Whittington Stone looks to be a horse of ability and he can break his maiden in the first at Ladbrokes Park on Wednesday. The Whittington gelding has missed a place only once in four career starts and resumed this time to fill the minors at Geelong before running second behind the smart Dune Field here last time out. He harbours further improvement and is ready to win.
2 Units Whittington Stone
The majority of the ten juveniles engaged for a start have had only one race start to date, while the Anthony Freedman-trained Ain’tnodeeldun will make his debut.
I’m happy to stay out of this one.
No Bet
Kentucky Tornado could hardly have been more impressive when a dominant winner here last time out and she looks well placed to make it two in a row. The Mizzen Mast mare has won two of her last three starts, placing on the other occasion, but it is probably fair to say that she produced the best performance of her career over this trip last time out and she is rock-hard fit for this contest.
5 Units Kentucky Tornado
Only six horses have accepted into this race, but there is a legitimate case to be built for each.
Lankan Star simply didn’t come up last time in, but her best form would find her extremely difficult to beat in a race of this quality and I am happy to give her a chance at around the $6.50 mark. Lankan Star was a strong and consistent performer during her two-year-old prep, breaking her maiden at The Valley and finishing second in the Group 1 Blue Diamond, most notably.
2 Units Lankan Star
Scipio doesn’t know how to run a bad race and strikes another very winnable one at Ladbrokes Park on Wednesday. The All Too Hard gelding resumed this time for consecutive wins at Cranbourne and Werribee before finishing third in BM64 company at Flemington last time out. He’ll be fitter fourth-up and with even luck, can fight out the finish again.
3 Units Scipio
Playoffs will take winning form into the sixth at Ladbrokes Park tonight and can continue his rise through the grades. The Tavistock gelding was fair without threatening in two starts during his debut prep but appears to have returned to the track a better horse this time, and was a smart winner at Terang when resuming. This is harder, but he has plenty of upside and looks as though he’ll enjoy the run of the race from barrier 4 and taking weight from all of his rivals.
2 Units Playoffs
Hidden Legend is yet another runner set to step out on Wednesday that will enjoy improvement from a competitive first-up effort. The Pluck gelding hasn’t missed a place in three career starts, winning once at Mornington on debut and there was a lot to like about the way he hit the line at The Valley a couple of weeks ago. Ben Melham takes the ride and the horse will take beating.
3 Units Hidden Legend
This is one of the more open contests of the day at Ladbrokes Park and a hard way to end the day from a betting perspective, but the second-up Rock Dove will enjoy big improvement and looks over the odds at a double-figure price ($13 at publish). Rock Dove has been a strong and consistent performer throughout her entre racing career and won the Listed Strutt Stakes most notably as a three-year-old. She finished down the order over 1250m first-up at Canterbury, but this is an easier race than that and she will relish the rise in trip.
1 Unit E/W Rock Dove