Racing & Sports Review - Friday 24 February 2023

Race 1 (1300m) CL1

Only 5 gallopers faced the starter and the $2.70F DREAM INHERIT took it out for the Sydney barn. The early money suggested she was ready to fire off an 8-week let up, and it kept coming. Dolan had her positioned behind the leader and they weren’t breaking any records. She got to the leader at the 200m and held off the late dive from GALACTIC WARRIOR $3.20 - $4.40 to win by the barest of margins. The latter sat handy off the rail and was three-wide at the turn. He was doing his best work on the line and a win is close. BURGUNDY GIRL $2.80 sat behind the main bunch and stayed on the inside. It got a bit tight for her in the straight and her effort beaten 1.7L had merit.

Race 2 (1300m) Mdn SW

WITNESS TO LOVE $1.55 was heavily bet and proved 1L too good. She led early but gave it up at the 1000m electing to trail NORRIS. $4.40. This pair were clearly going best as they made the turn. They were involved in a ding-dong go until the 100m when the winner was able to assert his authority. FAIRNESS IS BEST $13 - $20 sat midfield and was the widest on the turn. He came hard on debut to grab second from Norris. Impressed and is and is worth following over longer races. Norris faded beaten 1.6L and they spaced the others.

Race 3 (1400m) Bm65 3yo

SHOW NO COMPASSION $2.80 and OFFSPRING $2.05F were the pair the market liked and there was only a nose separating them on the line in that order. REGION TIME $7 was a whisker away in third. Show No Compassion sat on the leader’s flank and Offspring on her back. The winner took over at the 200m and fought like a tiger to hold them off. Offspring came up the rail and kept coming, as did Region Time who settled back and was widest on the turn. GOLD TRACKER $13 settle last and worked across runners to the middle of the track after the 200m. His finishing effort was an eye-catcher beaten less than 1L. The pressure told on the leader NOVEMBER FALLS $10, who was a noticeable market drifter. Expect the from this race to stack up.

Race 4 (1600m) CL1 SW

The Sydney-trained PURE HYDROGEN $2.40 was a firm favourite and demolished his rivals, 3.5L clear of the runner-up. There was a charge early and Pure Hydrogen’s rider cleverly elect to take no part. He positioned second-last off the rail and was always travelling sweetly. He commenced a sharp forward more at the 600m and was four-wide on turning — and right in touch. He gave then a galloping lesson in the stretch winning as he liked. The minor placers ZEDLY $6 - $11 and Les Goh $11 settled midfield and finished off okay. The disappointment was FIERCE LEGEND $3.60 who burnt juice early to sit outside the leader and raced keenly. He was spent not long after they turned for home. Pure Hydrogen is a nice mover and will win better races.

Race 5 (1000m) Mdn

SUCCESSFUL $31 - $26 caused the day’s upset defeating MISS BLACK DIAMOND $1.80F by 1.5L with the second favourite DECIMUS $3.40 a further half-length away in third. It was very busy upfront and Successful elected to settle rearward. Miss Black Diamond and DRESSED TO KILL $21 were cutting at each other up front. They were still fighting for supremacy at the 150m but under sufferance. It got messy at the business end with Successful forced wide before having to get around Dressed To Kill who laid out badly. The race pattern suited but there was no fluke about the win. Decimus was a long way back at the turn and put in an eye-catcher to make third. Miss Black Diamond was pressured throughout, and it was a tough effort to stick on as well as she did.

Race 6 (1000m) Bm 60

BEAU ROCK $6 - $4.40 got the chocolates for the locals by a 2L margin. It was a good effort. He’d settled three-wide throughout on a hot pace but never looked like throwing up the white flag. He showed a good turn of foot to lead at the 200m and never looked like being headed. DEHERO $4.80 made second. The filly was slow to begin and off the pace in a bunched field. She was held up rounding the home turn but lacked a finishing punch after.  NONSHALAANT $14 led them and gave a great sight sticking on well to hold third just head of ZANSHIN $26 who was doing his best work late and that’s worth noting from a future perspective. The big disappointment was the effort of the $2.30F SCREAM. He raced very wide throughout and at the 800m had to be checked in an incident that saw Zanshin’s rider suspended. He is worth another chance. YESTERDAYS GONE $19 also had excuses.

Race 7 (1000m) Open - Black Opal Preview

The field thinned out after scratchings, but it still proved a good contest with Sydney-trained gallopers filling the first three placings. LEGOLAS $6 - $4.50 took it out by 1L from ALLABOUTELLA $2.10 with a further length back to SNIPPETY STAR $8 - $11.Legolas led comfortably and held the margin on the line. Allaboutella sat on the back of the leader and was held up rounding the home turn. Inside the 100m she looked like she’d make a contest of it but at the 50m shifted out when contacted by the winner whip. Snippety Lass sat on the leader off the rail and lacked dash when it was required. BIG DEMEANOR $4.60 was a little slow to begin and raced wide throughout. A tidy effort by Legolas but it gets tougher from here.

Race 8 (1600m) Quality – Canberra Mile

It looked competitive on paper and only 1.5L separated the first five home. We’d gone for CAESARS PALACE on top and he got the job done by the skinniest of margins. Caesars Palace settled in the middle behind a bunched speed. Penza found a split on the inside in a clever piece of riding and soon had him in a threatening position. He got his head in front at the 200m and just prevailed on the line from FOR VALOUR $6. He led comfortably and gave everything. MISSION PHOENIX $8 sat on the leader and his was an equally tough effort beaten a half-length in third. (Note: he suffered a bleeding attack during the race and will be off the scene for at least three months). MANDERBOSS $3.40 was only beaten 1L in fourth and it was a run full of merit. He bounded on jumping and settled well off them before improving his position passing the 1000m. He came down the middle and was doing his best work late.

Race 9 (1200m) Open – National Sprint Preview

The locals were on their feet when the well-performed SUPER HELPFUL $3.60 delivered by 1L following a 13-week spell. He settled eighth behind a steady tempo and found an uninterrupted run through rounding the home turn. He had plenty to do at the 200m but was putting in the long ones and was coming way at the line. LOOK ONLY $12 was prominent in the run and was held up on the home turn. The form out of the Bega sprint held up. He finished in second just ahead of SHORES OF AVALON $4.80, the medium of strong betting support. She was wide on the speed all the way and looked the winner at the 200m. MORE THE MERRIER $4.80 sat on the leader but didn’t run it out. MAJOR TIME $8 led and stopped. A big return from Super Helpful and she’ll be given her chance in tougher.