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Monday Racebook: Brad Waters’ horses to follow, forgive from The Valley on Saturday

Smart stayer Dashing Duchess showed she could continue on her winning way while a pair of promising three-year-olds are set to break through after excellent efforts at The Valley on Saturday.

Brad Waters
3 min read
August 12, 2024 - 7:00AM
Smart stayer Dashing Duchess can continue to rack up the wins after her success at The Valley on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.
Smart stayer Dashing Duchess can continue to rack up the wins after her success at The Valley on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images.

Racing returned to The Valley for the first time in five months on Saturday and the meeting produced some promising types to follow in the coming weeks.

Here is Brad Waters’ Blackbook from the meeting.

• Victorian Racing Awards: Shinn wins third Scobie Breasley Medal

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FIVE TO FOLLOW

ZESTIMAN
Last Druid caught the eye with the way he rattled home to be narrowly beaten but there was a lot to like about Zestiman’s effort to run fourth. The Zoustar colt gave a start and was caught wide at various stages midrace before drifting even wider on the home turn. However, Zestiman knuckled down well in the straight to get within 1-½ length of the winner Blue Stratum. He’s ready to win at his third run back.

DIAMOND FIRETAIL
Diamond Firetail dropped back from 1300m to 1000m at The Valley but acquitted herself well in the same race as Zestiman. The filly was beaten for early speed, which makes life tough around the 1000m at The Valley. However, the daughter of Epaulette closed well from the home turn to finish two lengths from the winner. There’s a win in her soon.

DASHING DUCHESS
This is a case of sticking with the obvious by following Dashing Duchess after her success at The Valley. Jockey Mark Zahra sent her forward to race handy to the speed and she kept finding to post what turned out to be a comfortable two-length win. That racing style could lead to more wins in the next few weeks, even stepping up in class.

TAUNTING
Taunting made an excellent return to racing despite proving no match for the dominant Mornington Glory over 1000m. The SA-trained sprinter didn’t have the same turn of foot as Mornington Glory but he stuck to his task well in the straight to hold second. Taunting is unbeaten from four second-up runs to be ready for him next start.

POWER BANK
Throwing a Hail Mary with one from left field in the form of Power Bank. On debut for Geelong trainer Sonny Coombes, Power Bank was set a tough task in Benchmark 74 company at The Valley. He went back from an awkward draw but did his best work out wide late. He has a handicap rating of 61 so could easily drop a few grades and win soon.

• Big Bets Review: $10,000 bet goes under as favourite runs out

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CRUNCH TIME

LAST DRUID did everything but win the second race of the day. The Godolphin three-year-old topped the time sheets, clocking the fastest last 600m (35.26s), last 400m (23.32) and last 200m (11.63s) sectionals of the day. MORNINGTON GLORY posted the second fastest last 600m of the day, running the sectional in 35.4 seconds. Talented stayer CAPTAIN ELECTRIC impressed when running the fourth fastest last 200m of the day in 11.93 seconds when dropping from 2400m to 2040m.

• Cameron Happ’s horses to follow, forgive from The Valley

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FORGIVE

MISTRESSOFILLUSION
Mistressofillusion ran second last but punters would do well to ignore most of her outing. She was a fractious behind the gates and got back to the rear until the home turn but made ground to finish four lengths from the all-the-way winner Waimarie. The Chris Waller-trained mare will improve.

DUBLIN JOURNAL
Dublin Journal was beaten 14 lengths by Lincoln Rocks but forget the import went around at The Valley on Saturday. He raced midfield until the race went pear-shaped from the 700m from where he was shuffled back through the field behind a tiring runner until he was at the rear with no momentum on the home turn. From there, there was little point riding him out to the line. He was only second-up so forget he ran.

FUNAMBULIST
Momentum is king in staying races, especially at The Valley, but Funambulist had none at vital stages in his 2500m assignment. Funambulist was going as well as any other runner until losing momentum at the 500m but he got going in the straight and worked home OK late. He’ll improve with a change of luck.

• Import makes emphatic Point in first Australian win

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TRACK TALK

“Once we hit the front I thought he was going to put another five on them and he just had a think about it,” jockey Jamie Kah said promising import Point King has a lot more improvement in him after his easy win at The Valley.

“God bless Beau and the horse,” co-trainer Tony McEvoy was relieved after Blue Stratum held on under jockey Beau Mertens to narrowly stay unbeaten this time in with his Valley success.

“I was in Mexico two and a half weeks ago. I was on the beach drinking Coronas. I’m still working on my fitness,” jockey Mark Zahra says he still has plenty of work to do before the spring despite booting home a treble at The Valley.

• Mornington Glory bounces back for ‘painless’ win

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STEWARDS SAY

DUBLIN JOURNAL (unplaced, race 3): Badly held up behind the weakening My Roca Fella (NZ) from the 700m until the 250m.

CAPTAIN ELECTRIC (second, race 3): Held up for clear running from the 600m to the 500m.

MATHEW (unplaced, race 7): Throat condition that may have affected his performance.

RACKEMANN (unplaced, race 8): Cardiac arrhythmia for the second time.

Originally published as Monday Racebook: Brad Waters’ horses to follow, forgive from The Valley on Saturday

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/horse-racing/vic-racing/monday-racebook-brad-waters-horses-to-follow-forgive-from-the-valley-on-saturday/news-story/e91c96abc42891cf63518e2f69416b25