I have five runners to follow this Saturday across three states.
Three of them found plenty of trouble at their latest outings and look well placed to atone and there’s one from Sydney that I’m very keen to follow after he caught my eye in a recent trial.
We’ll kick off in Brisbane where it’s a huge day of racing with three Group Ones on the card.
My best from there goes around early in the day and she’ll probably start shorter than I’d anticipated, largely due to the fact it is the Waller / McDonald combination.
Mare Of Mt Buller was doing her best work late then resuming over the mile at Gosford and she’ll appreciate getting back on a bigger track.
Given a let up after taking out the Group 3 Epona Stakes in the Autumn, the Chris Waller trained mare returned in fine order as she settled back at the tail and charged home late into third, in the $500k The Coast feature.
She races very well over this journey, she looks beautifully placed back against her own sex and the wide gate shouldn’t be an issue as she’ll get back and finish off strongly.
We’ll head to Flemington next, where I have a couple of hard luck stories.
It was tough viewing if, like me, you were on King Of Enterprise last start.
Stepping out over the mile on the Hillside, the son of Impending was allowed to drift back off the inside gate and never got a crack at them.
He found plenty of traffic in the straight and only saw daylight 100m out when it was all too late.
When resuming at Pakenham, he was unlucky not to have won but atoned for that at his following outing and then proved too good again as he saluted over the Warrnambool Carnival.
He’s not short of talent and he’ll be sure to make his presence felt here.
I Only Wish comes off two eye catching runs over the mile at Caulfield and I think she’ll relish getting out to 2000m here at headquarters.
She found herself a long way off them two starts back but once she balanced up at the top of the straight, she charged home late into second.
Last start, she settled at the tail, in what was a compact field but was held up approaching the turn and until the 200m mark where she had to switch across the heels off eventual winner Madiyya and flashed late to get within a neck of the highly rated filly.
A daughter of Puissance De Lune, she has always shown plenty of promise but has really come of age this preparation and I think she’ll continue to rise through the grades.
Gate six should see her settle within striking distance and with even luck, she’ll be hard to beat.
Bright Red is not one I’d though I’d ever be putting in the blackbook as she’s quite elusive but she didn’t have the best of luck when resuming over 1400m on the Kensington and I think she’s well suited stepping up to the mile with the run under her belt.
Settling midfield on the rail, she looked to be cruising coming to the turn but had nowhere to go and after losing her momentum, she just held her ground to line.
Not a noted first up performer, she does generally take a run to come to hand and her best runs have been over this trip.
It’s been a while between drinks for the Chris Waller trained mare but she was placed in six of her seven starts last campaign, so you certainly can’t knock her form.
Nash Rawiller takes the reins, she draws to get the right run and she’s proven in all conditions, so I think she’s worth following.
One that caught my eye at the trials is set to make his Australian debut this Saturday in the penultimate event at Randwick.
The imported French galloper, Shadizi has recorded four wins from his eight starts, including one at Listed level and he boasts solid form around him.
Given two trials, the first on the synthetic at Warwick Farm, he was taken back to last and just followed them around under a hold but his most recent, over 1045m at Randwick, saw him made to travel in behind them and he was very strong through the line and looked to have plenty in hand.
Quite often these European gallopers can take a preparation to really settle in and we generally don’t see them at their best until they’ve had adequate time to adapt but I think this son of Siyouni is ready to go.