A quality eight-race program will take place at Canterbury on Friday night, highlighted by an $80,000 Handicap.
The rail will remain in the true position around the entire course and at publish, the track is rated in the Soft (6) range.
The program once again begins with a juveniles’ race full of debutants and hardly any form to divulge, so I am going to leave the cue in the rack until Race 2 jumps.
No Bet
Kaptive has returned two nice performance since resuming and is ready to break his maiden.
The Team Hawkes-trained gelding finished second, albeit well beaten by April Rain here when fresh and was last seen finishing second over 1350m at Wyong.
This does shape as a race in two between this horse and Comporta, but I am eager to take the better price for Kaptive.
2 Units Kaptive
Teleporter will make his long-awaited debut in the third at Canterbury on Friday and has opened quite a short favourite, but I am going to take him on.
Grenado has continued to improve with each start back this time and I think that this looks a great opportunity for him to win.
Grenado is now a seven-start maiden, but he got back at Warwick Farm last time and mustered an eye-catching turn of foot to fill the minors.
He looks to be at peak fitness for this race and can settle a little closer to the speed under James McDonald.
2 Units Grenado
I’m expecting Amoretti to come out of this and instead race at Rosehill on Saturday and with that in mind, I’m quite keen on Lando Bay.
Lando Bay hasn’t won since June last year, but he rarely returns a bad effort, and has hit the line well to place at each of his last two starts, including a close second behind the classy Zing in BM78 company two back.
He is rock-hard fit and Nash Rawiller has options from the rails draw.
5 Units Lando Bay
Vreneli has enjoy a meteoric rise to prominence and he can record another win in Friday night’s feature race at Canterbury.
The Wandjina gelding immediately stamped himself as a runner to follow when comfortably winning on debut at Randwick-Kensington, and while he could only manage a fifth placing behind the talented Private Eye when second-up, he responded with another comfortable win at the Warwick Farm midweeks.
With further improvement from that hit-out and from the good draw, this looks a perfect target for him.
4 Units Vreneli
Foxborough was extremely disappointing here at Canterbury a couple of weeks ago but I am going to give her another chance on Friday, in the hope that she is ridden more positively.
The Dissident mare’s form prior to that run was decent, and she had absolutely no luck last time and with a better time in transit this week, I think she’ll be hard to beat.
The $7 that is available at publish means that’s we can have an each-way play.
2 Units E/W Foxborough
This shapes as one of, if not the most open race on the card, and I’m going to have a small wager on the resuming Born A Warrior.
Born A Warrior returned several pleasing efforts in similar races to this one last preparation, and while he is yet to record a first-up win, he has missed placing just once in three previous attempts.
He looks to be quite well suited to the conditions of this race and with luck, can be in the finish.
2 Units Born A Warrior
Blazing has also accepted for a race at Rosehill on Saturday, but this is clearly the softer option, and it looks a winnable one for him.
Blazing has been a reasonably consistent performer for the Curtis stable since making his debut, and has stripped fitter for a couple of decent efforts at Warwick Farm and here at Canterbury this time in.
The booking of Kerrin McEvoy is positive, as is barrier 3, and he might not be offered a better opportunity to win in town.
1 Unit E/W Blazing