She Likes A Drink tipples her way into another win

AN impressive on-pace performance guided the Kropp mare to her second career victory.

She Likes A Drink. Photo: Nev Madsen.

RACING: They were shouting at the bar early on the card at Clifford Park on Saturday night.

She Likes A Drink ($6.50) rewarded loyal supporters with her second career victory in the Maktrans Bulk Fuel Haulage Benchmark 55 Handicap (1625m).

It gave trainer Matt Kropp another winner on his home track, and kept the impressive streak of apprentice Maddy Wishart intact, following her first metropolitan winner last weekend and a midweek treble at Rockhampton.

The four-year-old mare was able to nullify a wide draw, sitting on the pace behind Dulcie Tie ($8.50).

As they approached the bend, the two leaders battled it out in the finish, with She Likes A Drink able to get the upper hand in the straight to score by a neat length, with well-supported favourite Westbrook Warrior ($2.70) doing his best work late into fourth.

“At her last run a fortnight ago it was a pretty good effort. She got back and made up good ground,” trainer Matt Kropp said.

“From the bad gate I wanted Maddy, who’s been riding extremely well, to be more positive on her, and there wasn’t a lot of obvious pace in the race, so it was the winning move to have her nice and handy.

“She’s a little mare, but the way she’s bred she wants further than a mile and she should get it easy enough.”

Kropp said he would look to step the four-year-old up in trip at her next outing.

“If we can find the right sort of race around the 1850 and 2000m, she should be able to handle it,” he said.

“Hopefully we can find something like that for her. She can cope with the hill on her home track.”

# AT DOOMBEN, progressive two-year-old Kisucano was able to make it two wins from three starts after an explosive four and a quarter-length victory in the QTIS Jewel Prelude Two-Years-Old Fillies Plate (1110m).

Mark du Plessis steered the Michael Nolan-trained galloper off heels at the 200m mark, before dashing away to put her rivals away in the space of two strides.

FROM THE STAND

Race 1: A keen betting Benchmark 65 to open the night. There was good eachway bets on Storm Grey at odds. Also there were good eachway cash bets for Machu Picchu at $14. The money came for the favourite and winner Our Top Shelf, $3 into start $2.25 along with cash bets and a phone bet of $1500 at $2.50 to give the bookies a bad start.

Race 2: Not a lot of interest in the Benchmark 55. Dulcie Tie saw eachway bets at $10. The horse with all the interest was Westbrook Warrior $3.50 in to start at $2.70 and in the mix was a phone bet of $1200 at $3.

Race 3: Hidden Action was fancied and saw good eachway bets at $5. Apidae was easy to lay and was a good loser at $6.5. The winner The Tyler was the big go in the race $2.40 into start at $2.20 and saw some good cash bets on the way in.

Race 4: Here punters were keen on Dame Ellie and the bookies got to lay her eachway at $10. Kings Iris saw $500 eachway at $6. Gunnobe was a late shortener on the QOP $4.60 into $4.20 and no money came back to the track. The winner Global Factor was steady in the betting at $3.40 but was $3.60 freely bet with the bookies and paid well unders on the tote.

Race 5: There was rough specking for The Bumblebee at $34 and $41. Lilli Lights Out was hard to lay and the bookies had to bet $3.40 to see any money. But all the interest was on Papa Jo $2.40 was bet pre post on track. The cash came for Papa Joe at $2 and was the worst result for bookies on the night. Josh Oliver clearly out rode his rival jockeys.

Race 6: The favourite Miss Charlee Lyn stultified the betting at the odds of $1.30 and punters stayed out of the race. The winner, The Hand, surprisingly was a sneaky tip around the traps, but as the great race caller Ken Howard once said “never back odds on and never run up steps”.

Race 7: The connections were on Divine Ascot and a late phone bet came in to make it the biggest stand for the night. Unusual Aunt had supporters at $4 and Great Brave was backed each way at $6. The winner in Princess Sparkles, was $2.70 in to start $2.25 and another bad result for the bookies who went home losers on the night.

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