Australia Racing Preview for 8/1/2014
by Grant Davies
Racing is back at Moonee Valley this weekend and can you believe it’s only 3 months until the W.S Cox plate!! Time flies and that means the good horses are starting to awake from their winter business and start to mean business. This weekend gives us some good honest field to make some money from, so let’s waste no more time.
MOONEE VALLEY – AUS A
RACE 1 - THE VALLEY HANDICAP 2040m of $80000 (AUS)
Track Dead (5) at acceptance time with a poor forecast leading up to race day. Selections done for a Dead (5)/Slow (6) but mindful it could be worse. HIPPOPUS might be too good for this lot. 2040m first up looks very suitable. He's been trialling well. His second to Junoob (subsequently G1 placed) over 2000m back in April reads very well for this grade. SHENZHOU STEEDS didn't have the best of luck at Flemington. BAGMAN continues to race well but has plenty of weight to cope with again. VINTAGE LAD showed heart to win a weaker race last Sunday.
SELECTIONS – HIPPOPUS / SHENZOU STEEDS / BAGMAN
RACE 3 - MELBOURNE SIGNAGE CONCEPTS HANDICAP 2500m of $80000 (AUS)
Keen to be looking to the lighter weighted runners in this race here. ROWLAND fits the bill after his confidence booster at Caulfield (FINALLY). Take out the Flemington last on firmish ground and he's going very well this prep. Concede that was the win he needed to have last time. GREEN ROLLER is in career best form. She's the likely leader (from Use The Lot) and with 52kg should be pretty hard to run down. Back to the top of the weights and BACKBONE must go in. His win last time was very good and 2500m will suit. Have a query on him on really wet ground though. MULAQEN can sit closer in the run this time.
SELECTIONS – GREEN ROLLER / BACKBONE / ROWLAND
RACE 4 - UNITED REFRIGERATION HANDICAP 1000m of $80000 (AUS)
Fascinated to see what LORD OF THE SKY delivers after his defeat last week at 1200m. There's no denying his solid stats over 1000m. He's won a race by sitting off Fab Fevola but this time he draws gate one and that might be a little awkward. Nisbet might kick up to hold her spot. The pattern is crucial. Up to Dead (5) and think SOLSAY is a huge hope fresh with just the light 52kg. Wetter and he's a definite query but will take the lead from the stable should they choose to go around. ZAMORAR did well to win first up and can only go on; he could be a classy horse. He's unbeaten here. He's going to get a lovely run. SIWA LADY is a definite chance in this race.
SELECTIONS – LORD OF THE SKY / ZAMORAR / SOLSAY
RACE 7 - 1PRINT HANDICAP 1200m of $80000 (AUS)
Keen to be with the new season four-year-olds in this race. HARD STRIDE and UNDER THE LOUVRE (If you can stomach giving him more money) fit the bill nicely. If it's been tough to make ground (Pay attention) then be with HARD STRIDE otherwise UNDER THE LOUVRE is the way to go. Like the latter getting back around a turn. Hard Stride is proven all conditions while UNDER THE LOUVRE is still some query on ground real wet ground. PLAY MASTER was back to his best last start over 1200m. He'll be hard to hold out. ACADEMY JACK is mixing trips but a must to include if they're running on from behind.
SELECTIONS – HARD STRIDE / PLAY MASTER / UNDER THE LOUVRE
RACE 8 - JEEP DON'T HOLD BACK HANDICAP 1600m of $80000 (AUS)
Good race this one. THE CLEANER means it will be genuinely run and he'll have a few to keep him honest. The pattern is obviously crucial. If they can run on then LORD OF BRAZIL might be tough to beat. His past couple have been okay and he looks desperate to get into a 1600m race. No knock at all on The Cleaner. He'll give his usual terrific sight in front but it's never easy with 60.5kg. BLACKIE loves this surface and no shock to see him bounce back. EIGELSTEIN measures up through his defeat of FULGUR back in June. But for me, think FULGUR may just win today.
SELECTIONS – FULGUR / LORD OF BRAZIL / BLACKIE
Racing is back at Moonee Valley this weekend and can you believe it’s only 3 months until the W.S Cox plate!! Time flies and that means the good horses are starting to awake from their winter business and start to mean business. This weekend gives us some good honest field to make some money from, so let’s waste no more time.
MOONEE VALLEY – AUS A
RACE 1 - THE VALLEY HANDICAP 2040m of $80000 (AUS)
Track Dead (5) at acceptance time with a poor forecast leading up to race day. Selections done for a Dead (5)/Slow (6) but mindful it could be worse. HIPPOPUS might be too good for this lot. 2040m first up looks very suitable. He's been trialling well. His second to Junoob (subsequently G1 placed) over 2000m back in April reads very well for this grade. SHENZHOU STEEDS didn't have the best of luck at Flemington. BAGMAN continues to race well but has plenty of weight to cope with again. VINTAGE LAD showed heart to win a weaker race last Sunday.
SELECTIONS – HIPPOPUS / SHENZOU STEEDS / BAGMAN
RACE 3 - MELBOURNE SIGNAGE CONCEPTS HANDICAP 2500m of $80000 (AUS)
Keen to be looking to the lighter weighted runners in this race here. ROWLAND fits the bill after his confidence booster at Caulfield (FINALLY). Take out the Flemington last on firmish ground and he's going very well this prep. Concede that was the win he needed to have last time. GREEN ROLLER is in career best form. She's the likely leader (from Use The Lot) and with 52kg should be pretty hard to run down. Back to the top of the weights and BACKBONE must go in. His win last time was very good and 2500m will suit. Have a query on him on really wet ground though. MULAQEN can sit closer in the run this time.
SELECTIONS – GREEN ROLLER / BACKBONE / ROWLAND
RACE 4 - UNITED REFRIGERATION HANDICAP 1000m of $80000 (AUS)
Fascinated to see what LORD OF THE SKY delivers after his defeat last week at 1200m. There's no denying his solid stats over 1000m. He's won a race by sitting off Fab Fevola but this time he draws gate one and that might be a little awkward. Nisbet might kick up to hold her spot. The pattern is crucial. Up to Dead (5) and think SOLSAY is a huge hope fresh with just the light 52kg. Wetter and he's a definite query but will take the lead from the stable should they choose to go around. ZAMORAR did well to win first up and can only go on; he could be a classy horse. He's unbeaten here. He's going to get a lovely run. SIWA LADY is a definite chance in this race.
SELECTIONS – LORD OF THE SKY / ZAMORAR / SOLSAY
RACE 7 - 1PRINT HANDICAP 1200m of $80000 (AUS)
Keen to be with the new season four-year-olds in this race. HARD STRIDE and UNDER THE LOUVRE (If you can stomach giving him more money) fit the bill nicely. If it's been tough to make ground (Pay attention) then be with HARD STRIDE otherwise UNDER THE LOUVRE is the way to go. Like the latter getting back around a turn. Hard Stride is proven all conditions while UNDER THE LOUVRE is still some query on ground real wet ground. PLAY MASTER was back to his best last start over 1200m. He'll be hard to hold out. ACADEMY JACK is mixing trips but a must to include if they're running on from behind.
SELECTIONS – HARD STRIDE / PLAY MASTER / UNDER THE LOUVRE
RACE 8 - JEEP DON'T HOLD BACK HANDICAP 1600m of $80000 (AUS)
Good race this one. THE CLEANER means it will be genuinely run and he'll have a few to keep him honest. The pattern is obviously crucial. If they can run on then LORD OF BRAZIL might be tough to beat. His past couple have been okay and he looks desperate to get into a 1600m race. No knock at all on The Cleaner. He'll give his usual terrific sight in front but it's never easy with 60.5kg. BLACKIE loves this surface and no shock to see him bounce back. EIGELSTEIN measures up through his defeat of FULGUR back in June. But for me, think FULGUR may just win today.
SELECTIONS – FULGUR / LORD OF BRAZIL / BLACKIE
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