3 minute read
Bettors can whisk into a winning wager today at Wagga on their dance card, with the sixth race the event sure to score your highest return.
Dancing Doll may have drawn ten with 57.5kg to carry but she is already a four-race winner and superior to what she meets on the Wagga floor today in the Benchmark 65 over 1400m.
She cost A$100K as a yearling and for the Guy Walter stable won three times and placed eight times, with a lot of her races coming in city class.
The mare since joining the Keith Dryden stable at Canberra has already notched up a Benchmark 70 win over a mile and a couple of placings at Class Three and in a Benchmark 65 respectively in seven outings.
One of those placings came at Wagga in May under 56.5kg over a mile and the winner This Cat's Magic in two starts since has finished fourth then won again.
Matthew Cahill will ride and he alone should give backers huge confidence being an in form senior rider in a field containing many apprentices.
Dryden has done a good job with the strong closer Dancing Doll but since resuming this time in not much luck has gone her way.
I liked the fresh up fifth on the Acton track at Canberra, as the mare really found the line big time late under 58kg and to be honest she should have at least been in the money and/or won.
Her only other outing came in the city at the Kensington track and a messy start then a nasty check eliminated all chance for the mare in a Benchmark 70 on heavy ground, with an apprentice atop,
You can just forget she even went around and assess her on the fresh up ripper run and her general overall record against superior competition.
I can easily see this mare showing up what she meets today, with a clean pair of heels at the finish, and not many of these can surge over the concluding stages like her.
Kasalingi from the Bede Murray stable looked too my eye a quick improver on her fresh up fourth over 1300m, as she struck heavy ground on the home track of Kembla Grange under 57kg.
The mare is better on top of the ground and had some inspired support fresh up, so the extra 100m today will be a major plus.
She may prefer a little longer but after a claim for the in form apprentice Jake Duffy, it is hard not to include at 52.5kg.
Rocky Cod has come back super this time in and the gelding will have Simon Miller back atop today, who has won on him twice already.
Three of his career wins have come at Wagga and the four-year-old does go better on improved footing, so after his brilliant fresh up win here and a powerful finishing and luckless second on slow ground last start it all looks good for today.
He won third up last campaign and at 1400m has recorded a win and a placing from as many attempts.
The pair of Nick Olive trained runners in Merci Grand and Five Star Belle give the Canberra based preparer a decent hand in the race and both have won before at Wagga.
Merci Grand, which with a 1.5kg claim will have 59.5kg to carry, has won two of three starts at Wagga and the time he got beaten into seventh two starts back was a victim of home straight interference.
Five Star Belle will be ridden by Brendan Ward, who is in form and was the last rider to win on this mare and it came here over 1800m, albeit in the wet of May last year.
The daughter of General Nediym has won on dry and wet ground and on the evidence of that last start third on the Acton track, she is definitely looking for natural turf and the 1400m.
St Emillion has beaten home Five Star Belle all four times he has met her, so must be considered here from a good draw with William Pearson to ride.
The 58kg is a slight query for mine but the experienced older gelding has won at Wagga before and has a good record third up, which is the state he is in here.
A last start win at Kembla Grange over the mile from a wide gate was narrow at the finish but his closing strength was impressive.
I am rather keen on Dancing Doll here to impress the judges and her backers at the finish.
Enjoy the race.
