3 minute read
Kermadec travels south to plunder the Melbourne colts in this weekend's Australian Guineas, and The Melbourne Mail is all aboard.
The Kermadec Islands sit detached from mainland New Zealand, roughly 800kms away. They are largely uninhabited these days bar a few scientists poking around in the local flora and fauna.
Melbourne, some 800kms down the highway from Sydney, is largely uninhabited by high-class colts this season, with just a few nice horses poking around the fringes of the top class.
The local tribe looks vulnerable to a daring adventurer, a traveller in search of foreign riches, and there is a particularly well equipped raider heading their way in the form of Kermadec.
Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec was a regular traveller through the southern seas, and his namesake won't be making his first trip south on Saturday.
Kermadec has sailed into these waters before, plundering the Carbine Club Stakes over the Flemington mile back in the spring time. He did so despite inexperience. A more mature Kermadec hits the high seas this weekend.
Kermadec was rated 109+ by Timeform after his spring campaign, but his performance last time in the Hobartville Stakes, where he matched it with a trio of high-class colts, now has him rated 117p, and that 'p' is what his Australian Guineas rivals should fear most.
His key adversaries are rated around 112-116, solid if unspectacular. Spears and arrows can win the odd battle but the 'p' on Kermadec's 117 is seen as a loaded cannon. If he ignites it, he will blow the locals away and plunder the rich southern Guineas.
Best we make a few gold doubloons ourselves, and we can do so by snapping up the $3.50 on offer about the Sydney raider.
As an each-way play this week we sail on to race eight where Turquoise King kicks off his autumn adventures in a race in which he looks well placed.
The slight query would be the 1000m, short of his ideal trip, but he was a winner fresh over the distance last campaign and went on to progress and record some good ratings for races at this level over his next handful of starts.
On that form he's over the odds around around the $10 mark in places and it's well worth having a ticket with his name on it in the treasure chest.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day: Race 7 #9 Kermadec @ $3.50
Each Way Play: Race 8 #7 Turquoise King @ $10.00
