Blackbook: Cameron Happ's horses to follow and forgive from Sandown
Belle Savoir is one to follow out of Sandown. Picture: Pat Scala – Racing Photos
Off season racing has arrived and again we've gone looking to fill the blackbook with wet trackers.
The track stood up remarkably well with all the recent racing and with an upgrade to a soft (5) after race two, we stayed on that rating all day despite persistent showers. Forgive anything that got trapped along the inside few lanes with riders trying to get away from this section from the home turn.
Mixed day for punters with four favourites winning along with El Patroness as a close-up second elect. The quaddie legs were all going along nicely with favourites winning the first three legs before the trick came in the last with Tonneofgrit winning its first race in twelve months at double figures.
BLACK BOOKERS
BELLE SAVOIR. Was on this lightly raced mare from the Nick Ryan stable at Sandown and I'm keen to stick with her despite going down as a rock solid $2.70 favourite. She pulled up lame first-up at Bendigo and staying at 1400m yesterday, I think the stable were hoping for a much wetter track as immediately post-race we got an upgrade to a soft (5) and times suggested it may have been closer to good. Not ideally suited sitting outside the lead, she fought on well and will only improve over longer onto winter wet tracks.
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— 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) April 15, 2023
DELICIOUS TYCOON. Another relatively lightly raced mare that easily did enough returning from a spell. She got keen early with Beau Mertens trying to ease her out of a speed battle and cutting the corner the daughter of Written Tycoon stayed hard along the rails where no one wanted to be as the day went on. Fighting on as well as anything until peaking inside the 100m, she's got a few grades left to go through and she's going to thrive on the winter wet tracks.
PRIVATE JUMBO. It's not going to take long for this Michael Huglin-trained son of Reward For Effort to win his maiden and he's capable of going through his lower grades. While totally outclassed by the rampant She Dances in the Vobis Gold Dash, he was tough after being trapped three-deep exposed the entire trip to fight on and hold onto second and he has more upside than most runners out of the race. Back to maiden grade, he'll just win and stick with him over winter.
SHEZATEMPEST. Greg Eurell has done a super job with this daughter of Trust In A Gust in her first prep and with four weeks between runs there's no sign of her training off. She lost all chance at the start at Sandown when poorly away and checking off heels to be a long last all the way to the home turn and she was still there at the 200m. Building through her gears, she's run the best of every closing split to grab third through the line and will only improve over longer as her dam was a pure stayer winning out to 2540m.
Russian Dancer pounces upon Toronto Terrier late to steal the win ????????????
What about the run from Shezatempest to flash home for third ????@pstokesracing@lil_spaino96pic.twitter.com/WSYxUFWCA7
— 7HorseRacing ???? (@7horseracing) April 15, 2023
BILL THE BOXER. Tony and Calvin McEvoy are going to have some fun with this Foxwedge gelding over the coming winter season. I was with him yesterday anticipating a much wetter surface and to run third in this grade at just his second run back from a spell was a terrific effort on a track that was still holding up at the Soft 5. Unbeaten 2 from 2 on heavy ground and also a synthetic track winner at his only attempt, he's going to be winning soon.
PASCERO. We'll never know but I think this Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained sprinter may have been right in the finish with more luck at Sandown. First-up since the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington the son of Pierro was well-tried $9-$6 and was getting a perfect run until it all went wrong in the straight. He was two lengths in front of the winner and going well when badly held up at the 250m and he never got balanced up again until inside the 100m when the race was all over. He mixes his wet track form but looks to have returned in good shape.
Pascero is one to follow. Picture: Scott Barbour – Racing Photos
FLASH FLOOD. This weeks horse to blackbook for the Warrnambool carnival is the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained son of Night Of Thunder. He had good support $10-$7 and given a good run by Carleen Hefel, he toughed it out until peaking slightly on his run in the last 50m. At his best on bottomless tracks and sure to be peaking in three weeks time, if he strikes the right track, he's a banker for us over the Bool carnival.
FORGIVE RUNNERS
BEL AIR. Rock solid in the betting off a four week freshen, she may have had an excuse pulling up lame beaten 5.6 lengths.
LOMBARDO. Becoming hard to catch but trapped wide and suffering EIPH (partial bleed) there were excuses at Sandown.
RIDDLERO. Specked $14-$12, you can make an argument he should have been in the finish. Badly held up 300-100m, he dived late to only be beaten 1.1 lengths.
FORGET RUNNERS
EAGLES CRAG. He's always short and lacks a change of gear to put a race away. With the wet track his excuse for yesterday, he's going to struggle.
KINGS CONSORT. One win from thirteen says enough and he's always short in the betting. He was only first-up yesterday so can lift but without me.
