Geelong hosts a six pack of Friday night harness action, with Tim O’Connor offering his race-by-race preview and tips.
| 6. Half As Tough (6) J: Jason Ainsworth 5330T: Jason Ainsworth | |||
| Last start was well beaten into tenth behind Royal Rockstar at Ballarat over 1710m in a 4yo+ on August 5 at $8. Raced better the start before that with a good run despite getting well back, when 3rd (Fr6) over 2200m at Ballarat was 4th-8.4 at the bell, beaten 8 m by Typhoon (2:45.10) on July 29 at $26. Ready to make amends. | |||
OVERVIEW: ARZALI ROCKSTAR (1) was able to lead and rip home in a slick 55.7sec last half two starts back at Ballarat for a strong victory. She was caught parked last time at Stawell and can be forgiven for dropping out late. She’s trialled well at Bacchus Marsh since with a big win in good time and looks very hard to run down drawn the pole over the 1609m if she can lead. SECRET SERVICE AGENT (9) is the key danger and might well start favourite here. He’s chased home some handy rivals in his career, and this does appear a very suitable assignment for a horse with his class. He was a little disappointing last week at Maryborough when he sat out of the early burn, worked to the front and was still run down as a $1.25 favourite, but his best is pretty good and he can win. BLAZIN BY (4) produced a big finale to score impressively in easier grade first-up at Kilmore, while the consistent CALEDONIAN RANGER (2) is one of the gate speed runners who would become a major player if he got across to the pegs.
BACK: ARZALI ROCKSTAR (1) – 2 units (win)
| 1. Arzali Rockstar (1) J: Liam Older 26310T: D P & B D Barnes | |||
| Last start was well beaten into tenth after showing early speed, behind Allgood Vinnie at Stawell over 1785m on July 20 at $4.60. Performed better the start before where she posted a big 5 m win when quickly away, (Fr2) at Ballarat (2:03.70) beating Fiction File in on July 9 at $8 at the bell was leading 4.56. Major player on best form. | |||
OVERVIEW: Wide-open trotting contest where you can make a case for most of the runners in the field, but perhaps the horse with the most scope is HALLEBESOFINE (6). She produced a huge finale to grab third in a race won by SCAR (5) when first-up from a freshen at Ballarat on August 5, and closed last campaign with a runner-up placing in the rich Nutrien series final behind Aldebaran Ada. She also ran a great race from the chair in the Group 1 NSW Trotters Oaks in May and looks to have the class to win a race like this. SCAR (5) won that aforementioned event and also scored from the front a fortnight earlier at Kilmore, LEANNE LEEANN (2) has been competitive in some good races of late and should run well at her home track, while RARITY ROCK (7) has a sticky gate but was a big winner at Cranbourne on August 2 and certainly wouldn’t shock with the right trip.
BACK: HALLEBESOFINE (6) – 2 units (win)
| 6. Hallebesofine (6) J: Tina Ridis 822×3T: Tina Ridis | |||
| Having her second run back from a spell. Game effort when 3rd (Sr2) over 2200m at Ballarat, at the bell was 8th-18.77 beaten 2.5 m by Scar (2:45.30) on August 5 at $1.70. Fitter now and expected to run well again. | |||
OVERVIEW: BREAK MY ART (3) has produced two mammoth trial wins at Melton in preparation for her return to the races, which follows a sprint lane win at Geelong and two down-the-track finishes at Terang and Ballarat to close last campaign. At the trials, she has led, trucked along in front and scored by 15m and 26.7m respectively. She looks hard to beat here if she leads as expected. GUARANTEED TROUBLE (5) is also first-up from a break and chased home BREAK MY ART (3) at the trials. He also ran a ripper for second at Geelong late last year before a spell, with that form reading well for this. MAGIC MIKE (2) turned around some average efforts with a good display for fourth behind Rosberg last Friday night where he cut ground late off SKIPPYS DELIGHT (4), who gripped on for third.
BACK: BREAK MY ART (3) – 4 units (win)
| 3. Break My Art (3) J: Chris Alford 4100xT: Warren Greene | |||
| First up. At the last run she broke in score up and was out of position at the start 10th (Fr3) over 2200m after showing early pace at Ballarat, at the bell was leading 0.6m on the pegs beaten 60 m by Where Is Woody (2:41.50) on February 5 at $71. Among the leading chances. | |||
OVERVIEW: KEAYANG MINNESOTA (6) put her wayward manners from last preparation behind her when she trotted cleanly throughout and won softy under minimal driving from Jason Lee first-up from a break at Ballarat on July 29. She was a short-priced favourite there and she’s set to start deep in the odds-on range here in a race where she probably just needs to trot to win. LOUIEVILLE LASS (1) is an honest customer who has won 10 races and draws well in the small field, RIGHT OF REPLY (4) hasn’t raced since April but is an 11-time winner, and while THE FIERY SUNSET (5) has dropped out her last couple after tough trips, her prior two starts resulted in a win and brave third here at Geelong.
| 6. Keayang Minnesota (6) J: Jason Lee 807×1T: M A Lee, P Lee | |||
| Resumed from a 199-day break with a strong win by 2.5 m as favourite (Fr3) at Ballarat (2:09.40) beating Pique in on July 29 at $1.70 at the bell was 4th-7.14. Improvement to come so she is a big chance again. | |||
OVERVIEW: LORD LOGAN (5) had a stack of trials for former trainer Anton Golino in NSW before making his debut in style for new conditioner Brent Lilley last Friday at Melton. And what a great performance it was. He sat parked for the last lap and charged clear of his rivals to score by a big margin in a quick enough 59.3sec last half for this grade. While I was against him last week, I’m happily in his corner this time around. RAMA SAIGO (3) broke through at the third time of asking when a big winner at Horsham on July 27 and all three career runs have been full of merit, DANCE FIGHTER (6) won the $20,000 Homegrown last preparation and the two runs this campaign have been sound without setting the world on fire, while IMABOGANBOY (1) is a fairly limited type who has only won one of 30 but is drawn to figure in the placings.
BACK: LORD LOGAN (5) – 2 units (win)
| 5. Lord Logan (5) J: Chris Alford 1T: Brent Lilley | |||
| Won on debut posted a big 10 m win as favourite (Fr3) at Melton (2:51.20) beating Mi Bow in 4yo+ on August 7 at $2.90. Plenty of scope for improvement. | |||
10-UNIT GAME PLAN
R2 #1 ARZALI ROCKSTAR – 2 units (win)
R3 #6 HALLEBESOFINE – 2 units (win)
R4 #3 BREAK MY ART – 4 units (win)
R6 #5 LORD LOGAN – 2 units (win)
EARLY QUADDIE
1,2,6/1,9/2,5,6,7/2,3,4,5
QUADDIE
2,5,6,7/2,3,4,5/6/3,5,6
OVERVIEW: HALF AS TOUGH (6) can be excused for finishing last last time out at Ballarat when he broke twice in running and dropped out. Before that, he made up huge ground from last to grab third at the same track in a clash five of these contested. The run prior at Stawell was also good when held up in the concluding stages. He’s lightly raced and has plenty of scope. LIV ON LOVE (1) gets the nice barrier one draw and heads into this maiden assignment on the back of a career-best third placing last time at Ballarat. That was in a race which featured seven of these horses and she closed nicely to beat all six of them home, including the on-top selection. FIRESIDE (2) has had plenty of tries but did finish fourth in that aforementioned race, while JAMALA KHAN (8) might be best of the rest after a Bacchus Marsh trial win last weekend and given she draws for a nice peg-line run behind one of the key fancies.