A relatively quiet week ahead will be highlighted by THE BLACK CLOUD’s mission to bounce back from defeat at Rosehill on Saturday.
The Joe Pride-trained mare was unplaced as a $4.40 chance in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick last month but a drop in grade to BM88 company gives her the chance to put that performance behind her.
“She tried to lead last start on a day when only 2 of 10 winners sat in the first 4 in running,” times analyst Nic Ashman said.
“Our early track info is that Rosehill should suit on pace runners. Expect improvement.”
Meanwhile, stablemate PRIVATE EYE has come through his fourth place in the Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m) in fine fettle and will be afforded an appealing weight drop for his scheduled second-up run in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) on Saturday week – which he of course won last year.
The dual Everest placegetter lumped 59.5kg when resuming at Randwick last weekend but drops to 57kg for The Shorts.
“He ran the fastest split of the race between the 400 and 200m and then peaked on his run,” Ashman said.
“It suggests he’s maybe half a run behind where he normally is at this stage of prep.”
The post-race report indicated he would come on from the run and we expect him to be highly competitive next time out.
ICONIC TREASURE, another Pride-trained galloper, posted back to back wins at Newcastle last week and is set to return to the Broadmeadow track on September 21 for a BM68 over 1300m.
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SIRE ON FIRE – ALABAMA EXPRESS
Another stakes winner last Saturday. Now with 6 stakes performers from just 31 starters, ALABAMA EXPRESS boasts the record that 19.8% of his runners have won or placed at black type level. To put this into perspective, TOO DARN HOT, has a strike rate of 14.9%.
BLACK BOOKER – FLYING BANDIT
Charged home from last to just miss when resuming at Hawkesbury last Saturday. He clocked the best late splits of the race and his overall time was more than 3L faster than the class benchmark. He’ll go to the mile next up and be awfully hard to beat.
BET WITH NIC
Nic’s tips in this article now sit at 13 winners from 17 selections and now he’s found us one at $7.50 in early betting:
“The Lets Elope Stakes in Melbourne has thrown up 4 winners at double digit odds from the last 9 editions. FOXY CLEOPATRA produced a huge finish to miss narrowly over this course and distance in the autumn when producing the 4th fastest last 200m of the entire day. Her fresh figures stack up well for this race. The $6.50 to place is a good bet and while you’re at it you might as well have a peanut on the $26 in case she blouses them”
Upcoming Proven Thoroughbreds runners
Hawkesbury Thursday September 12
BM64 Handicap 2000m
LICHESTER
Kerry Parker/Lee Magorrian
Comment: Ridden quietly last start and she was a tad unlucky not to have finished closer. That might be the key to her and she will be ridden that way again especially with a strong frontrunner in the race. That was her first go at 2000m and she can only improve but she is an enigmatic mare that must be taken on trust.
Rosehill Saturday September 14
BM88 Handicap 1100m
THE BLACK CLOUD
Joe Pride/Jay Ford
Comment: Track pattern was against her last start when she failed for the first time. Should get a better track this time and kept up to the mark with a trial. She beat the BM78 class average by more than 6L last prep carrying 56.5kg. Now has 55.5kg in a BM88. Well placed.
