3 minute read

Chris Scholtz - Early Thoughts

R&S Contributing Editor Chris Scholtz takes a look at tomorrow’s Sydney racing.

SELECTIONS

Randwick Race 2 - 3 Neutrality

Expect this classy type to make the necessary improvement from his fighting second to the highly rated Graff in the G3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill when resuming on August 25.

That was only his third career start after interruptions to his 2YO season that saw him win on debut and finish a creditable fourth in the Silver Slipper. His trial form stamps has been impressive and he can put his stamp on this race under the set weights scale.

Randwick Race 7 - 7 Futooh

This is an evenly matched group of 3YO fillies but this talented miss from the Lindsay Park team has the course and distance form to make her a great gamble at value odds.

She gets a big tick as a two-time winner at Randwick and unlike some of her rivals has no distance issues at 1400m after she ended her 2YO season with a strong Listed win over 1600m at this course in April.

Showed she was ready to make her mark as a spring filly with her late closing third in the Silver Shadow Stakes over 1200m at this course and must be in better shape for this event as she gets the rails draw and will relish the extra 200m.

Randwick Race 9 - 11 Single Bullet

He may have just the one win in 14 starts, admittedly the G3 Pago Pago Stakes as a 2YO, but his nine minor placings in some high rating Group races sees him perfectly placed in this Benchmark 88 with the advantage of a 2kg claim reducing his weight to just half a kilo over the limit.

He was out of luck when a resuming third over 1100m at Rosehill on August 25, an effort that was sandwiched between two excellent trial wins. Going well and the favoured draw will give him every chance.

BLACKBOOK UPDATE from 8 September (Horses to follow at their next three starts)

The Autumn Sun - Replay says it all.

Dealmaker - Champion Stakes could be his race.

Zousain - Track conditions did him no favours. Will come on with the run.

Belgravia - Nice start by this staying import.

Yogi - Working up to his best distances.

Homesman - Better suited on a bigger course.

Divine Unicorn - No luck when he needed it. Valley is not his track.

Recent Blackbook winners - You’ve Been Had; Call Me Handsome; Order Again; Aristocratic Miss; The Passage; Le Romain; All Too Soon; Haripour; Isaurian; Best Of Days; Night’s Watch; Akkadian; Mickey Blue Eyes.

ELIGIBLE BLACKBOOK RUNNERS for 15 September

Randwick (Sat) - Souchez (R3), Invincible Star (R4), Egg Tart (R6), El Dorado Dreaming (R7), Oohood (R7), Outback Barbie (R7), Pretty In Pink (R7), Fundamentalist (R7), Sangita (R7), Satono Rasen (R8), Emperor’s Way (R8), Patrick Erin (R8), Salsonic (R8), Brimham Rocks (R8) and Jake’s Hill (R8)

Flemington (Sat) - Sully (R3), The August (R4), Crack Me Up (R5), Rich Charm (R5), Kings Will Dream (R7) and Kementari (R7)

Morphettville (Sat) - Tamasa (R5)

TRIAL WATCH HORSES

Randwick - Ragged Rascal (R2), Rezalient (R3), English (R4), Who Shot Thebarman (R6), El Dorado Dreaming (R7), Alward (R8), Marsupial (R9) and Single Bullet (R9)

Flemington - Interlocuter (R3), Grande Rosso (R5) and Ef Troop (R8)

English (Rosehill Aug 20) - Everest contender was equally as good in the Redzel heat, cruising behind the pace under a big hold and never asked for an effort by her rider James McDonald. She went over the line in fifth but could easily have finished in the placings if asked for a serious effort. This was her first trial since her Doomben Ten Thousand win in May and the intention is to give her a second trial before she resumes. Second Warwick Farm trial September 3.

Who Shot Thebarman (Warwick Farm Sep 7) - Evergreen stayer attracted all the attention in the second heat as he only started to warm to his task from midfield in the last 150 metres to close quickly on the leaders and was then allowed to keep running for some 300 metres past the post. He may be a 10-year-old but it was eye catching work.

Alward (Warwick Farm Sep 7) - Strong second in his 1200m heat won narrowly by Tally, who worked through on his inside in the last 200m with both having plenty offer through the line. Time was slow (1.18.51) but this was a typical conditioning trial from a Waller-trained stayer after he resumed with a pleasing first-up third in the Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury. Ready for 2000m and beyond.

Ef Troop (Rosehill Sep 3) - Classy Queensland 3YO had never been beaten in four previous trials and he kept that record intact with a sharp speed display, leading clearly and doing it easily to score by 3.5 lengths from the G1 winner English in the fastest of the seven heats over 895m (53.69/last 600m 34.4). He was unlucky when beaten first-up in Brisbane and should be a serious threat in the right races for his age up to 1200m.

Chris’ final observations and full audio preview of all Sydney races will be available after 9.30am Saturday on the R&S website and tweeted by @ScholtzRacing.