WINNO'S WINNERS: DOOMBEN, JULY 7, 2018
By Darren Winningham | Friday, July 6, 2018
Doomben this week. The track seemed to play even a fortnight ago. The weather men are saying some rain on Friday and Saturday – that may cause a downgrade in the track.
The track is rated “SOFT” at the time of writingand the rail will 6 metres out the entire course this weekend.
In WINNO news this week:
A special mention to the Edmonds Racing stables on the Gold Coast who cracked 100 winners for the season again this year with their win at the Sunshine Coast in the last race with Winter Bride last weekend.
Trent Edmonds has been working hard whilst the old man (Toby) is relaxing on a holiday up in North Queensland.
Lani Fancourt has now graduated to a senior rider. She is a wonderful talent and always very pleasant and professional at the track. I am sure a rider with such ability will continue to be supported by owners and trainers. I notice that she has decided to base herself at the Gold Coast and try her luck there – so if you are looking for a good rider for your horses I would be putting her on!
Just for the record I am not a huge fan of this Doomben meeting – the fields look tough and coming off the Carnival the form is very varied, so you need to be very careful how you analyse these races.
NB: As this form assessment was made prior to race-day, please check final fields and track conditions for any changes on the day.
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Race 1
Tough race to start the day over 1050 metres.
Hirtshals (7) from the Brian Smith stables is dropping back in class from his recent assignments and has Boris Thornton aboard with a 3-kilogram claim. This may be enough to see this mare return to the winner’s stalls.
The Steven O’Dea trained Totally Charmed (17) which was an emergency has made the field and I think drawn nicely here in barrier 4 should be competitive.
Lindsay Hatch has Desert Cowboy (5) going around coming off a recent win at Ipswich. The key booking of Brad Stewart for this gelding should ensure he gets a nice run from a difficult barrier. Brad has had a quiet Carnival but has bounced back on Thursday at Grafton winning the Westlawn Grafton Cup Prelude aboard Chilling With Dylan trained by Ben Ahrens.
Frequendly (10) is trained by Les Ross and has Bobby (#ridethatfish) El-Issa aboard. She is always hard to catch but she does love a wet track.
Look, this is an open field with many chances. I think I will be standing around taking photos for this race and keeping my wallet firmly in my pants pocket.
Selections: 8-17-5-10 rough chance 6
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Race 2
This race has some nice horses in it coming off some Carnival form.
Manaya (3) from the Michael Costa stables on the Gold Coast was very impressive winning here a fortnight ago. I am just a little concerned about the “soft” track as she has not fired on the wet tracks previously, however, the win was very good last start and she meets similar opposition here this weekend.
On the other hand Inspired Estelle (5) from the Toby Edmonds stable loves wet tracks. She has some solid form on wet surfaces and does love Doomben. Jimmy Orman is aboard for this ride this weekend – he and the Edmonds crew seemed to have formed a formidable team in recent months. With the impending retirement of Jeff Lloyd maybe Orman will pick up a few extra rides from this powerful stable.
Foxy Housewife (7) is trained by David Vandyke and she has been solid in her last two starts. She has good form on soft tracks and last start ran a solid fourth behind Manaya (3) at this course and distance.
Our Beebee (4) – well, she is a favourite of mine but I don’t know what is going on with her! She just seems to be not putting in in her races. I see that Rex Lipp has gone to Rebecca Williams who had many successful rides early on aboard this mare to see if she can return to that booming three-year-old form that she displayed. Bec has had 5 rides for 3 wins and 1 placing aboard her. Let’s hope we see the best of this Red Dazzler mare this weekend.
Selections: 3-5-7-4
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Race 3
Unconditional (1) was unlucky last weekend at the Sunshine Coast when beaten by The Fire Trap on a heavy surface. This weekend apprentice Boris Thornton resumes his association with the Jet Spur colt trained by Michael Nolan in Toowoomba. He has a 100% strike rate aboard him and hopefully we will see strapper Nick Hahn all smiles in the winner’s stalls at Doomben this weekend if he can win this race – maybe a big hug and a kiss for the cameras!
Soaring Heart (3) from the Pat Duff yards ran a nice second to Granny Red Shoes last start without threatening. He has run three consecutive placings in his last few starts – he will probably be there about again this week.
Trainspotting (4) has “spotted” my attention. This Choisir gelding made his debut at the Sunshine Coast over 1200 metres. The run looked very solid and I think despite being second up here and jumping up in distance to 1350 metres I reckon that he will be very competitive. Trained by David Vandyke at the Sunshine Coast he is certain to be a chance. I wonder if new stable acquisition Patrica Gesler will attend the races this weekend? I hope so as I have missed her smiling face and unique fashions in the bird cage!
Serlina (10) is trained by the father and son combination of Dale and Billy Healey at the Sunshine Coast. She seems to be coming along well and maybe, despite being a maiden, she can fill a place at big odds. Recently Billy celebrated his birthday so maybe if she wins he can buy WINNO a sandwich and water! On the other hand I must send my best wishes to the big fella and father of the team Dale Healey who has had a recent illness. I hope that he can overcome this setback and be back with us all at the track very soon. WINNO is thinking of you mate!
Selections: 1-3-4-7
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Race 4
A BM80 over 2040 metres – they do not get any easier punters!
I like the Matthew Dunn trained Ready For Danger (5) to win the race with Jim Byrne aboard. I mean Jim may as well win something this week as his Queensland Maroons will not be beating NSW next Wednesday night in Brisbane!
Endless Days (3) from the Will and Peter Hulbert stables and bred by Lilivale Stud looks well placed. He is third up from a spell and has a habit of showing up each time around this point in his preparation. In addition, he steps up to a distance and to a track condition that is more suitable than his recent runs. If team Hulbert have him ready I expect him to be super competitive this weekend with regular rider Matthew McGillivray in the saddle.
Honey Toast (1) has been allocated 65 kilograms. I think WINNO will have to bring his saddle along and jump aboard. Then again Ben Currie may have other plans! He has engaged Mitchell Aitken to claim 3 kilograms off the massive weight. He comes back from a Group race to a restricted BM field, so the weight is appropriate. I just think despite coming down to 62 kilograms it is still a massive ask for this gelding.
Selections: 5-3-1-7
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Race 5
This is not a race to get excited about.
For the record the Kris Lees trained topweight Halleliujah Boy (1) comes off a win at Randwick over 2000 metres on a heavy track. He is dropping back to the mile but has had a barrier trial to freshen him up recently. Damian Browne is in the saddle. I hope he can work some magic here!
Antigone (5) has good form over the mile and wet tracks. Trained by Barry Lockwood – maybe a chance in a open field.
Personalised (7) is another runner from the Costa stables on the Gold Coast who have had some success recently both in Brisbane and the Northern Rivers of NSW– the stable is firing! Maybe this runner who, appreciates the sting out of the ground, can land the team another metropolitan double (I think Manaya in race 2 is a solid chance). Michael Cahill who is riding in great fashion is aboard this Snitzel mare and he has an impressive record aboard her with 4 rides (3 wins and a second). She looks well placed here.
I found one at odds and with no weight that may just pop up. Do not let this David Vandyke runner get under your belt – she is way down the bottom of the field. Her name is Golden Sheaf (14). She comes off a nice win at Ipswich and Jag Guthmann-Chester claims 2 kilograms which gets this three year old filly in with no weight.
Selections: 1-7-5-14
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Race 6
20 runners nominated for the first leg of the Quaddie.
I like Miss Exfactor (2) over 1000 metres. She has been solid in her two wins since resuming from a spell. Trained by Tony Gollan and to be ridden again by Jim Byrne she will have to get across from barrier 13 to take up the running. My only concern is that if something else goes forward and attacks her it may be the downfall of this consistent filly.
The stable mate Shesees Everything (12) and is first up here this week. The recent two trials have been solid and despite only winning one career start she has 5 seconds to her name. She is drawn in the middle of the field in barrier 10 and could pop up here at some odds racing fresh.
There are some other runners who like to push forward – one of them being Dazzling Red (7) who won last start at Toowoomba and has drawn well in barrier 4 this weekend. He may be the testing material here.
Basara (6) is stable mate to Dazzling Red (7) and this filly has been consistent without getting much luck in her runs recently. She does love these short sprints and she has a good record on rain affected ground. She probably deserves a change of luck and could sit behind the leaders and make a last-ditch sprint effort in the final stages to win the race.
Michael Murphy has a live chance aboard Goodonya Sonja (13) to bridge the gap in the apprentice’s premiership with Jag Guthmann-Chester here. This Lindsay Gough trained Captain Sonador filly races well fresh and Murphy rode her to her only career win when she debuted at the Sunshine Coast on a heavy track. Her win in a recent barrier trial at Doomben would suggest she is forward and ready to run a solid race here.
Selections: 2-6-12-13 rough chance 7
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Race 7
Qiji Phoenix (9) has been trialling well and he comes off solid Group race form 12 months ago. I expect this Toby Edmonds runner to return to racing with a dominant performance this weekend.
If there are any chinks in the armour I would suggest you save on Miss Iano (6) who has been very solid in this grade when putting two wins on the board. She then stepped out into a much tougher Group races and acquitted herself very well. She has race fitness on her side and Bobby El-Issa has a good partnership with this Mark Webb trained mare recording both of those wins I talked about aboard her.
Tony Gollan has Courtza King (7) resuming here from a spell. He is a tough old bugger who can race well fresh. He won a barrier trial impressively on 26 June and he does like a wet track. Maybe he could test these other two runners fresh.
Outside of these three I think the chances are very limited.
Selections: 9-6-7-5
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Race 8
This is our feature race – I cannot get excited about the race.
Sabkhat (9) raced last weekend at the Sunshine Coast on a heavy track and was beaten by Ruling Dynasty (11) who he meets him vastly better weight terms for that defeat. Then Jackson Murphy has been booked to ride him. If he can take the full three kilograms off it is a massive weight turn around for the 0.6 length defeat. I think this Steve O’Dea runner goes better at Doomben over the mile anyway, so I expect him to be very competitive in a race that is very open.
The topweight Religify (1) failed to show much a fortnight ago at Ipswich in the Eye Liner. Maybe we can forgive that run and his second up form is reasonable – however, I believe that he is not all that competitive on wet tracks. If the track is slow come Saturday I think we should leave him out and wait for him to strike a good surface where I think he will be very competitive.
Allknight Saint (10) has found a new lease on life! Trained by Lauren Herne (clearly the better looking one in the Hearne family) he has won his last two starts and is looking to return to win a metropolitan Saturday race. If he and Jimmy Orman can win this race I think it would be Lauren's first Saturday winner.
Slydini (11) from the Daniel & Bryan Guy stables can pop up from time to time. He does love the mile, a wet track and, despite not ever winning at Doomben, can place at a big price. Keep your eye on this one for your exotic bets.
Selections: 9-10-11-12
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Race 9
The last race – will I make it to the last!
No Annamossity (3) is probably a topical tip. I hope there is no animosity towards WINNO when NSW post a BLIUE WASH on Wednesday night and win the 2018 State of Origin Series 3 – 0 in Brisbane!
On the flip side this Robert Heathcote runner was unlucky last start when defeated here by Manaya (race 2). I think drawn well in barrier 1 and with Boris Thornton aboard he will get the run of the race this weekend.
That means I have placed the WINNO mock on Boris to bookend the meeting (hoping he can win Races 1 & 9).
Prioritise (8) won last Sunday at Toowoomba. Jackson Murphy has the ride this weekend. This Steve Tregea runner has a habit on stringing a few wins together once he posts a victory. He may be one to keep your eye on in the last race.
Sword of Justice (6) is trained by Ben Currie. His recent runs have been solid. Apprentice Mitchell Aitken has the ride in this race and with the claim this runner gets in quite well. I think the track at Ipswich brought him undone last start, so I think we should forgive him that run.
The runner that could destroy this field if he gets conditions to suit is Stella Ombra (1) to be ridden for the first time by Michael Murphy. He is fourth up this start for the Kelly Schweida stables and is dropping back from Group racing to restricted grade. He is well above these in class.
Selections: 3-8-6-5 rough chance 1
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Jockey Challenge
No tip this week – with the track soft and the likelihood of scratchings I am not going to tip a jockey on top. However, if you are desperate for a bet have a sneaky go at apprentice Boris Thornton.
Early Quaddie (races 2 to 5 NSW only)
3,5,7 / 1,3,4 / 1,3,5 / 1,5,7 - cost is $81 to $1
Quaddie (races 6 to 9)
2,6,12,13 / 6,9 / 9,10,11 / 1,3,8,6 - cost is $96 to $1
Value Quaddie (races 6 to 9)
2,6 / 6,9 / 9 / 3,6,8 - cost is $12 to $1
Treble (races 7 to 9)
6,9 / 9,10,11 / 1,3,8,6 - cost is $24 to $1
Value Treble (races 7 to 9)
6,9 / 9 / 3,6,8 - cost is $6 to $1
FLEMO and WINNO were on fire last weekend at the Sunshine Coast in their tipping competition. Flemo tipped the treble and Quaddie in order with his last four on top selections winning. A great effort. Again, this week our up to date selections and tips will be posted on Facebook – be sure to check them out in case the track is downgraded or we have some scratchings.
Good luck and good punting!
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