Crio’s Racing: Atlantic Jewel at The Underwood Stakes

There’ll be no “cotton wool champ” dung flung at Atlantic Jewel after the champion mare was a surprise Acceptor on Wednesday for The Underwood Stakes which has gathered one of the best WFA fields seen in Melbourne for a long time. Pelting rain will cause flutters within the Industry, but most of these horses simply must run to stay on track for this prep so won’t scratch, whilst the Ch7/MRC are locked in to their foolish commitment to have the feature as the last of 9 on a likely deteriorating surface…I hope this blows up in their face and forces a reconsideration! Otherwise the Club is to be lauded for promoting free admission and attracting a good support card. A bonus for race fans is the Randwick meeting which, though lacking in field sizes, still promises to further fill the burgeoning black book.
If the weather is fine a good crowd should turn up to Caulfield on a “footy free” Saturday, though most will skip the early events, thus missing a quality Open sprint (MR2, 1100m) and the return of Villa Verde which tackles a ripper 3yo dash (MR3, 1000m). Interest will ramp up at The Thousand Guineas Prelude (MR7, G2, 1400m, 3yo fillies). In a perplexing piece of fixturing, the girls have a hit-out 8 days before the boys, despite the big race for colts being 4 days before their 1600m G1! Some good fillies are racing but the rain, the bias (out 9m) etc make tipping arbitrary. Kiss A Rose (2) has been super so I expect she’ll be a major player despite a tricky pole draw – no “breaking news” there!! My failed Flemington bolter, Lady Lakshmi, goes around again at 66/1 and does love the sting out of the ground.
The penultimate race (MR8, G3, 2000m, Quality), the Naturalism, is an underwhelming gathering of handicappers. Pakal (10) is the pick of them.
But the real attraction, I’m delighted to say, is the middle distance WFA field (MR9, G1, 1800m), a scenario to warm the cockles of the hearts of those who’d thought our good WFA days were gone. This is a magnificent race. A few weeks ago it was declared that Puissance De Lune would sweep all the big ‘uns (he’s 6/1). Foreteller’s victory over him at HQ had scribes seeing him as a star (20/1). Atlantic Jewel is justifiably long odds-on but, especially on a cut surface, this will be a massive test. Don’t miss it.
Some trainers will wish they’d nominated instead for Randwick, where the George Main (SR5, G1, WFA, 1600m) has attracted a smaller and slightly easier field. Hawkspur’s win last outing has him earmarked for a float to MV next month and I expect him to fly the Waller flag here. Fawkner was disappointing in that race but will get to silly odds here. Sincero will be an improver also.
“Pay 1st and 2nd only” field size has doomed the Tea Rose Stakes (SR2, G2, 1400m, 3yo fillies) to an early timeslot but this will cross reference with the Caulfield Prelude to frame markets in weeks to come. Guelph (1) needs to win.
The true believers will linger at the Heath after the last, not to watch a rock concert, but to see The Shorts (SR8, 5.15pm, G2, 1100m) on TVs and especially to cheer the much admired Hay List (1) as he tentatively seeks to add to his stellar reputation. He’s big odds but has a big heart. 4 and 11 look the logical get-outs.
Saturday promises to be a really special day. We are at the crossroads. Those horses which perform will be major players at the pointy end of the season. There’s no footy as an excuse. Get your formguides and get involved.
And good luck!

Comments

  1. Anyone know what the significance at Kalgoorlie was today? Saw that B.Rawiller rode a winner and C.Symons and D.Yendall were there also!
    Too late now to back a winner.

  2. Thus news from the beach is non existent – the flu has struck
    At least I may be able to study the form later and contribute some thoughts
    Negative publicity about the Racing Industry came again this week on Ch2 in the 7-30 report (the media love to get some dirt close to Carnival time) and today I see where Happy Trails trainer been charged for “treating ” a horse on raceday. Hopefully good horses and good racing will negate this

  3. There are three moons in the Underwood.

    Only Haiku Bob can make sense of that.

    But I wouldn’t be sacking PDL on its last run. 6-1 is good shopping.

  4. Crio, Kalgoorlie had the 7F listed Hannans on Wed 130k and Symons won on a $21 pop.
    As good as AJ is could not have her at the $1.50 in that field, may have a few dina on Green Moon at the $26, lovely quiet run in the Memsie, and finished as well as anything.
    In the 4th EZ horse Epic Saga, very nice run at Bendigo, where it sat 3 deep without cover and only just got bloused, i know they reckon it goes ok.
    The 5th is a very similar setup to 2 starts back, with Octavia looking like it will get a soft lead from the inside and A Time For Julia having to chase.
    Use to love that George Main meeting when it was on GF day, used to fly up every year, when you follow Footscray, you can safely book that day in a long way in advance!

  5. I’m interested in how Foreteller will run on Saturday. He has one of the best formlines over the nine furlongs, with his six starts at he distance including three wins, and a second. One of those victories was at Caulfield, so he might again provide a nice collect for those who follow him on Saturday.

    Glen!

  6. Though $1.50 in a WFA race of this class looks short now, I suspect it will prove to be a good investment.
    Most of these, though top class, are on Cups trails and looking for more ground. Green Moon has yet to show he’s a WFA horse, Sea Moon will need further (and probably Flemington- beautifully weighted for Melb Cup). Think the real quality WFA horses other than AJ are It’s A Dundeel (unbeaten 2nd up), Puissance de Lune (?) and the blow-out each way chance, Silent Achiever. Foreteller also not hopeless. Crio – give us a fave out market. Would be a ripper each way betting race.

  7. Tough task Budge (I’m at work!)
    Here’s a thought, though I would not want to back the 7 or 11….more likely would hunt would be E/W 4,6,13 or 14?
    And you’d lay the fav easily at the 9/4…then, if it rains a lot, it turns around a bit.
    9/4 PDL
    7/2 Dundeel
    11/2 Sea Moon (not the Darwin hoop!)
    6/1 Foreteller
    12/1 Green Moon, Silent Achiever
    16/1 Manighar, Mr.Moet
    20/1 Happy Trails, Ethiopia
    25/1 Waldpark, Dear Demi
    50/1 My Quest For Peace

  8. maybe 2/1 PDL and 5/1 each of the next three.

  9. Working 157% Crio,Jeez you’re good, still working the lawn Cup Day eh?

  10. Cowshedend,
    Complete this popular phrase…
    “Put up or……”

  11. Cowshedend- no wonder the bookies always win. Any reason why just Yendall Symonds and Brad Rawiller went to Kalgoorlie- or was it an invitation job?

  12. Was only the 3 of them Oges, Rawiller didnt even have a mount in
    the feature, the rest ofthe card were only 20k races.
    Its their cup day tomorrow worth 130k

  13. Underwood Update. Current market on Betfair
    Atlantic Jewel $1.78
    P de Lune $9.20

  14. Need to start seriously looking at wet trackers now. Geelong should shorten up for one.
    Who will comes out of the Underwood if the track gets heavy?
    If it rains overnight and starts at Slow tomorrow deteriorating to Heavy by Race 9, the last race master plan will fall in a heap never to be seen again.

  15. Crio,

    Here’s one for you. Whiskey All Round. Not flash last start, but that was a straight 6. Some do, some don’t. He’s around a bend again. Had one start on a heavy and beaten long neck by Sweet Idea in the Silver Slipper with 2.3 lengths to Charlie Boy (won at Flem) third. $8 isn’t overs, but it’ll do me.

    If Atlantic Jewel wins, and she should (nervousness creeping in though) then there is a Quid to be made in trifectas with Silent Achiever, Ethiopia, Waldpark and even My Quest For Peace (not good enough to refer to as MQFP yet) all a chance to fill a slot.

  16. Way too early to call a Heavy! Radar seemed to show less rain Caulfield and it is even dry here now. Race patterns might change over the 9 races however.
    Sincero in Sydney?

  17. David Downer says

    Super meeting.

    Looking for some overs here at the very least…

    R1 – Was very keen on the filly Baluch last Spring and had a long range Oaks ticket on her before they dipped her out for a spell. Plenty of talent, perhaps looking for a bit further than the 7f first-up, but will be prominent in a mares feature at some stage over the carnival ..and now that she’s scratched, it won’t be today!

    R4 – Forgiving Le Mans ($7.50) ordinary run at the Valley last week – never handled the tight turn and was slow out of the wide gate. A few Derby hopefuls going round here, think he’s one of the better one’s on the evidence so far.

    R6 – the mare Meliora ($25) a sneaky chance to lead and scoot off the bend. Has done so at Caulfield before. But this a spec at best!

    R8 – Is Tanby really a $55 pop today? Second up in the Autumn he ran third in the Australian Cup. Was 9 lengths off them first up this time in, but last Spring was 16 lengths off it first up and was then close up next time around over just 1500m. Any wetter would be a worry.

    Kesampour also at double figures. As some stats have alluded this week, the imports generally have a spike run at their second attempt here. Pushed forward in some of his Euro starts, barrier 20 today, he might have to do same and could roll along and put himself right in it.

    R9 – With the free entry you could just get to the track for this one race. It’s that good. Will prefer to just watch it all unfold, and hope the mare continues on her merry way. If Sea Moon can run something near its best this time, really interested to see how it lines up against our mob. Might get some each way action from me.

  18. DD- too busy to chat today. Hope I get to see some replays – I missed all of last week’s. Did you stem the bleeding from MV? We had a winning, but not an enormous, day. The last winner was just a chop out (I gave it “no possible”!).
    How did Sea Moon fare? Must admit I did not like it either. M.Rodd culpable, but Kav might not mind getting rid of the unbeaten hype. I fell in to a place bet at 12/1 Dear Demi – god bless her. MV for Moir Stakes Friday and then the Invitation Stakes on Sunday.

  19. Thought Rodd might have fired one in after McDonald and he came together 30 from home, forced Rodd to put the stick away.
    Also cursing DD’s Le Mans asit tired and drifted out into the path of Epic Saga who failed by a lip.
    Also, how impressive was Boban in the Bill Ritchie.

  20. Still not seen any races. Heard a good plonk arrived at Randwick

  21. Yep Crio,Snowdens thing Barbed, $13 into $5, huge go

  22. I was too lazy to do any thinking on the Underwood – just assumed the mare would sit and sprint down the centre of the track. Amazed when she led but, on reflection, there was no pace whatsoever so little alternative. Sets up the Spring even further.

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