Crio’s racing: the Kingswood Country Connection

The Birdman always had a surefire way of putting a match to the Quaddy. After a middling result, having gone wide in the first leg, Birdy would twirl his mo, raise his bushy eyebrows and squeeze conspiratorially from the side of his mouth…”We arrived on the train but we could be heading home by Limo.”

This week we might be happy to “take the Kingswood” back down Racecourse Road as the son of Speed’n’Power, Bullpit, revives memories of Ted’s rants in Kingswood Country all those years ago (“I’ve just gladwrapped the aerial”). The 2yo steps out in a race for the first time and this, in itself, can be a problem as so often a lack of race experience is a downfall for a debutante; but his was an emphatic trial win at Cranbourne and so I’ll be releasing the moths early in my bid to curb my recent losing ways. MR1 No5.

The VRC still clings to the concept of a Carnival and so, having in recent years surrendered the Labour Day Monday to load Super Saturday, the upcoming Guineas card constitutes “opening day”. Given what is in store around the country in weeks to come, it is nothing to get too excited about.

The feature is the G1 Australian Guineas (MR7, 1600m, 3yo, SW, G1) and they must be pleased with the assembled colts. Hucklebuck (5) looks top notch, Eurozone (3) is well up to this level and The Quarterback (10) will appreciate the extra space and be double figure odds. ..and that’s leaving out the Cox Plate prince, Shamus Award (1). Very good race. I do question, however, some pundits trying to run with the “stallion making” line when citing the importance of a win in this G1. There’s plenty of evidence to support the MRC trumpeting the Spring Caulfield Guineas in such a manner but the Millers Guide is not so kind here – Zabeel (1990) has been a beauty, but perhaps Reset (2004) is the best of the subsequent rest.

For the rest of the Melbourne multi, consider:-

MR6- 4,8,3

MR8- Go wide. Good race. 3,10,11. Plenty of interest in return of Miracles of Life (now C.Brown!)

MR9- 4, save on 2 at odds.

Up at Rosehill there are three G2 races but, as is often the case, they don’t necessarily feature in the Quaddy. There are two overlapping reasons for this: 1-they like to run raffles for turnover, and, 2- the Sydney fields are often quite small and “skinny” in the larger prizemoney contests. Bizarre.

So the first G2, the Millie Fox (SR3, 1300m, F+M, SW+P) runs at 2:10pm with just the 7 Acceptors and a 5/4on fav going for a “threepeat”, Red Tracer (1).

The very next race is the Silver Slipper Stakes (SR4, 1100m, 2yo, G2), again with just the 7 runners but, in this case, seen to be a battle between 3 main chances – in racebook order, Unemcumbered (1) @ 2/1 for Bjorn Baker, Law (2)@ 11/4 for Gai and Risen From Doubt @ 5/2 for Tony McEvoy. No bet.

The G2 that is deigned worthy of Quaddy status is the Hobartville (SR6, 1400m, 3yo, SW). Go one out with El Roca (5).

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Future weekends promise much more so be selective on the punt as you’ll need live ammo for the battles to come.

I’m going to have my plonk on the first and hope that gives me cause for a celebratory beer when I get home…”Money on the fridge!”.

Good luck!