A $101 shot pops up with the blinkers for the first time and the Wizard thinks he is worth an each-way play as racing heads down the Princes Highway to Geelong as well as the country meeting in NSW from Scone.
Giddy up, punters!
Geelong Race 2
#10 Heresy
Heresy looks the most professional of the two-year-olds in this race despite this being her debut run.
The Godolphin team has opted to give her two 800-metre Flemington jump outs in preparation for this race both of which were stylish.
Loved the way she jumped from the barriers in her jump outs and finding the front/on-pace position with relative easy and keeping her head carriage compact and tight.
She travelled on the bridle beautifully and ended up winning her second jump out by a whisker to one of her main rivals in this race, Ostracised.
Damien Oliver takes the ride which is also a big tick.
Suggested Bet: Heresy win at $3.7
Geelong Race 4
#2 Hartack
This is the epitome of ‘throwing the kitchen sink’.
Hartack makes his race debut over 1500 metres after a handful of barrier trials tripled with blinkers, a tongue tie and Damien Oliver hopping in the saddle.
All those factors clearly signal a huge intent to get a victory on the board as soon as the barriers open for his first race start.
He was able to go toe to toe in an 1190-metre trial with Made By Khan – who has since come out and bolted in a Mornington maiden by just over three lengths – which shows this Francis Finnegan-trained three-year-old gelding by Reliable Man has some talent.
The thing to really like about this horse is the early speed he has shown for a galloper of his staying pedigree.
Despite losing the Cranbourne trial to Made by Khan, he actually had to do a little bit of work to find the front but when he did, he settled down nicely and travelled like a smart horse.
Wide barrier will be of no concern if Oliver used the gate speed of this horse.
Suggested Bet: Hartack win at $4
Suggested Exotic: Trifecta – 2/ 1, 5/ 1, 5
Geelong Race 5
#3 Namakwa
Namakwa looks ready to fire second-up here after a solid enough effort when resuming from a spell at Werribee last start.
John Allen, who takes the rides here, rode the three-year-old colt to finish runner-up with 63kgs at that first-up run and gets a big chance to go one better.
The pair have some positive factors in their favour; getting five kilos of weight relief, an outside barrier where he can exert his stride in full rather than being hemmed away on the rails and the tongue tie to help the horse breath easier.
Looks like the step up to 1500 metres will suit him perfectly and he did win second-up last start running a personal best.
Suggested Bet: Namakawa win at $4.6
Scone Race 3
#5 War Heart
Having a wild throw at the stumps here with War Hart at an enormous price.
Forget his first ever race start where he copped a heavy track at Muswellbrook over 900 metres and never looked comfortable having to deal with a heap of kickback from the wet surface.
His second race start was just not run to suit at all after he was used up early from the barrier to settle on the pace and then restrained.
Ended up finishing a distant 10th out of 12 runners but was immediately put away for a spell.
Now, local trainer Peter Bloomfield gets his three-year-old gelding racing at his home track with the blinkers and the bubble cheeker to spark some improvement in the horse.
Think he is worth a tiny little peanut each-way at $101
Suggested bet: War Heart each-way at $101 the win and $21 the place.
Suggested Bet: Boxed First Four – 2, 3, 5 ,8
