FREE: Ascot Selections Saturday 14th January Perth Cup Day

Running it back today with Perth Cup Day 2.0. Some gentle easterlys forecast and the rail out 6m can traditionally play very on-pace, so will be crucial to try and establish whether there is a pattern emerging early in the day. Otherwise, 10 of the best and a terrific day for racing.

Race 1 – 12:07PM MAGIC MILLIONS PLATE (1200 METRES)

1. Shaddow Fear – 5. Ecstasy Of Gold – 3. No Hands – 8. Treble Maker

Suspect LK Fernie’s filly Shaddow Fear anchors plenty of Perth Cup 2.0 multis in the opener. Drawn sticky again but there isn’t a great deal of exposed speed off what we’ve seen at the trials drawn underneath her, she showed terrific muster to breeze on debut outside subsequent winner More Special and put pay to her in a matter of strides. If she gets across without encountering any issues, most multis should have a green tick next to the first leg as she looks a very promising type that I think will only be better suited getting out over the 1200m.
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Race 2 – 12:47PM AMELIA PARK PLATE (1200 METRES)

5. Valsassina – 1. Sky Duke – 6. Deetea – 2. Ruler Rocket

Valsassina

Unsure if conditions will be suiting, forecast is suggesting some gentle SE wind perhaps not as strong as what it looked like earlier in the week, but I thought off the back of what she delivered 1st up Valsassina would be very hard to beat in a race that looks as though it might work out nicely for her on paper. There’s really good speed engaged through Indie Ruler/Ruler Rocket and Sky Duke, Miller’s filly couldn’t have been more impressive 1st up. Heavily, heavily backed, got a fair bit further back than most anticipated and Pat had to get her rolling from the 600m to put her into the race but she swallowed them up in a matter of strides once they straightened, was simply far too good. Drops 3kgs at the weights, if Pat can park her midfield tucked behind what looks a spirited tempo and that easterly isn’t having a real say early in the day, think she has the ability to zap these late.

2 Units WIN

Sky Duke drops back to 1200m and that fact alone should suit, been up a while now but continues to hold strong 3yo form. Only two starts ago beat home Revitup after breezing outside her and maps for a good run just parked in behind the speed here from the draw.

Deetea is on the 7 day back-up, loved the way she finished off behind Mia Gusto last week ridden a little colder than what we have come to expect of her, CJP on a huge positive and expect from the gate they ride her in the same manner.

Ruler Rocket encounters a huge step up but has real speed to burn. View TOPSPORT Racing Markets Here! View Our NEW Form Guide Here

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Race 3 – 1:34PM TABTOUCH – WESTSPEED PLATINUM HANDICAP (1400 METRES)

6. Stella Fair – 7. War Hymn – 4. Beat The Bro – 3. Astro Warrior

A race in which I have very little conviction.

Doubt CJP makes the same mistake as handing up to Seeable like he did last start on Stella Fair which cost her victory in that race, already a winner in this grade from the pole when leading them up and conditions may be really suiting those on-speed. Honest conveyance.

Often the best form for these Westspeed Platinum races is the different form, the form that hasn’t been exposed to these races previously and Beat The Bro gets into this Westspeed with the same weight he carried 1st up no trial last preparation when he ran 4th not beaten far Catalpa, Otheroneson and Kia Ora Star, very good form for a race of this depth. No dead weight in the saddle with Alan Kennedy booked to ride and riding very well might I add, slight query on the conditions and whether there will be enough tempo on to suit. His best form, despite finding it difficult at times to win, is far and above the best form in this race.

War Hymn is a lightly raced 4yo brings some X factor with just 54.5kgs from the box-seat. Beaten 3L Brave Venture (subsequent Saturday winner), Sabino (subsequent winner) and Defiant Diorite (subsequent winner), moral beat 2nd up when attacked by a farcical ride through the middle stages then last start beaten only by a Saturday quality mare in Hammarmill. Drops some big weight, giving her a really good push. View TOPSPORT Racing Markets Here! View Our NEW Form Guide Here

Race 4 – 2:14PM OWN THE DREAM COMPETITION NOW OPEN HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

4. All The King’s Men – 5. Warm N Fuzzy – 1. Nowhiteflag – 7. Prize Pursuit

Hasn’t this race changed complexion with the huge key scratching of Burnya To Survive and if this race was going to suit him with the amount of speed horses engaged, then I think the same can be said for All The King’s Men off a nice little freshen up post-Guineas prep.

Has had a 7 week freshen up, was a dominant winner in a 66+ fresh at 1200m last prep posting a very good figure in doing so as well. Will sit back off what looks a cracking tempo here with Warm N Fuzzy/Nowhiteflag/Kenyluck/Sockoff and even Ain’t No Other Man all doing their best racing on-speed, high octane 1200m should really suit him launching late with the Pontiff in the chair.

Warm N Fuzzy couldn’t go with them early in the Summer Scorcher fresh but still thought he held his own, drawn underneath Nowhiteflag here who hasn’t been jumping reliably enough of late and gets on very well with Taj Dyson, gets a 6kg swing on Nowhiteflag for beating him home 1st up and this set-up suits him better here.

Nowhiteflag is stung at the weights out of the Summer Scorcher, gets the Blinkers on here and will need to be on his game out of the machines but if he can fire out and lead he’s certainly in the game. View TOPSPORT Racing Markets Here! View Our NEW Form Guide Here

Race 5 -2:50PM MISS ANDRETTI STAKES (1100 METRES)

2. Wilchino – 3. How’s The Serenity – 4. Express Time – 5. Carocapo

How’s The Serenity will be all the rage and rightfully so after she begun like a rocket and crossed Wilchino/Acromantula in the Summer Scorcher. Not convinced it’s as easy a task here, Strathmore Rose all career best runs have been leading undoubtedly, would be very surprised if Roy and Beaux didn’t employ a lead at all costs approach if she begins well from the inside. On review, thought Chris also handed up a little easily on Wilchino there in the Scorcher to me, he really opted out when he could have booted up and kept her in the breeze, perhaps due to having a fair bit of improvement to come without knocking her around.

We haven’t seen Wilchino lead a race for a while now, and I think with that 2kg weight swing if she can cross Strathmore and hold out How’s The Serenity from finding the fence, she can turn the tables. She was bombproof in the lead up to that Winterbottom she started favourite in when she was just quite simply breaking hearts from the top and she showed me in the Scorcher something almost back to her best given she wasn’t able to find her favoured role. Might not be fast enough to take it up here either, but in a race that from a price perspective I struggle to entertain a bet, I think she’s more than capable of turning the tables on the favourite.

Huge respect to the favourite How’s The Serenity, just no value for me at the price 2kgs worse off. If she can’t cross here I think she could be vulnerable but if she repeats the dose, she should just about win again, always shown black-type ability and glad she put some next to her name in the Scorcher.

Express Time is one of the most honest sprinting conveyances we’ve seen in WA in recent seasons and she is absolutely much better suited in these high octane short course races where she can show her customary toughness from a soft draw. View TOPSPORT Racing Markets Here! View Our NEW Form Guide Here

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Race 6 – 3:30PM OWN THE DREAM WIN A SHARE IN A RACEHORSE HANDICAP (1200 METRES)

4. Rebelzone – 10. Saloon Bar – 6. Henry The Aviator – 1. Magic To Exceed

Rebelzone

Drawn very sticky, but CJP peaches are growing on trees at the moment and I just love how much of a line chaser this mare is Rebelzone. Has bumped into a couple of very high quality animals at both starts this prep, 1st up ran into Karalee Rocks, convincingly beating home 4 subsequent winners before last start off 5 weeks between runs bumped into Rear Admiral and closed off in the best late splits of the race, with the tearaway leader of that race also a subsequent winner. CJP hops aboard, much more traditional race to race set-up here, looks to be genuine enough speed on here as well, I think if CJP can blend her into that 3 wide moving line, she’s going to be very hard to hold out late.

1.5 Units WIN

Saloon Bar’s racing pattern is just hurting him at the moment despite being a horse who has stacks of ability. With the right run his turn of foot could just about get the job done for him here but he just keeps finding traffic/trouble and races with unsuitable tempos like last start when he still savaged the line in the 2nd best L200m of the entire meeting. Looks to be genuine enough tempo here but back to 1200m I’m unsure how I feel about and is running out of chances with me.

Henry The Aviator is progressive, Paul Harvey hops aboard, thought he was very good last start in a race dominated by those on-speed and had to get going a long way from home to be put into the race, query for me where he gets to and the drop back to the 1200m.

Race 7 – 4:05PM OWN THE DREAM REGISTRATIONS CLOSE 25 JAN HANDICAP (1600 METRES)

8. Casino Seventeen – 9. Blazing Away – 7. Solaia – 4. Real Danger

This horse is absolutely flying since crossing here to WA to Grant and Alana in Casino Seventeen. Was only beaten by the race shape and the barrier in the Mandurah Cup when backed off the map. Very slowly run race, settled last a mile off them and came home in all the best late splits of the meeting. The start prior beaten only The Velvet Queen in a really strong race and you can tie that form in now through Alsephina, beating home Sentimental Hero who bolted in last weekend with numerous others in behind having also since run well without winning. Back to the mile, gets 1kg on Real Danger, the obvious query here is if they truck along at similar fractions as that Mandurah Cup and how far off them he gets from the draw, but if Chris can settle him with 2 or 3 behind him and that Easterly isn’t howling, he takes a power of holding out.

Going to give a really good push for this David Harrison trained galloper Blazing Away to cause an upset if there is to be one. Didn’t get a great deal of room to move hemmed away on the fence 1st up in the Mandurah Cup, Brad Parnham on, was beaten a touch under 2L Real Danger, gets 1kg in his favour and is certainly the more advantaged of the two getting out over more ground to the mile. 2nd up last prep beaten small margins Phanta and Multinational.

Race 8 – 4:40PM WIN A $30K SHARE IN A RACEHORSE – OWNTHEDREAMWA.COM.AU HCP (2200 METRES)

5. Our Norman – 9. Roch Legacy – 11. Feels Danish – 6. Constant Dreaming

Our Norman

Incredibly brave effort last start behind Mystery Island, had to work across from a very wide barrier to take things up, copped an abundance of pressure through the middle stages resulting in him running them along 7L faster than average to the 1000m and the fact he was really only beaten in the last 100m of the race, it’s indicative of how well Chris Willis yard is going at the moment. Should get conditions to suit on the weekend, or at least won’t be of any disadvantage to those on-speed. If they don’t really attack him and Holly and pour on the pressure in front, think he is going to take some serious running down.

3 Units WIN

Roch Legacy

Roch Legacy is the big danger, travelled into the same race behind Our Norman beautifully last start and Chris Parnham probably just zigged when he should have zagged, never got any clear galloping room in the straight and still hit the line in some of the best late splits. If he can hold a position from that barrier without getting shuffled back too far, he’s right in the game. Happy to back/save the pair.

1 Unit WIN

Race 9 – 5:19PM TABTOUCH-PERTH CUP (2400 METRES)

2. Buster Bash – 10. Neufbosc – 12. Pure Devotion – 18. Mystery Island

Have no real reason to jump off Buster Bash in the re-run, Shaun McGruddy a great pick-up ride for him and his riding style should suit the horse to a tee. Loved how dominant he was in the Towton Cup, what impressed me the most was that he was able to hold a position on-speed on a genuine tempo first go over a trip in this sort of company, and not only rip away from them, but also post the fastest L600m split of the race. Yes, he meets numerous rivals from that race worse off at the weights here, but he just maps for such a lovely run again from the barrier and he’s arguably the toughest horse or at the very least in the conversation that we have here in WA to get past. Loved how strong he was on Monday in his 1450m trial to tick him over, in a very open, intriguing edition of the Cup, he goes on-top for me.

Neufbosc drops 6kgs out of the ATA and gets a 5kg swing on Truly Inspired and a 4kg swing on Pure Devotion. Knows what this is all about and has been primed for this from a long way out. Going to need a good steer from the barrier early doors from Brad Parnham but this is his Grand Final and his lead-up form has been super.

Pure Devotion has had a disappointing campaign to date for the 4th placegetter in last year’s Cup but was bolting last start when held up for the entire length of the straight in the ATA, looks to be finding her feet at the right time with the man of the moment CJP in the saddle from a soft draw.

Mystery Island posted a proper, proper win on New Years Day and a very slick tick over trial on Monday to keep him humming, drops 4kgs from that effort and Beau Mertens is one of the best distance riders in the country, faith in him getting it right despite being new to Ascot.

Race 10 – 5:58PM SCHWEPPES HANDICAP (1600 METRES)

8. Arcadia Grace – 12. Aiyza – 6. Sunny Honey – 9. Conquered Zone

Arcadia Grace

Was very keen on Galactic Storm heading into the last, rough old morning yesterday for CJP with both Burnya To Survive/Galactic Storm both favourites pulled out for him on the day, but this looks a race with a real abundance of speed influences, so as a result, I’m going to side up with Arcadia Grace in a tricky finish to the day.

Some may pot the fact she’s 1200 straight to 1600m 2nd up but that is offset for me by the fact she’s had a 1450m trial and another 950m trial before that, absolutely no queries for me regarding any fitness with her. She’s got past Tadweer fresh who was plunged in betting and just missed last week and My Dilemma, who was the eventual winner of that same race. The draw is sticky, but if there eventuates to be as much speed as I think there will be, if Freddie can get her into a moving line with a cart into the race, she has the turn of foot to get her out of trouble.

1.5 Units WIN

Aiyza drops out of 3yo company and the form around her last couple of efforts have been good. Tackles the mile for the first time and enjoys a soft run from the barrier.

Taj is in great form, but this is a next level difficult steer from that barrier on Sunny Honey, he’s flying though but has to cop losing Pike and an abundance of speed drawn underneath if that’s the manner in which they intend to ride him again.

Liked the effort last start of Conquered Zone behind Special View, just a horse I think you are better off catching when he’s fresh.

Staking Plan

• Race 2 Valsassina 2 Units WIN
• Race 6 Rebelzone 1.5 Units WIN
• Race 8 Our Norman 3 Units WIN/Roch Legacy 1 Unit WIN
• Race 10 Arcadia Grace 1.5 Units WIN

9 Units Staked. View TOPSPORT Racing Markets Here! View Our NEW Form Guide Here