Racing and Sports Review - 20 October 2023

They raced on a Good 4 with the Rail out 7m the Entire. Danny Beasley won the last two races to take riding honours. Good contests all day. 

Race 1 (1400m) Mdn

The heavily bet favourite REET PETITE $1.30F raced three-wide midfield and was even wider as they straightened for the run home, with the second-favourite RUFF $9 on her inside. They sprinted together with the former always holding an edge and she was 1.4L too good on the line. Roff over-raced in the early and mid-stages and it was a good effort. LITTLE COMPLICATED $100 was next home 3.3L from the winner. Reet Petite is promising and let down strongly. She will have taken fitness and learning and will progress to better races. Ruff improved again as expected. VAN DER ZEE $13 knuckled on jumping and didn’t have the best of it after. ICE SKATER $100 went to a big lead but was spent at the 300m and dropped out.

Race 2 (2000m) CL1

Two horses were bet to the exclusion of all others with BOOSHANG $3.60 getting the chocolates by 3.5L over the short priced favourite COTO DE CAZA $1.60. The market third-elect JIMMY NAILS $9 finished next, 5.5L from the winner. This trio all enjoyed a soft run behind the clear leader MANDALONG STARZ $26. They quickened at the 600m and Coto De Caza was left flat footed and had to come around heals as they headed for the judge. Booshang took over at the top of the straight and never looked like being beaten. Coto De Caza got his second wind and finished it off strongly. Jimmy Nails just battled after getting every chance. Booshang relished the step-up to the middle distance and with the ability to sit forward will win more races. Coto De Caza looked gone when he dropped the bit. Remains a Maiden and there will be a race for him over this distance and longer.    

Race 3 (1200m) Mdn

There wasn’t much separating three runners in the market with the Sydney-trained UP TO MISCHIEF $4.20 winning on protest from JAZZ ALL KNIGHT $10 with ROMAN MISS $3.60 just 0.4L from the winner in third. The disappointment was the favourite DIABLO BOLT ($3.40). He settled back from the wide gate and was running on well in the straight but suffered interference at the 100m stopping his momentum. Jazz All Knight led with Up To Mischief settling on her outside. Roman Miss trailed the leader but over raced in the early and middle stages. She was also held up for clear running until after the 250m. Jazz All Night sprinted hard but shifted out abruptly at the 250 bumping into Up To Mischief. She held a margin on the line with Up To Mischief getting the nose down on the line from Roman Miss who flew up the rail. GREY LAD $20 was slow to begin and ran into it well in fourth, well clear of the rest. Good efforts all, especially from the ultimate winner.     

Race 4 (1000m) Bm60

LIGHT PRESS $3.80 was backed in from $6 and delivered easily by 2.5L from SUPER SPROCKET $9.50, with MOOSHAKA $6 3L from the winner in third. The $2.80 favourite LUNAR SOLAR was well beaten third. She’d kicked out in the gates and post-race was found to be in season and had a minor cut to a flank. Best to forgive. Supper Sprocket led and felt plenty of heat from PAPER DAISY $15. Light Press settle behind them and presented three wide on the turn full of running. He was in front at the 250m and came away to win comfortably. Super Sprocket fought on strongly to hold the finishers and there was merit in that. Mooshaka sat midfield and finished in off well.  BOWIE OF DUBAI $17 was wide throughout and finished okay though well beaten. 

Race 5 (1400m) Bm65

OWL WITNESS $10 upset the favourite MISSILE SEEKER $2.90 winning by just shy of 1L with 3.7L and 5.4L back to ASTUNNER $12 and ADD MILK $4.40 respectively. Astunner led but the others in the frame all sat midfield or worse. Missile seeker was slow away and improved to turn the widest along with Owl Magic, who had bounded on jumping. The leader was clear at the 250m, but the other pair were thundering down the middle and took over at the 150m. Owl Witness proved the stronger. Add Milk knuckled on jumping and was held up rounding the home turn. She was disappointing all the same. The winner and runner-up are the ones to follow out of the race. 

Race 6 (1200m) 

Punters had difficulty sorting this out and VELLA MAGIC $9.50 continued her fine run of form winning by a long head from KELVEDON ROAD $6 with TULLA PARK $5, 1.5L from the winner in third. was well beaten and on the surface looked to have her chance. There was a charger for the lead with six horses involved. The favourite FANGELA $4.20 held the rail with Tulla Park on his outside and PROPHET'S PRIDE $4.80 parked three-wide. Vella Magic settled behind this trio after easing out of the early battle. Kelvedon Road settled well back and straightened for home the widest. Vella Magic came through and got the better of Tulla Park and just held off Kelvedon Road’s big finish. No knock on the effort of Tulla Park in third, given the heat up front. The way the race was run a few fancied runners didn’t do themselves any favours. A good ride on Vella Magic and Kelvedon Road’s effort was eye-catching. Stick with him. 

Race 7 (1600m) Bm 75 TAB Federal. 

CLIFF HOUSE was a drifting $4.20 favourite and held out the two next best supported SPITFIRE $4.60 and TROOPER KNUCKLE $4.80 with a space to the rest headed by OFFSPRING $5.50. It was a keen go for the lead before SHE’S ALL IN $31 charged away. Trooper Knuckle settled forward in third enjoying a soft run as was Cliff House midfield in a nice spot. Spitfire was rearward after a slowish beginning.  Trooper Knuckle turned in front, but Cliff Hose was soon threatening after turning four-wide. Spitfire was held up at the home turn and was also starting to wind up. After a ding-dong battle Cliff House took over from Trooper Knuckle at the 100m and held out Spitfire’s determined finish. It looked a good contest on paper and that’s how it proved. Liked the efforts of the first two home.  Cliff House has no won 5/10 and will improve off the run.  

Race 8 (1200m Cl1

The promising Matt Dale-trained LYRICAL BEAUTY was backed into a $1.55 and delivered by a short head form Breakaway Week $11. Stablemate PROMETIO MISS $10 was 1.2L from the winner in third. Lyrical Miss found the from easily and Breakaway Week trailed the speed. Lyrical Beauty was left along and tuned for home full of running and has enough in hand to hold out the determined efforts of the Dryden-trained pair.  The third-placed Prometio Miss was back and started a strong forward more before the 800m and was the widest on turning. Lyrical Beauty has won both starts for Matt Dale and will win better races than this.  Fourth-placed HOLD $16 will have taken fitness and learning.