Racing and Sports Canberra Review - 23 August 2024

It was a terrific day's racing. The local Joseph-Jones yard trained a double. Jockey honours were evenly shared. Knights Armour was the most impressive winner on the day, blitzing his rivals in the Stayers Cup.  

Race 1 1280m MDN

It looked like anyone's race on paper but ACHIEVE PERFECTION $4.40 was backed into favourite and beat IT IS TO BE $5 by a nose, with a lip back to A DOUBLE DEGREE $10. They finished clear of the rest. Plenty wanted a part of the speed. Achieve Perfection settled on the rail behind the long-shot leader. He took over on turning and was clear at the 200m. It Is To Be wanted for early speed and settled last. He began a forward move at the 700m and was wide on the bend some 5Ll from the lead. He wanted to lay in but came hard and was eating into the margin on the line. A Double Degree railed midfield and stuck to the inside. He was his best work late, just missing as well. Not a bad effort from Prairie Legend who was three-wide on the speed beaten 2.8L. A cosy Krogh ride saw the winner home. 

Race 2 1080m MDN

This was a tricky contest ripe for an upset and so it proved with RED REDEMPTION $26 beating CHIPSTAR $4.60 by a half-length, with DOLLYWOOD $14 placing third, beaten 1.7L. Red Redemption established a clear lead soon after the start with the favourite TOLIMA $3.90 chasing. Chipstar held a nice spot forward on the rail. Dollywood settled rearward and turned for home back and wide. Red Redemption and Chipstar were neck and neck at the 200m with the former finding a margin on the line. Dollywood made up a lot of ground as did the fourth-placed KHALEEJ $4.40. KEYNES TIME $16 was doing his best work late. Tolima looked to have every chance but didn't finish the race off. Red Redemption was resuming off a 25-week race and was advantaged out in front with no pressure. 

Race 3 1080m BM50

SIR MAURICE drifted from $7-$10 but proved 1.2L too good for the local roughie TEYLU $26, with BOTTLER $9.50 and the debutant PHOBOS $2.90 the next pair home. MOONLIGHT GAMBLER $2.90F finished fifth, beaten 4L. Moonlight Gambler led and Teylu found the sweet spot on his back. Sir Maurice sat on his flank, prominent. Moonlight Gambler was still in front at the 200m, but Sir Maurice emerged from the pack and went by at the 150m and held a clear margin on the line. Teylu kept coming on the inside and gave his all. Bottler was doing good work at the business end beaten 1.8L. Moonlight Gambler was swamped and disappointed. The winner was backed off the map here two weeks ago narrowly beaten when pressured on speed. Made amends today taking a sit.

Race 4 1750m Stayers Cup

KNIGHTS ARMOUR $3F had to drop back 600m, but regardless, made short work of his rivals in the Stayers Cup. He finished 4L clear of BURGUNDY GIRL $9.50 with a further 1L back to CYBORG $3.90. As expected, Departing Bullet found an easy lead. He was 6L in front at the 800m full of running. Cyborg began a forward move out of the pack passing the 600m and Knight Armour got onto his back at that point. Departing Bullet put up the white flag at the 250m and Cyborg briefly took over. But Knights Armour soon had him covered and raced away to win in a breeze. Burgundy Girl was last on the turn and finished strongly to run a clear second, and there was plenty of merit in that. The winner was well-placed having missed narrowly in Open at Wagga prior. The speed-on played right into his hands.

Race 5 1260m BM60

AVONVIEW $2.80F was the new kid on the block and he was heavily bet delivering by a nose from ROCKY THINKS SO $6. There wasn't much between the next pair TATIANA EXPRESS $21 and MARINER'S DREAM $5.50, finishing 2.5L from the winner. Tatiana Dream led them down the back but conceded at the 800m to PLUCKY DUCKY $31. At this point Avonview slipped up the rails to sit behind the lead. Plucky Ducky was still in front at the 200m with Avonview desperate to find a way through. The gap finally came, and she got the head down right on the line from Rocky Thinks So who finished hard from midfield. Tatiana didn't get much comfort on-speed and boxed on well. Blind Date caught the eye late. Avonview would have been most unlucky not to have saluted.  

Race 6 1280m Sprinters Cup

A neck separated the first three home in the Sprinters Cup, with the favourite TULLA Park $2.90 getting the verdict from PROPHET'S PRIDE $7.50 and EAMONN'S MEMORY $8.50. GOGOL ran fourth, less than 1L from the winner. Gogol found the lead with Prophet's Pride outside him. Tulla Park was bustled along to find the leader's back. There was plenty of pressure with VELLA MAGIC $41 joining in wide. Gogol still held a margin at the 200m, but Tulla Park got his measure and just held off the determined finishes of Prophet's Pride and Eamonn's Memory. They were well clear of the remainder. Terrific efforts all four to greet the judge, with Tulla Park enjoying the softer run. Bon Frankie raced keen down the back and was checked off heals. He was bumped early in the straight and wasn't ridden right out.

Race 7 1750m CL1

On weights and measure it promised to be a match race between EVERIDO $2F and RUSSIAN SNITZEL $2.40 and that's what transpired. The latter prevailed by 1.5L with the third favourite SHELLY'S ACE $16, 3L from the winner in third. Russian Snitzel led while Everido missed the start and settled second last. Shelly's Ace railed behind the leader. Russian Snitzel had a 2L led at the 200m, while Everido had to weave through a wall of horses. He motored late but the bird had flown. Things worked out in the winner's favour, but it was a decent win regardless. INSANE BOLT $31 lost his rider at the start. Both first and second can be confidently followed.