3 minute read

A nine-race card at Morphettville on Saturday and with blue skies forecast we should be racing on a perfect surface.

Promising apprentice Rochelle Milnes is riding her share of winners and has a particularly good strike rate on favourites. Hopefully this trend continues on the weekend as our two best on the program top early markets and are ridden by Rochelle.

The best of the day comes in Race 9 No. 2 - TIPPA. 

This gelding was flying in the Winter months, ending that campaign with back-to-back wins over 1800m, the distance of Saturday's contest. The Cahill stable then tipped him out for just nine weeks before embarking on a fresh preparation which has yielded two minor placings, the latest a career-high performance when third in the Listed Balaklava Cup over the mile. He found the line strongly that day although never appearing likely to pick up Air Assault. 

He now returns to his pet distance and drops from a stakes race back to a Benchmark 78. Milnes' claim brings him in with just four kilos more than the Cup run, which seems generous. 

On The Scent is racing well and looks the danger, but it's fair to say he would have no chance of finishing 1.4 lengths from the winner in a black-type race so there is a gulf in class. 

In Race 5, Milnes partners honest mare SIXTEEN REASONS (7) and she is well and truly overdue a fourth career win.

It is 53 weeks since her last success, but recent efforts have been promising and her SP profile is strong.

Last time out the five-year-old took a sit over 1250m before closing off late to grab second to race favourite Aviatress. Such a run had been a constant theme of late so the Clarken/O'Shea yard has finally opted to pop the blinkers on which may well give the mare that extra spark required.

The application of the shades will offset her coming back 200m for Saturday's Benchmark 82. In any event, at or about five furlongs, she has a win and four placings from eight attempts, so the sharp journey holds no fears. She should settle just behind a solid tempo then let down nicely under just 52kgs to break the frustrating run of outs. 

THE SAY FROM SA

BEST OF THE DAY #1: Race 9, #2 Tippa @ $2.50