Gai's Tip Sheet
WEDNESDAY 19th AUGUST - WARWICK FARMRail Position: TrueBLESSED EAGLE - Race 1, 1.25pm, 1100m, T Clark, 58kgBlessed Eagle is delighting us ahead of his first start. He has had two encouraging trials at Randwick, winning his latest one in stylish fashion and these hit outs have given him a very good fitness base and educational grounding for a high-pressure 1100 metre race first-up. Warwick Farm is a very fair track that regularly suits our horses’ racing patterns, so we expect Tim to be positive early from barrier 8 to try and have him in a handy position where he can make his own luck on or close to the lead. He’s been a very straightforward and professional colt thus far, and this temperament will take him a long way. He's shown us plenty of talent in his trials so we think he's capable of making his presence known in this grade, and we’re looking forward to seeing him run a very competitive race for you to get his career off to an exciting start.WENDELL - Race 2, 2.00pm, 1300m, R Bayliss, 57kgWendell ran an encouraging race when resuming at Wyong, finding only horse too strong for him in the run to the line. He’s taken plenty of improvement from it so he’s both fitter and more streetwise coming into this run, and the step up to 1300 metres on a more expansive track is going to suit him. He’s drawn well enough in barrier in 8 so Regan should be able to flow forward from there, land close to the speed and get into a comfortable rhythm so that he can conserve energy in the middle stages of the contest. We have plenty of success at Warwick Farm and we think the conditions of this race will suit him enormously, so whilst it’s a step up in grade he’s got the upside to cope with it and we expect him to give it a good shake.BUBBLES UP - Race 4, 3.10pm, 1100m, R King, 57kgBubbles Up is delighting us ahead of her first-up run. Her first racing preparation was fantastic, as after winning on debut at Rosehill she twice took on older horses which is very hard to do and she was beaten by fewer than two lengths on both occasions so we know she’s a genuine city-class performer. She’s had time to continue developing since then so she returns a maturer mare now, and her two trials have been very encouraging so she’s ready to rock and roll. This race is restricted to her own sex so it’s a lovely starting point for her, and she’s got plenty of speed in her legs at the outset of her campaign so although 1100 metres is short of her best, we're hopeful she can over come that first up. She’s drawn to do no work in barrier 1 and Rachel gets a terrific tune out of our horses, so she’ll be positive from there to try and land in a handy position where she can enjoy all the favours in the run. She ticks plenty of boxes and she’s open to plenty of improvement in only her second racing preparation, so we expect her to be challenging at the finish.THE LITTLE GENERAL - Race 7, 4.55pm, 1200m, T Clark, 57kgThe Little General bounced back to his best with a terrific second at Canterbury last time. He’s up in grade here to a Benchmark 72 having contested races of slightly lesser grade thus far this preparation, so it’s going to be tougher. However, he’s fourth-up and racing well so we think he deserves a shot in this grade, plus he gets some weight relief as a result which is not to be shrugged at. He’s got the speed to roll forward from barrier 15 and get across into a better position, and Tim should be able to get him travelling comfortably in the middle stages. He’ll appreciate the step up to 1200 metres at this stage of his campaign and he ticks a lot of boxes, so hopefully he can keep improving and give this a good shake.THURSDAY 20th AUGUST - HAWKESBURYRail Position: TrueROEBUCK PLANE - Race 4, 2.35pm, 1300m, R King, 55kgRoebuck Plane ran a race full of promise on debut at Wyong. 1100 metres around that tight turning track wasn’t the optimal set up but we had to start somewhere, and if you take the impressive winner out of it who’s since won in Saturday metro-grade then she wasn’t beaten far at all. She’s taken plenty of improvement from it so she’s both fitter and more streetwise coming into this run, and the step up to 1300 metres on a more expansive track is a huge tick against her name. She’s drawn a lovely barrier in 6 so Rachel should be able to flow forward from there, land close to the speed and get into a comfortable rhythm so that she can conserve energy in the middle stages of the contest. We have plenty of success at Hawkesbury and we think the conditions of this race will suit her enormously, so given she’s got a lot of upside we expect her to be right there at the finish.
