Canberra Racing Review Friday 24 April 2020

Three favourites won on the day and most of the remaining races were won by horses well in the market. The real upset was Whycatchim’s win in the Federal, having his first start for Luke Pepper yard. Blaike McDougall took riding honours with a double and the training honours were equally shared.

 

Wren’s Day created plenty of interest competing in the final race and got the favourite punters home.

 

Race 1 (1400m) Maiden

 

They finished as the market expected with SCARLEO winning, backed into the $2.50. THE FIRST RING $2.60 led as expected and Scarleo was lobbed perfectly one-out, one back by McDougall. The First Ring looked the winner at the 150m, but Scarleo picked up and finished powerfully to win by just under a length. The Godolphin filly DELICATELY $6.50 finished 2L away in third, but there was plenty of merit in the run. She was slow to begin from the wide gate and then passing the 1300m she was checked and taken out by Shespictureperfect, who attempted to buck. Delicately was widest on the turn and put in the big strides making ground strongly. All three are capable of winning more races.

 

Race 2 (1200m) Maiden

 

It was $5.50 the field with the Team Snowden galloper ROCKETING TO WIN $6.50 proving too good. It was a big effort as the gelding sat three-wide throughout in a forward position, and held them all comfortably in the home stretch. MANILA THRILLER ran the $5.50 favourite placing second in a positive return to the track. McDougall gave the filly a lovely ride just behind the speed, and she fought on well beaten just over a length. She was brushed by another runner at the $2.50, but doubt that influenced the result. CHATEAUX PARK $6.50 also returned to racing in good order finishing the race off determinedly, after sitting midfield. She will have taken plenty of benefit. They were well clear of the rest. The steward inquired into the effort of STANDFORTHE ANTHEM $7.0 who didn’t push forward as many expected, and was caught wide throughout and beaten 16L. The stable expressed disappointment with the run and the gelding will have to trial satisfactorily before returning to the races. DEAUVILLE $7.50, a stablemate to the winner, suffered a bleeding attack and incurs the mandatory three-month ban from racing.

 

Race 3 (1000m) CL1

 

TEJORI $2.80 was backed into a clear favourite and absolutely walloped the field winning by 4.2L. The filly benefitted from a good ride from Ward, who -- from a wide gate -- quickly had the filly three wide, but travelling comfortably in a trailing position. She took over approaching the 200m and raced away. Tejori is promising. She won here on debut by a big space at short odds and then went to the Open 2 at Randwick and had no luck at all on the heavy track. She had been away from racing for 321 days and it was a big training effort by Nick Olive. We gave the Team Snowden-trained PENANG $5.00 a big chance, but despite firming in the market, the well-bred filly disappointed after leading comfortably from the rail. She gave little in the stretch when the pressure came on, beaten 6L in sixth. Of the well-beaten others, SPECIAL PRIVILEGE $15.0 finished it off well in third. Tejori looks to have a good future and is likely to race next on Saturday week in a Highway in Sydney. 

 

Race 4 (1400m) BM65

 

There was a lot of pressure up front with TRESSE D'OR $2.90 favourite and TRUMBO $10.0 sharing the lead, with a number bunched behind. The winner SWEET KNUCKLE $7:50 raced comfortably on the rail behind all the pressure. The mare had no where to go on turning and McDougall was patient. After a bump or two, he got her into the clear and she came away with CITIZEN’S ARREST $9.50, to win in a head bob. Citizen’s Arrest had sat outside Sweet Knuckle, but the hoop elected to take a wider course in the straight and her finish impressed. It was a good return to racing by the winner, who performs fresh and was again prepared ready to go. It was 3L back to the rest headed by WAITING THE GAME ($17.0 and MOSS THE BOSS ($7.0). They both finished it off well. No surprise that the front-runners folded up.

 

Race 5 (1200m) BM60

 

The resumer KIMMYLEE was a drifting $3.80 favourite, but failed to make the placings. MORALIST firmed from $9.0 to $7.00 and took out the race by a comfortable margin after getting a perfect trail behind the joint leaders CANDY BAR $4.80 and the second-placegetter ACTION SHALE $4.80. It was a case of everything working out perfectly for the winner, who came away after shaking off the pair in front. Action Shale fought strongly and finished clear of the rest in a tough effort. Kimmylee settled back and began to improve before the turn. She was wide and finished it off okay while tending to hang out a touch in the early part of the stretch. Candy Bar folded up beaten more than eight lengths and the steward inquired. She raced keenly and was under pressure before the turn. The filly was found to have a poor recovery rate. SUCCESSFUL DAY $6.00 was slow away and raced wide throughout.     

 

Race 6 (1000m) BM70 Federal

 

The Federal looked very open on paper and SAFE LANDING started the $4.80 favourite and the rest $7.00 and longer. WHYCATCHIM $26.0 took the race out and there were a few whispers around suggesting he’d race well resuming for the new (Luke Pepper) yard.  The gelding jumped and led clearly and just kept going in the straight. It was only late that OUR ROSEMAREE $10.0 emerged from the pack and ran the winner to less than a half length. There was nothing between a bunch of runners vying for third, but none looked really threatening at the business end. A number of gallopers didn’t have the best of it, including the favourite early in the race, but he looked to have every chance. Not sure what to take out of the race, but Whycatchim will certainly improve off the run and looks capable of going on, as does Our Rosemaree.

  

Race 7 (2000m) CL1

 

WREN'S DAY looked the bet of the day and sent punters home with money in their pockets, winning at the $1.95 quote. A Group performer, the Godolphin gelding was the best performed horse in the race along with SIRMAZE -- who was backed into $3.50 -- and they fought it out in a good finish. The only other realistic chance in the race with any support was LORD TROPICANA $7.50 who ran into third. Wren’s Day was beautifully positioned fourth on the rail and at the 1000m Sirmaze was sitting just on his flank. Sirmaze made a fast forward move around the field after the 600m and hit the lead on turning. Meanwhile, Wren’s Day stuck to the inside and continued to get a sweet run. He emerged on Sirmaze’s inner and looked comfortably to have the better of him, before Sirmaze got a second wind and got within 0.8L on the line.  Lord Tropicana ran a good race relativity in third, and it was space again to the rest. All three can win again in the right races.