From Matthew Dunn
Fri 12th Jul, 2024
Horse: Cranky Harry
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Highway Plate) He gets in so well (59kg), we’ve got Nash Rawiller and it’s like having a 4kg claim. Cranky Harry has three runs under his belt and a tickover trial to bridge the gap since his narrow defeat at Doomben on June 5. He’s only had three starts for me and should have won all three. He was really unlucky first-up on a heavy track, so if the track is soft it shouldn’t hurt him, he won second-up then the other day he got stuck and missed the boat a bit. He’s quite a nice horse, he had a good trial the other day and I’m happy with him. He should be hard to beat. I don’t think it (1600m) will be a problem, he has a relaxed racing style and I don’t think a mile will be an issue
Horse: Perovic
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Highway Plate) He was very good winning last start obviously coming out of not as strong a race as Cranky Harry. His first two runs for me were disappointing but he really stepped up last start, he was three deep the trip with no cover and won convincingly. My concern with him is maybe it’s not far enough, he might want to go further already. If he reproduces what he did at Lismore he will run well.”
From David Pfieffer
Fri 12th Jul, 2024
Horse: Detendu
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 2, ASX Maurice Farhart Hcp) Detendu was runner-up in his three starts in his first preparation but he showed the benefit of that first prep in how he went about putting his rivals away at Warwick Farm last start. He’s taken a while to furnish and learn his trade. Last prep he was there to win a few races but didn’t, this preparation he seems to have come back a lot sharper and more switched on. If you win your maiden in town and try to push on from there it’s a tough ask. Last start I thought he won with a bit of authority. He did a good job and it earned him an opportunity to have a crack at something like this. I’d be going there with an open mind. The horse is in form, in good order. I don’t think he loves a wet track but he gets through it and he’s going to hold his own. He’s third-up now which is ideal and he’s drawn a gate (2) which is going to give him every chance.
Horse: Soami
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 10, Schweizer Kobras Lawyers Handicap) Soami won two Midways in July last year and he’ll naturally be a bit short on match practice despite having two trials under his belt. I don’t think he’s a mudlark, he’s a So You Think that loves the sting out of the ground but not a lot of it. He hasn’t raced for 12 months, it’s 1000m, the writing’s on the wall that he’ll need the run and he’ll be better for it in two weeks’ time over 1300m.
From Pat Murphy
Fri 12th Jul, 2024
Horse: Victory Roll
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 3, Highway Plate) Victory Roll has 57.5 kg less a 2kg claim for multiple series winner Amy McLucas. Total forgive last start as it was bottomless heavy (2 weeks ago at Goulburn), the worst, they cancelled the rest of the program. He’s been checked out thoroughly since, every test has come back normal, he’s back to where he was when he won so well. He is working well, is a happy horse, drawn in (gate 1), has a claim and the distance suits. So I’m forgetting completely his last run. He’d won on the better side of heavy at Wagga and also on soft. While he’s back in distance of 1600m we know he’ll be strong off a 2000m win at home on rain-affected.
From Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Fri 12th Jul, 2024
Horse: I’mintown
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, James Squire Hcp) I’mintown was Group 3 placed in New Zealand before kicking off his local career with a Rosehill victory in November. His two runs this time in have both been strong without winning and he will have his impost reduced to 60kg after the two-kilo claim of apprentice Amy McLucas.
Horse: Bear On The Loose
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Toyota Forklifts Hcp) Bear On The Loose made a victorious debut in Australia when scoring on a heavy track at Rosehill last month. He was excellent on his Australian debut and it’s not easy for those Europeans having their first run over here, it usually takes a bit of time to adapt. We have been pretty patient with him. I thought there was plenty of merit to the run and he should improve off the back of it. I would have liked to see him start stretching out in trip, but he is remaining at the 1800 metres – there weren’t a lot of options around for him. He is a nice horse, he has proven that first-up, and hopefully we’ll see a bit more from him. Nash Rawiller stays aboard Bear On The Loose.
From John O’Shea & Tom Charlton
Thur 11th Jul, 2024
Horse: Bartolf
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, TAB Hcp) He scored easily on debut on a heavy track at Scone earlier this month. He’s been a nice horse all along and for a So You Think to be winning at two is indicative he has a nice bit of ability. I think, ultimately, he will be a good miler. It’s always a challenge going to Saturday grade straight away but like I said we think nicely of him and we’ll give him the run and pop him out for a short break. He’s definitely trained on from the run, the step to 1400m from a nice soft draw (4) and the jockey (Nash Rawiller) is acceptable you’d say.
Horse: Captain Amelia
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, I Love 0% Cocktail Hcp) She can draw a wide gate and it’s no different this week (gate 11). She’s having to be ridden significantly further back that we’d like pretty much her whole career. One day she will draw a gate and if she doesn’t shy at the inside running rail, she’d be a chance. I wouldn’t be too hard on her, she does have ability. We think she’s a nice filly and I was very happy with her run two ago. Jase (Collett) wasn’t as happy with her the other day, we think she didn’t handle the ground that well but there’s varying degrees of heavy too.
From Team Snowden
Thur 11th Jul, 2024
Horse: Mafia
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 2, ASX Maurice Farhart Hcp) A dominant first-up win has the stable optimistic that Mafia can extend his distance range this campaign. After sending him back to the paddock and the gelding’s latest preparation got off to a much better start with a strong win over 1100m at Wyong last month. He was nominated for Randwick last weekend but suffered a minor setback following his return. He had a stone bruise which put him back a bit. He just needed a bit more work before I ran him again. But he’s in good order. His first-up win was very good and he was good at the end of the 1100 (metres), so you’ve got to think he will get 1200 this prep. If he does, it will open up a few more doors for him.
From Gary Nickson
Thur 11th Jul, 2024
Horse: Felix Majestic
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Kanebridge Hcp) Felix Majestic only start this campaign has been a second-last placing in the Listed June Stakes on a Heavy 9 track at Randwick on June 8, which confirmed that he should be kept away from wet tracks. He is just hopeless on the wet tracks. I scratched him on the Wednesday from the Civic Stakes (last week) because the track was no good and I brought him over here (to Randwick) on the Friday because they had one or two trials on the PolyTrack and, if you get a look at the trial, he went enormous. He just wants a dry track and we can’t get one. Another missed run this weekend could force the stable to look out west in the hope of drier ground. In about four or five weeks’ time there is the Forbes Cup, if he runs one-two there he gets into the Big Dance.
