A lot of the fillies and mares in this race have been racing against each other since the autumn. They have pretty much taken in turns of winning and all the different form lines are reflected in the openness of this race. In fact this is almost the trickiest Group One race the humble author of this article has ever seen. 16 female horses, all (bar the three fillies) with 57kg and all with a genuine claim to win the race. The advice here is simple; find the filly or mare that you like and stick with her. No matter what ones choice may be, there will be good odds on offer.
In the race we have Group One winners Streama and Yosei who are both going ok but have been travelling around the country for a while in search of a win. Then there are multiple Group Two winners Red Tracer, Skyerush and Steps In Time all of whom are going pretty well at the minute. Then there is She’s Clean who wins almost every race she is in and is coming off two extra special victories. We can’t forget Spirit Song who is a Group Two winner and a Group One runner up to Solzhenitsyn. Oh then there is Staking On Ice and Arctic Flight both of whom are flying at the minute and usually find the lead and kick really well in the straight. Then we have perennial run on horse Risk Aversion who should have won this race last year and has been really intensely set for the race this year. And of course it would be wrong to forget the fillies; Diamond Earth is getting tougher every week and her win at Scone recently was great. She also recently got within a nose of Catkins in Sydney; Catkins in the past has thrashed last Saturday’s best winner Sessions. A long form line but one worth taking notice of! Doubtfilly is in great form and in the Golden Slipper last year she was only three lengths from Pierro, Snitzerland and Samaready in 4th place. That leaves Shannara at $51, Whateverwhenever at $101 and filly Peron at $13.
So where to look? The class is at the top, with Red Tracer probably being the classiest. Risk Aversion runs on really well all the time to just miss and usually he runs an honest 5th or 6th, and She’s Clean is a winner. Those three should be thereabouts but don’t discount the front runners Skating On Ice and Arctic Flight or the fillies that should have a little advantage under the WFA scale.
Verdict:
4th. Doubtfilly. She is in good form and at her best (2012 Golden Slipper) she got within three lengths of filly Snitzerland. Snitzerland at her best would be even money in this race. $31
3rd. She’s Clean. You can’t knock a mare in form and this girl has been in stunning form this time in. She runs on really well and has been set for this race for a long time. Untapped talent and a real wildcard in this race. $13
2nd. Risk Aversion. She has to win sooner or later and this looks to be her best chance of late. She absolutely flew home last start and in the past has ran Red Tracer to a nose. $15
1st. Red Tracer. She is the classiest horse in this field and last year she won the same lead up race that she has won this year before just missing in the Tatts Tiara. She is unbeatable on wet tracks and still really good on the dry; there is nothing really against this mare and she is only just short of More Joyous class and is simply better than the others in this race. With even luck she should be right there at the end. $5
By Zeb Armstrong
