happy to eat humble pie.

DEBUT OF THE WEEK: 

I’ll be surprised if Cailini isn’t a city winner before her career is done and dusted. Debuted for Tony Gollan on Friday at Ipswich where she was tardy away, largely due to being in the gates for an eternity while others played up. Jim Byrne was able to hold the box seat with her before angling clear on the turn and despite doing plenty wrong, with legs all over the shop, ears pricked, she won impressively. Time compared well with the other 1100m race on the same day so I’d be following her.

RIDE OF THE WEEK: 

Could go with the Joe The Goose and Sam Weatherley on Kaonic, but I want to go back to Tuesday at Albury and Racha Cuneen on Shoplifter. Drew the widest gate and was eased back to near last. Cuneen could have easily peeled the widest with clear, but would have conceded several lengths, so he stayed between runners, poked his way through and once clear air did come nearer the inside, he finished off powerfully to win, with the ride winning the race. Cuneen has been a gun in NZ for a while now. Hopefully we see more of him in Australia.

SLAUGHTER OF THE WEEK: 

Corey Bayliss…yeah no need to add anything more from what was mentioned earlier.

HORSE TO FOLLOW: 

I want to keep an eye on Mandylion for Gwenda Markwell. Resumed over 1400m at Randwick and carried a gut as big as mine. I thought she did a remarkable to finish as close as she did given how much improvement she had left. She is a second up winner so I reckon next time you can follow her, even more so if there is give in the track.

ONE MORE CHANCE: 

I want to keep an eye on Sanctioned as he gets further into a prep. He was only first up at Randwick in the last and was building the revs up quite nicely until he got to the 200m when condition just gave way. He looked to carry a bit of pudding also so I reckon with that run under the belt and perhaps up to the mile, he’ll be effective. Wouldn’t drop off him.

NEVER EVER AGAIN: 

You could rattle off a heap of runners. Bombarding beyond 1100m won’t be winning in town. Sepoy Acheva runs okay. Just not attacking the line as a coming winner. I Thought So got his Birthday, Christmas and Easter when winning two back. He was shocking. Redouble is a cat who just doesn’t want to win, likewise Curdled. Shalwa won’t be starting favourite in town anytime soon I’d imagine after another weak finale. Sayed looks cooked for the prep. Mornington never ever again. Likewise Holy Freeze, in town at least. He was terrible.