Midweek racing heads to Sandown Hillside and Randwick Kensington tomorrow with some potential autumn group horses set to run on both cards.
Sandown Race 1 (1300m)
#3 frontman
The jump outs of the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained two-year-old colt named Frontman were quite sharp for a horse of his breeding.
He’s by Redoute’s Choice out of a New Zealand mare, Negotiate, who was a city stakes performer over the mile through to the 2200m range.
A debut run here over 1300m, combined with the breeding, suggests he is clearly a middle-distance horse, however, his Flemington and Balnarring jump outs showed he is more than capable of winning a race like this.
Mark Zahra takes the reins and, having drawn barrier one, hopefully he can garner enough speed from his mount to sit just in behind the leaders and peel out when the gaps open up in the straight.
Suggested Bet: Frontman each way at $6 the win and $2.2 the place.
Sandown Race 5 (1300m)
#8 unstoppabelle
Safe Passage could be a three-year-old autumn group horse this preparation.
She was absolutely truck loaded in betting upon resumption from a spell at Pakenham and duly saulted in fine fashion.
Jockey Damien Lane had to sit outside the leader that night and held off all the challengers to win by just over a length.
Despite all that, this filly remains at benchmark-64 level and as such has been penalized five kilos for that first-up win.
The value here lies with Unstoppabelle.
Her first ever career run at 1300m was here on the 20th of January but that was the Lakeside course which generally favours on-pace runners.
She was severely checked at the 900m mark of that race after being snagged back to last from a wide barrier by apprentice Matthew Cartwright.
This time around she gets the services of Mark Zahra and draws barrier six.
Expecting her to settle much closer in the run than she did last start and that should see this three-year-old filly run a much improved race.
Suggested bet: Unstoppabelle each-way at $9 the win and $2.9 the place
sandown race 7 (1600m)
#9 dargo
Dargo resumes from a 229-day spell off the back of two nice jump outs in preparation for this first-up assignment over the mile.
He ran in the higher benchmark-64 grade first-up last preparation and ran second on that occasion.
It must also be noted that the market respected his capabilities of running well over the mile first-up as he only started $5.
He was subsequently spelled after being thrashed in benchmark-78 grade at his third run last campaign.
The map looks favourable for him here as well.
He showed good toe in his second Cranbourne jump out over 1200m where he settled on pace, held his position to the line without being put under much duress and won the heat.
That piece of work gives a positive indication that he can lead here in a race that looks to lack any genuine leader.
The main danger to him is Rebel Racer.
He had a shocking set-up first-up at Kilmore in a benchmark-58 race.
Had to carry 63.5kgs and sit three wide on the pace. He faded to finish fifth, six lengths behind the winner.
Today he gets a massive jockey change with Jamie Kah replacing Fred Kersley.
Suggested Bet:
- Dargo each-way at $12 the win and $3.4 the place
- Rebel Racer win at $5.5
Randwick Kensington Race 1 (1100m)
#11 glittery
James Cummings looks to finally have found the trick for his quirky three-year-old filly Geist.
She had been eight start maiden until two runs ago where she broke through her first career victory over 1100m at Hawkesbury.
A Wyong class one over the same distance was the scene of her second win in a row and despite both triumphs being at provincial level, she seems to have taught herself how to stick her neck out and win.
From barrier four, jockey Rachel King should settle one off the fence and be no further than a pair back in the run.
Happy to take the winning filly to make it three consecutive wins.
Suggested Bet: Geist win at $5 and save the place at $1.9
randwick kensington race 6 (1000m)
#9 geist
Really intriguing race with three horses dominating the market here.
Total Babe ($3.4) and Mallory ($3.2) are the maidens in the field and both enter this race first-up.
The horse to be with here though is Vianello.
This two-year-old filly by Teofilo won very intelligently at Newcastle on debut and then just found a few better than her last start to run third at her first ever run in town.
She’s had a little freshen up and trial in between runs and here that should give her a fitness edge over this field in what looks to be a solidly run 1100m race.
Big jockey change as well with the gun senior hoop Kerrin McEvoy taking the ride off Rachel King.
Suggested Bet: Vianello win at $4.2
