Paul St Vincent (pictured) trains website co-tip The Jackal. No if's, but's, or maybe's, it is time for the horse to put up or shut up tomorrow at Randwick.
Racing returns to the Randwick track in Sydney tomorrow.
An eight race card is set for decision, but field sizes again are a problem, with the biggest field on the day (Race 6 and 8) attracting just 11 acceptors.
Numerous city race meetings are blamed as the reason for limited numbers, but why not have the main meeting tomorrow at Newcastle, or Hawkesbury, or Gosford then? It won’t kill the Sydney trainers to put their horses on horse transport vehicles - in fact it would do them good, in case they ever have to race in Brisbane at Carnival time etcetera. For goodness sake try something different, as the current system doesn’t work.
Race 2 at Randwick is a shocker, from a punting perspective, and features just six acceptors, including dual acceptor Hidden Wonder, who is also topweight in Race 6, for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, so if she is scratched from Race 2, we will have the mentally stimulating challenge of watching five horses go around for $70,000 prizemoney – what a waste. That’s nearly as bad as the first race at Doomben, which will jump 31 minutes earlier, as it has five going around, that’s if there are no scratchings – for $50,000 prizemoney - so in both races that would mean that every player wins a prize, as Life’s Short will earn $1,000 for running last in the opener at Doomben. Wish I were guaranteed $1,000 for turning up at a specific spot tomorrow at 12.17pm local time.
Whilst all races at Randwick are worth $70,000 the best class race is Race 5 the 1100-metre Alexandria Handicap. It features some handy sprinters so I’ll preview it.
My thoughts are:
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HORSE
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COMMENT
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THE JACKAL
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A talented sprinter on a given day, it is picking the “given day” that’s hard. Chance on his best form.
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TEASING
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Can look like Bernborough one day and Radish the next. Can win if she’s right.
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PINS ON PARADE
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He’s a consistent galloper, who won’t spend a penny from the alley. Hasn’t won at Randwick in four goes however, so that’s the drawback.
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COMEPSA
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Needs a rain affected track to perform, as he’s won one of six starts on “good” track’s.
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BEJEWELLED
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Prefer in mares grade.
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MONTANA FLYER
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Hasn’t run for nearly eight months, so has obviously had some issues, as sound horses don’t need that long off. Prefer to be a voyeur.
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SOPHISTICATION
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Not likely.
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OURBILLYDAKID
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Has had four goes here without winning, but prefer at 1000m.
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CONCLUSION: I think the speed will be genuine, which will give the two class runners of the field - The Jackal and Teasing - their chance late, so I’d have half my stake on both of them, on a win only basis. You’d wonder what people find hard about working the form out.
