Crio’s Racing: Not Happy Jan…mid January racing

Imagine if, say, Delfin built a new estate (sorry – lifestyle possibility), then bought the first few lots on offer at inflated prices and crowed about the great returns and investment opportunities?

Welcome to the wacky old world of Magic Millions.

And calls of complications and conflicting interests were contagious it seems with the accompanying rich race day providing an extraordinary post-script to the flagship 2 yr old race. Truth be known, I took no interest in the Gold Coast meeting last Saturday, but my curiosity was piqued by a crusty old Interstate bookie passing by our stand at Flemington and cussing….”that protest would be thrown out in Melbourne and Sydney, but there are no rules up there!”. Granted, as is the norm on-course, he was doubtless “talking through his kick”, but the incident to which he referred received bafflingly mottled coverage. Gai’s horses quinellaed the race. One the fav, the other heavily supported. She’s a big spender up there so that is no surprise. But magnifying the drama of deciding a multi-million dollar race in the Stewards room was the spectacle of the “First Lady” interrogating Tommy Berry, the “runner up” hoop and, it is alleged, trying to influence his call re a protest. She, of course, denies any collusion and, it should be added, other conspirators have the trainer as determined to have Denise Martin’s horse promoted! Investigations may proceed. It is murky, all “alleged”, televised/promoted live on free to air TV and, ultimately, of course, in the great Singo style, laden with much brouhaha yet, perhaps, little real substance.

Nothing of substance, I must add, could well be the diary summary for last Saturday’s Flemington meeting and, I suspect, the afternoon in store for me on the Lillis Kilmartin bag at HQ again this weekend. Punters seem to have run out of bullets and we’re spruiking to fresh air as the season, here at least, waits another week for the Caviar “shot in the arm”.

The 5 furlong Kensington Stakes (MR6, 1000m) is the pick of the Melbourne metrop card. The track should be rock hard and there’s real pace here with flying machines like Adelaide’s Obsidian Dragon and Darwin’s The Soldier involved. I’m expecting this to suit the corny omen Weekend Special (8), a super consistent 4 yr old from Kav’s yard which just keeps making the step up to each challenge.

But there’s little point in showing confidence in the Quaddy’s second leg unless we are still alive! Kick off the multi-task by taking Smokin’Joey and Flyingconi (MR5, 1400m), saving ammo for the 3rd Leg (MR7, 1700m) in which you need to go as wide as you can afford and then, by fiscal necessity, come home (MR8, 1800m) skinny… unfortunately little conviction, but, for the record 10,11/ 6,8/ 4,5,6,7,8/ 7,8.

It’s just betting practice this week. Next week things crank up a notch. The Caulfield Cup winner resumes in a listed race as Diamond Previews begin at Caulfield on Australia Day, the Cox Plate victor is slated to line up against Black Caviar at a bumper Valley Night next Friday and then, like a frozen dessert after a banquet, we trudge out to Sandown on the Saturday.

Build up a cache. It’s quiet right now but a great Autumn is fast approaching.

Good luck.

Comments

  1. footnote: ref to Denise Martin
    Denise Martin is the owner and operator of Star Thoroughbreds
    http://www.starthoroughbreds.com.au/aboutus.asp

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