Spring is coming fast. So fast in fact that we have a Group Three race in Melbourne on Saturday and it is fair-dinkum 8 degrees in the great city as we speak. The Bletchingly is run over 1200m at standard Weight for Age. For a Group Three race there has not been a great deal of champions to have won this race in the past; perhaps the best horse to ever win this race was Apache Cat. This year’s race does not look to have an out and out superstar in it, but there are lots of very consistent good horses all with a genuine chance of a Group Three win.
Stanzout is a ten-year-old but he did run on very well last time and gave the Home of Racing readers some great value in the first four. Launay is first up; he is a talented horse but rarely wins first up. Second Effort and Sea Lord are both classy horses that are always hard to beat. Pago Rock is the favourite and did us all a favour in grabbing the money last time. Mr Make Believe was a brilliant winner first up then has been terrible but Peter Moody is persisting with the gelding. Zamorar was backed as if unbeatable last time and ran last; apparently he has improved since and is flying on the track. Tackleberry, Academy Jack and Captain Fancy Pants are slightly out classed and are looking for races at least twice as long as this one. That leaves Elite Elle; the lone filly in the field and a front runner that is very hard to get past.
So what does it all mean? It is a good race, and we have to have a bet. You can’t simply watch and enjoy a Group race in the middle of the Melbourne winter without having a bet! The good news is, the race is wide open so we can back a couple.
Verdict: Yes back a couple. It is hard to see the stayers doing a Fiorente and flying first up here. Second Effort needs a wet track, and while it is bloody freezing, the sun is shining. Sea Lord loves the Valley but does not usually do much at Caulfield. Zamorar has question marks and Mr Make Believe probably does not deserve another chance. Almost every horse has some kind of knock on it; but they also all have plenty in their favour. This is indeed a hard race.
4th. Sea Lord. He is consistent enough and might be able to loom up and hold on.
3rd. Zamorar. We will give this boy one more chance. At his best he is great and at his worst he is as bad as they get.
2nd. Pago Rock. Looks the hardest to beat for sure. He can lead or run on but at $3.50 it might be worth waiting until Saturday. He has to drift.
1st. Elite Elle. She is a filly with weight relief and flies in the lead. It took everything Pago Rock had to get past this girl last start. She may still be improving and if she gets the lead and is not bothered she will be very hard to get past.
By Zeb Armstrong
