Racing: Review of Moonee Valley and Rosehill on 12 September

Mark Freeman writes:

Mark Kavanagh’s  Moonee Valley blinkers trick worked a treat again today, just like it did on Maldivian in last year’s Cox Plate. By whacking the shades on Whobe, he was much sharper, and you could see when Oliver pushed him along at the school he responded immediately.

He was too good for Mic Mac. There’s always a point in spring where the heavyweight middle distance and staying types take over from the early spring WFA winners, and today was it. Your correspondent took $55 on the exchange about Mic Mac for the Cox Plate back in June, but while he’s now into $16, it’s safe to say Whobegotyou has him well and truly covered.

But for our new punters, beware not to take the poison odds now on offer for Whobegotyou for the Plate – $3 on some books. There’s six weeks of injury opportunities until race day, and you’ll certainly get $3 or better on the day.

Speaking of injuries, El Segundo fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that the champ has come through today’s run all right. As tipped in these pages, the track came up hard after the drying winds, and trainer Colin Little thought about scratching him after the track was upgraded to a good 3.

He put in a reasonable run behind Whobe and Mic Mac, but jockey Luke Nolan thought he may have felt the track and Little said he was ‘disappointed’ by the state of the track.

Little went on to drop the line of the spring so far, when he said that he’s never had to have the vets patch up one of his horses from being belted by a jockey, but has had heaps of horses having to be patched up after the racing surface was too hard.

Up in Sydney Hot Danish, bless her little heart, did her thing again – winning – this time with a serious impost of 61kg first-up, but was upstaged by Racing To Win’s equally gutsy effort in the Theo Marks. Great relief for Sydney racing people to have some decent excitement trackside.

On the business of Daff’s cash, we collected on Nicconi, but after having snaffled $4.75 on Centrebet on Thursday night, were dismayed when we only collected at $3.30 after Lucky Secret was a late scratching because of the aforementioned hard track.

So $3.30 it will have to be, we collect clickety clicks, and so we’ll subtract 34 from 252 to give us a running total close enough to $220 in the black.

To the Heath next Saturday for the renewal of the former Show Day meeting, with the old Marlboro Cup for the sprinters and the Underwood Stakes (hopefully still called just that) for the Cups-bound gallopers.

Chris Riordan writes:

Good horses, good track, good formlines.

Eagle Falls fantastic. Nicconi outstanding. Secret Flyer gave him two lengths and could never pick them up. He is still very good. My Emotion and Zarita were also quality winners.

I had a shocker with my best chances, Sea Battle (off to hospital!) and Silent Sophia, scratched. Reactive punting is never wise … this extended to both the English and Irish St Legers in the wee hours!

We dodged some bullets in the ring, finding Pergola (Centrebet gave 41 and other corporate 31 on Friday) and interstate was kind. Many other bookies, though, reported bad days, generally in far more colourful language than I can print. Suffice to say the sale and demolition of the Valley is encouraged.

After four faves in a row ( including the awesome Whobe), the last was won by $7.5 fluc Philda. I don’t know where they found that SP. I collided with agents who were backing it back at the 7.5 and then I saw the 7 snapped up as they jumped. As for the favorite?

Shocking. “Bigger plans for Spring”, was “not knocked around” after  being  “easy in the betting”. As for the winner, “well supported late” by “good sources” … Join the dots!

To Caulfield for the Underwood next Saturday, a good meeting generally overshadowed by the footy prelims.

Mark down the Cup Eve night meeting at MV in your diaries and then prepare for the Carnival.

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