3 minute read
The feature event on the card tonight is a Class Three over 1200m on the polytrack and a runner from the Mark Walker stable is drawn to deliver.
Macau can win the eighth race, a S$75K over 1200m from gate three under 57kg, and I feel the Walker stable is a yard to cash in on tonight too.
Walker has only had thirteen winners this year and in the top twenty trainers has the worst strike rate of them all with a large numbers of starters and unplaced runners, so expect this to change quickly over the next few weeks.
Opie Bosson will ride and in three times atop so far has yet to even fill a placing though luck has not always been with the pair.
After he broke his Gingerbread Man duck last week I see Bosson doing the same on Macau this evening and in what will be a fast run and pressure race.
Macau is a four-year-old by the sire of the Southern Hemisphere in Fastnet Rock and he has won four races with all coming on the poly.
Interestingly he has only won at 1000m or 1100m but his placings at 1200m make a statement being behind the likes of Ato (now a G1 winner), the flying Dr Grigoros and Shaolin Soldier (a rival again this evening).
The placing behind Dr Grigoros came in Class Three and he gave it a kilo with the runner up being The Comedian, so that is serious sprint form.
The placing to Shaolin Solider saw him give it two and a half kilos and be beaten half a length, so tonight with the pair at equal weights it is advantage Macau for mine.
Also the fact Shaolin Solider has never won on the poly is a huge reason to dismiss him and promote Macau.
The three times that Macau has drawn gate three have seen him win and place the other two times in the races mentioned just above as worthwhile form comparison events.
His last win came when drawn barrier two and he has not had as a good a gate since, so I think three will be a cause for glee by bettors.
Walker has several runners with ordinary looking recent form on the card tonight but they are just an ounce of luck away from paying a dividend and a good gate or class drop away from winning again.
As I stated earlier there are some real early burners in Race Eight tonight and none more so than Run For The Hills, which after a couple of bounds can suddenly hit top speed.
The pairing of trainer Cliff Brown and rider Danny Beasley are getting good results and this fleet of foot European sprinter, which sounds like an oxymoron in Black Caviar speak, is very fast.
I like Run For The Hills fresh up as he detonates best in that state as evidenced by a third to Mr Big (now a G1 placegetter) in January this year.
Beasley rode and from gate ten he spurted forward fast after an average jump and finished a game third under 58kg in the Kranji Stakes C event, with most notable the fact he gave Mr Big 4kg.
Last start saw the gelded son of Oasis Dream fresh up finish a sound fifth, after a once again tardy jump before showing blistering pace to go through and take a clear lead the inner early.
He has not run since that March resumption and will be fresh up here with a couple of barrier trials to keep him sharp and on edge, as all sprinters should be.
One trial placing came behind Gingerbread Man and Captain Obvious, with both those gallopers big race heavy hitters and the other placing came in arrears of Running Tall (which will be a win chance in R10 on Sunday)
Beasley has ridden three times for a win, a placing and that fifth.
The outside barrier of twelve will not affect horse or rider as both used to it and in fact if you are a tad tardy then being able to accelerate around unhindered soon after is a plus.
Cash Dot Com and Fuku Kitaru are obvious includes in your multiples as both are poly track performers with good speed and ping the run home.
The inside barrier last start saw Cash Dot Com win by a length with the poly master riding in Jose Verenzuela and it is worth noting the victory came over Great Light.
A gutsy second last start by Great Light in a Benchmark 74 on the turf after leading was the effort of a very much in form and thriving four-year-old.
The form around or ahead of him has proven a goldmine of late with the likes of Solitaire and Boundless Glory scoring recently.
Fuku Kitaru has won third up before and the last time he prevailed K B Soo was aboard so a couple of strong form facts make a good case for the gelding that can race on the pace or sit deep off the speed and keep coming.
Damo has an awkward draw but with Greg Cheyne back aboard I feel he will perform with merit.
Last start he was taken wide by Felix Coetzee turning for home when going okay and if he had stayed closer in would have gone close to winning.
Cheyne has ridden the Argentinian colt twice for a sixth at G2 behind the unbeaten in Singapore star Super Easy and also a fifth under 58kg in a Kranji Stakes C mile against older horses.
Macau looks one to score here and on a hot speed his finish will be strong.
Run For The Hills will be scampering along across the top and may try to slip them early in the run home if the rider pushes the turbo button early.
Enjoy the race.