Mi Furioso Toro was very plain on this circuit last Friday when weakening out of it behind smart mare No Motive, but there stable reported he had an interrupted lead up to that race with a minor injury, so we can overlook that below par performance.
He was very good from the stand at Marburg prior to that and importantly this race looks to set up nicely for his best style of racing, which is finding the lead over the short course and running them along.
He shouldn’t meet much or any resistance in his bid for the top and from there he will give them something to gun down.
Forgive Me can mix her form, but on her day, she is more than capable, and today’s race looks to set up nicely for her from the trailing draw.
She found the line well for a close-up fourth at Redcliffe last time out and she is proven this track and distance in 1:55.9, which would more than get the job done this afternoon.
Providing The Grogmother can hold up from barrier one and get Forgive Me to the passing lane in time is the only query here, but if that scenario plays out, they’ll have a hard time holding her at bay.
Ima Birubi Boy has been racing consistently of late without winning, but like Forgive Me in the previous event, this looks a really suitable race for him to break a run of outs.
He gets the country’s leading driver Nathan Dawson in the gig this afternoon, which is obviously a huge tick, and he does drop back to his favoured 1660m trip after contesting the 2138m on this circuit last time.
The key for him is whether he can head off Mister Hart to his inside, who is a noted leader and fast beginner, but even if he has to settle just off the pace in the running line, he can still be very dangerous at the business end.
La Pistola resumed from a short break at Redcliffe last Thursday and after leading comfortably from the inside gate he was able to score nicely.
He will be further improved by that outing and although this race is a tad harder, he again comes up with the right draw to attempt an all-the-way success.
The only small query will be if Ima Classy Girl is fired off the arm from out wide in an attempt to lead, but even if he is crossed and has to sit behind that mare, he still gets every possible chance.
The Grogfather hadn’t done a lot in four runs back from a break, but he turned all that around on this track last Friday afternoon with a thumping win in 1:53.2 after doing all of the work outside the leader.
There are some capable types in this race with B Mac C, Falcons and Just Dessy all likely to be in striking positions from their handy draws, but all things being equal, if The Grogfather finds the lead as expected he shouldn’t be run down on what we saw last week.
One out, Brigadiers Son is clearly the best horse in this race, but the back row draw and the fact he hasn’t raced since early January bring him back to the pack a little.
Having said all that though, he did trial OK recently on this circuit behind the superstar 4YO Leap To Fame in 1:53.3 and the back line gate isn’t all that bad, as he does follow out a fast beginner in Some Girls Dont, so he should lob into a handy enough spot.
He’s got a wicked turn of foot on him when right and if he’s within striking distance of them at the 400m, then he really should be too slippery first up.