Yet again we were reminded how strong this crop of three-year-old fillies are with BENAGIL busting the clock in the G1 SA Oaks and AMEENA almost stealing the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville last Saturday.
BENAGIL beat G1 standard time by the best part of 6L when she took advantage of an off rail bias, storming down the middle to claim the Oaks. Then 40 minutes later AMEENA recorded a career peak rating first-up in the Sangster Stakes but was bloused narrowly by the talented CHARM STONE, who had to clock the best last 1000m of the day to win.
Stick with AMEENA this winter if they find another 1200m race with a few weeks between runs while BENAGIL could be a genuine force in the Caulfield Cup off this.
The week for Proven Thoroughbreds began on Wednesday at Doomben with not much going right for TOWN CRIER. The gelding was forced to go up the inside in the home straight with wider lanes proving the better going. Then at the 200m he had to check and switch across heels as the leader rolled in. He did a good job to pick himself up and finish 3rd in a race where the winner, JOHN RAMBO, beat standard time by more than 3L.
The consistent ICONIC TREASURE notched his 8th placing from 13 starts when he finished 3rd in a BM72 behind THE GREAT HOUDINI at Randwick’s Kensington track on Anzac Day. The five-year-old was heavily backed into $3.30 and sat on a genuine tempo but his last 200m rated poorly, ranking 48th for the day and was almost 3L below standard. Perhaps he’s better on slightly drier ground, the Soft 7 here was the wettest surface he’d faced under race conditions.
After a terrific run in a high rating race first-up, we thought LITTLE COINTREAU represented terrific each-way value at $11 and accordingly was given a stern push in the pre-race preview for the BM78 1400m contest on the same day. Expectations increased when the money poured in and the gelding jumped at $8. He got a long way back and found the line well but was pipped for 3rd. He’s another one that probably would have preferred a drier track.
PRIVATE EYE’s little brother KINGS SECRET has been burdened with expectation since arriving at Joe Pride’s stable. Joe likes the sibling but we were forced to settle for two placings in his debut prep with the three-year-old doing plenty wrong in his races. But he settled well at Gosford last Friday tracking the heavily backed second favourite, JUSTICE WARRIOR, before reeling off the fastest last 400m of the day to get the job done. There’s a long way to go before he reaches his brother’s lofty heights but the right indications are there that KING’S SECRET is at the very least, above average.
Still at Gosford, and our daughter of SO YOU THINK, MIND BENDER, kicked off her career in a 1000m maiden. She took plenty of riding but picked up well over the concluding stages to record the 2nd fastest last 200m of the race, which also ranked 5th for the meeting and was more than 2L above standard. She’ll be better over a tad further.
On Saturday at Randwick, FLYING BANDIT, struck a fast run 1800m race where they beat standard time by almost 4L. This was a high quality BM94 and despite getting beaten, he produced a decent rating to suggest he can win a race of this nature in the future. He’s also racing as though he’s ready for longer distances which he will get in the Wagga Cup (2000m) on Friday.
Heading north on Saturday and we had one of my favourites in the stable in ELIVINA breakthrough at Newcastle in a 1500m Maiden. She sat outside the lead with odds on pop BUCKENARA right on her back. Coming into the straight the favourite launched his claim as did another runner underneath us. At the 200m, ELIVINA was under siege from both sides but rallied tenaciously to win in moderate time. But this was a slowly run race and we won’t see the best of her until she strikes a fast run mile or even 2000m and beyond.
Going further north to Eagle Farm and CARTWHEELS struck a bit of trouble coming into the home straight of a Class 3 1200m race. When she got out she reeled off the best race split between the 400-200m with her overall time bang on average for the grade. There’s no doubt the conditions in Brisbane on Saturday were too wet for NAVAL TRADER and he’ll improve a stack onto dry ground. He also copped a bit of interference which effectively put him out of play.
Nic Ashman is a form expert who has developed his own times rating system to assess races. He is the host of The Beaten Favourite podcast and appears on several other racing media outlets.