Racing and Sports Canberra Review - 12 April 2024

The rail was in the True position and the track was rated a Soft 6. Racing forward was an advantage. Annabel Neasham trained two winners as did John Nisbet. Kayla Nisbet rode a double as did Alysha Collett. The latter leads the ACT Jockey Premiership with 14 winners.  A good betting meeting.

Race 1 1000m Mdn SW

This was a tricky race with three debutants who looked likely. Of these MOUNTAIN CHATTER $3.20 was a well-backed favourite and delivered comfortably by 1L from MOTORBOAT who made good improvement. The debutants GRINS and GOOD PRIZE were close-up next. Motorboat pushed forward to lead pressured by Good Prize. Mountain Chatter trailed the field but improved his position before the turn to be within range. He had to be checked off heels before the 200m to get clear but let down strongly after that point. Motorboat tried his all holding second. Grins appeared a real chance at the 200m but ran out under pressure and lacked the finishing dash required. TREZZAMINA was wide all the way $3.60 beaten 3.4L. They didn’t miss the local Mountain Chatter, and he can go on. 

Race 2 1000m Bm50  

Four gallopers were given a decent chance, and it was the well-supported CHAMPAGNE IN LACE $4.60 who got the thick end of the purse. He finished 0.44L ahead of FORBIDDEN GEMSTONE $4.80 with DANISH HUSSAR $ 41 and ROSY SUE $3.4F the best of the rest, some 2.5L from the winner. Champagne In Lace flew the gates and Forbidden Gemstone settled outside here but three wide. This pair held their positions and Champaign In Lace held a clear lead at the 200m with Forbidden Gemstone trying hard. She had closed right in at post time. Danish Hussar and Rosy Sue both missed the start, and the former was pushed along to sit handy. In the straight Rost Sue switched to the rail to get clear air and was pipped on the line for third. Decent efforts this pair under the circumstances. GEMINIDES $5.50 settled rearward and was last and the wideset on turning. She had too much to do. Champagne In Lace had the gate speed and fitness first-up. 

Race 3 1000m CL1 

HOLD $6.50 clocked up a second winner for the local Nisbet-Nisbet linkage delivering by a short head from LOVE THE CUBE $4.20. TOKYO ICE $3.40 and ZIPITALIST were the next pair home, beaten 1.9L and $2.5L respectively.  GETTY $2.9F had to work early to eventually find the front with Tokyo Ice in the trail. Zipitalist and Love The Cube sat behind the leading division. Hold couldn’t muster early and gave away a big start. Tokyo Ice slipped inside Getty on the turn, and they were joined at the 200m by Love The Cube. Hold turned in second last and ran out badly at the 300m but powered home after to record an impressive first-up win. She is still a work in progress but is a likely type who can go on. Getty peaked on his run and the 100m beaten 2.8L. He may be worth another chance. 

Race 4 1300m CL2

CODE IN TIME $1.90F made is back-to-back wins here but this one was much tighter. She has 0.6L to spare on the line from SASS ‘N’ CHEEK $17. CAPITOL QUEEN $7 made third 2.3L from the winner, with FACTORING PROFIT a further 1L away in fourth. Code In Time led but CANDLELIT $4.60 came across at the 1000m and took over. Sass ‘N’ Cheek railed midfield with Capitol Queen on her flank. Code In Time found the front again at the 200m with Sass ‘N’ Cheek throwing down the challenge. She was blocked for a run at the 250m and had to be pulled across heels. The winner ran out on her short of the line but held a margin. There was merit in Capitol Queen’s effort. She was well back on turning and had to be reefed out to get clear air. She finished the race off determinedly.

Race 5 1600m CL1 SW

GOOFINATOR $13 came into the race after scratchings and won well at a nice price. He had just been pipped at Wagga and was kept on the fresh side for this contest. He finished 1.2L ahead of HALKIS $6 with ATOMIC FORTY SEVEN $8 next home, 3L from the winner. Just a leisurely tempo with Goofinator leading Atomic Forty Seven on his outside and Halkis railed just behind. This trio were the clear chances at the 150m and Goofinator wasn’t to be denied. The back markers struggled to make up ground. IMPENDING HARMONY $8.50 caught the eye late. The $2.30 favourite FASCINATION ALLEY settled rearward and wide and made a forward move after the 800m. She has plenty to go but just battled.  

Race 6 1300m Mdn 

STEELY GIRL was backed into $2.35F was much too good beating ELTOROSON $5.50 by 2.3L with AMPLE TIME $12, 2.7L from the winner in third. He was 2L clear of the fourth horse RAINAGAIN $12, and the rest were spaced. Rainagain led but felt plenty of pressure from the two horses on his outside. Steely Girl enjoyed a soft run behind them. Eltoronson and Ample Time enjoyed soft run just behind. Rainagain was soon under pressure in the straight and Steely Girl flew by. Eltoroson briefly made a fight of it and Ample Time boxed on okay. Steely Girl was second-up and built nicely on the placing here prior.   

Race 7 1200m Open - Federal 

MERC $17 surprised the market and on the line had a half-length to spare over the favourite BODY BOB $4.20, with CHAIRMAN’S LIST $31 and EASTERN GLOW $4.40 next home beaten 2.6L and 3L respectively. Body Bob had a soft run behind the lead one-off the rail, With Merc on his inside. Body Bob was clear at the 200m, but the big weight was starting to tell. Merc had his measure at the 25m and was coming away. The rest struggled to make up the ground required. Chairman’s List had settled handy and battled on well. Again, the back markers had too much to do. POKERJACK $4.40 met trouble at the 800m point and didn’t get into it. Keep Easter Glow onside. He didn’t have the best of it and was doing his best work late. Merc has been hard to catch but he had come off an improved effort and brought his A-game.      

Race 8 1600m Bm65

We marked DEAD OF THE NIGHT $4.60 the best of the day and he held a 0.08L margin on the line from CRYSTAL WATERS $26, with the well-supported BRINGBACKTHEBEARS $3.60 and DEEP FURY $9 close-up next. Dead Of The Night used the rial and found a comfortable lead from Deep Fury. Crystal Waters sat forward in a nice spot and Bringbackthebears wasn’t far away.  At the 200m Dead Of Night was holding on grimly and was tough holding them off. Bringbackthebears kept coming running into third.  Being on the speed advantaged the winner but he showed plenty of fight.