Racing and Sports Canberra Racing Review - 7 April 2023

Inclement weather saw the track downgraded at 10:25am from a Soft 6 to a Heavy 8. The meeting was abandoned following Race 5 due to safety concerns around visibility. Being on-pace advantaged. Some caution is required when assessing the form from the meeting.  Canberra’s Keith Dryden trained three of the five winners with Jeff Penza aboard on two of them.

Race 1 (1600m) CL1

CUT ON A DIME (2) raced the $1.80F but was no match for OFFSPRING (6) who won easily after firming $2.70 - $2.40. ELLIE’S DREAM (2) split the above pair beaten 2.5L. She sat outside the leader (who’d set a leisurely early tempo) with Offspring box-seating. CUT ON A DIME railed and was always in touch. Offspring pounced on the turn; put 1L on Ellie’s Dream at the 200m and came away. Cut On A Dime had every chance but lacked a finishing dash beaten 4L. The winner presented fitter off a 3.4L defeat in the Canberra Guineas and was clearly too good. Ellie’s Dream boxed on well building on her Goulburn Maiden win. Post-race it was revealed Cut On A Dime was displaying cardiac arrhythmia.

Race 2 (1200m) CL1

The Sydney-trained pair VANCOUVER QUEEN 2.45F and LOUD $3.20 dominated the betting but failed to place behind DIAMOND STAR $7.50. She just nudged out IN THE AIR TONIGHT $17 and VIENNOISERIE $17 in a close go. KITTY KARINE $31 ran fourth beaten 1.53L. In The Air Tonight ran to a clear lead. Vancouver Queen trailed one off the rail with Loud nicely positioned behind. Diamond Star sat rearward on the rial. At the 300m Vancouver Queen had levelled up to In the Air Tonight, but Diamond Star slipped up on their inside to deliver by a neck. In The Air Tonight gave her all and held out Viennoiserie, who was last swinging for home and made up a stack of ground along the rail. Kitty Karine powered home down the outside and it was an effort worth noting. Vancouver Queen was swamped and Loud looked to have every chance.

Race 3 (1000m) Mdn

Most of these found the conditions tough going. DEEP SHIMMER $10-$8.50 took the race out by 1.5L from SUNCHYME $3.60 with TOKOYO 3.7L from the winner in third. The favourite LA MIA VIA $3.1 was beaten 5L in fourth. It was keen early with Sunchyme and Tokoyo sharing the lead. Deep Shimmer sat behind this pair off the rail.  These were the ones to beat at the 200m with Deep Shimmer coming away to win well. The filly relished the going and can go on from this. La Mia Via had proved difficult to lead and was crowded on jumping. Trainer Keith Dryden said consideration would be given to the mare’s immediate racing future.

Race 4 (1400m) CL2

The Sydney-trained WARBY $2.50 started a clear favourite but laid in under pressure passing the 200m and could only manage fourth beaten 2.4L. A post-race examination revealed the gelding to be coughing, which needs to be factored into his performance. CHAIRMAN’S LIST $5.5 was beaten a whisker at Wagga resuming and went one better here defeating THE MAXINATOR $9 by 1.4L with a further 1L back to REGION TIME $8.50 in third.  EBERLEE $4.60 found the lead with Chairman’s List sitting on the mare. Nearing the turn, The Maxinator moved forward to sit outside this pair. Eberlee had gone at the 300m and Chairman’s List finished strongly to hold out The Maxinator who had every chance. Region Time didn’t have the best of it in the latter stages and his was a solid effort.

Race 5 (1200m) CL1

There was a downpour during the race. The local Dryden barn clocked up its third win with the well-supported LOCKUP THE KITTENS $6 holding out HELLO JACK $7.50 by less than 1L with a gap then to the favourite MOTION LEGEND $3.60 and HALLOWED STAR $8.50 in third and fourth. A roughie led with Hello Jack sitting close on the outside and with Lock Up The Kittens on the rail. Motion Legend was also forward.  Hello Jack and Lock Up The Kittens paired off down the middle of the straight with the latter proving too strong in the slog to the line. Motion Legend was doing his best work late. Hallowed Star was in the worse ground on the inside and his was a solid effort in the circumstances.  CHESTERAY $5 was tailed off and his jockey said the gelding didn’t handle the heavy conditions.