Comprehensive preview of every race for Wednesday’s meeting at Canterbury

A COMPREHENSIVE preview of every race for Wednesday’s meeting at Canterbury, with Shayne O’Cass.

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Soft track - 5 to 7. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Monday at 1 PM. (N/R) denotes no rating.

RACE 1

CAST your mind back to Aug 19 in a Bm66 here at Canterbury over the 1900m where 8. ALLISION (66) beat 6. MY GIULIANO (66) by a nose. The third horse, by the way (my tip that day), was Mandalong Kiss and she came out and won at Rosehill next at $21 when not my tip - thanks for that. Allision has not started since she won here, My Guiliano has - he actually ran 3rd in the Mandalong Kiss race at the Gardens. You wouldn't think there would be much between these two again, they have the same benchmark rating as it happens so it’s a real toss of the coin job. I’d be surprised if one of the pair didn’t win really. Outside of them, 3. AURORA GLOW (70) has some appeal. She is on trial at the 1900m after sitting 3-wide the trip last Wednesday here and tiring to finish 6th of 9 but only 2.5-lens from the stablemate/winner.

RACE 2

1. RETALIATION (66) is a cleverly named colt by Preakness winner and Boban’s sire, Bernardini, out of the stakes-placed Exchanges (by Domesday). The 3YO colt was an odds-on debut winner at Beaumont back on May 7 then was tipped out. He trialled very well twice ahead of his Kembla return on Aug 20 whence he won the Bm65 over 1300m by 1.8-lens, a widening 1.8-lens at that, last 600m in 33.68s. He should run the 1550m no worries, but barrier 9 is a body-blow from this start for an on-pacer. 2. TUMULTUOUS (63) is a Fastnet Rock filly from the Waller yard that has form (to some degree) around the likes of Morton’s Fork, Tango Rain, Golden Organic and Evacuation. That last run at Rosehill when 3.2-lens behind Evacuation reads pretty well for a midweeker. 7. MOQUEEN (61) is on the back-up after finishing 3rd at Goulburn in a mile maiden last Thursday at the $2.80. Early on, you would have this down as a 1000 Guineas chance, but she’s taking her time to win a race. Blinkers on first time tomorrow.

RACE 3

SO You Think filly 8. NAUGHTY THOUGHTS (61) trialled exceedingly well ahead of her debut here on Aug 17 where she had the ill-fortune to bump into Spirit And Fire whom she was never going to be able to beat. Waller and the filly’s owners, though, would have been delighted with the run, Naughty Thoughts was doing her best work late - 2.8-lens behind a horse like Spirit And Fire is no disgrace, time will show, it was a great result in fact. 7. PECANS (62), a daughter of Walnut, beat stablemate Kent on debut at Beaumont but to be fair, Kent should have won. Kent goes round in the 4.45 today and should win. As for Pecans, you can’t knock a debut winner that is 1 for 1 and she’s had two easy trials to prepare for this. 10. LUCIENNE (60) and 9. HIGHLEIGH (60) together with Naughty Thoughts account for 3 of the Waller 4 in the race but not all will run, less likely the ones that draw out namely Lucienne who has gate 9 of 11, 8 of 10 at the moment with Faith’s Encore going to line up the last. God only knows which one of the Waller quartet run, Godolphin’s Pecans is gate 10 of 11 so she might run - it’s a nightmare trying to second guess trainers (who are prone to scratching at the best of times) when you want to have a bet on the Fixed Odds.

Allision (left) and My Giuliano will do battle again in the opening race at Canterbury. Picture: Mark Evans.

RACE 4

THIS is the race of the day on paper, but London to a brick there are some scratchings on the day that tear it apart. I am just hoping that my best bet 10. INVINICBELLA (N/R) is not one of them but I fear she might be with the wide-ish gate and Waller already having three others including the main danger - 1. PEWTER (N/R). Both of these horses trialled at Rosehill last Tuesday so you can see more on page 2 in the trial wrap, suffice to say that they were both 10 out of 10 performances. Pewter does too much wrong (at the start mostly) for me to have on top of Invincibella who was stakes-placed in Brisbane at her last run on Jun 11 and was beaten a nose here twice before that, one time by Blowing Kisses who is outstanding with a capital ‘O’ by the way. I just hope she starts. 3. MISSILE STRIKE (N/R) was most unlucky on debut at Hawkesbury at the $2. Tommy Berry had him box-seating but sadly was unable to get a run even though Berry bravely tried to go through a slight gap but was shut down and that was it. Trust me, 7th of 9 beaten 6.4-lens is utterly misleading. He probably runs 2nd, maybe even wins without the bad luck.

RACE 5

1. UNTAMED DIAMOND (77) was on the end of a Deanne Panya special when she won here on Aug 17. Panya got the ex-Kiwi mare to jump fast and cross to the rails from the 9 alley then just travel after that. Untamed Diamond maintained her margin to the line winning by 2.8-lens and giving her a real confidence boost no doubt. She is up to a Bm77 from a Bm71, has a half kilo more and stays out in a terrible gate (8 of 8) but I think now that she’s won, she might keep on going. 4. ALLEZ CHIVAL (76) is the big fly in the ointment for Untamed Diamond if the intention as to lead again because there’s no way on God’s green earth that Allez Chival will be crossed from gate 2! It doesn’t mean Untamed Diamond can’t win, not by an stretch, but Allez Chival back to the 1100m around a place like Canterbury is going to be one hard horse to catch, let alone pass. 5. REINCARNATE (71) came of age as a gelding last prep winning his first three before that 4th and 3rd at Rosehill. I remember at the time thinking he was a shade disappointing then I have a look at the winner of those two races - Sir Bacchus and think again.

RACE 6

7. KENT (67), the Godolphin 3YO that we mentioned earlier as the one who should have beaten Pecans that day up at Newcastle, drops back a little in class here! This fella ran around in the G3 Up and Coming first-up and was 6th of 9 beaten 3.6-lens by Divine Prophet who might just win the Golden Rose this Saturday. Kent has a few very compelling figures namely he is 1s 1w second-up and that was here at Canterbury over this trip and on soft and he won easily. Just need that extra bit of luck from gate 2 - that’s the big worry. I saw Kim Waugh interviewed by Greg Radley on SKY Thoroughbred Central after 5. TRINITY RIVER (67) won so well at Wyong on Aug 28 and was interested to hear her telling the story that the owner sent her to Waugh for a little stint before she goes to stud this spring. Waugh has obliged with 2 wins and a 3rd from the 4 runs for Mahtoum Lodge. If Waugh wins a city-race with this mare, the mare’s value will soar. Anyway, the bottom line is she can win. Goulburn galloper 9. WINGS (63) was $12 to $51 and back to $11 here in a Bm67 over this trip last start and gave a real sight for her backers there until Antonio Giuseppe swept down the middle of the track to spoil the party. This is a Bm72 in name only - none of the 9 runners rate above 69 so a 63 rater shouldn’t be easily dismissed.

RACE 7

YOU don’t need a crystal ball to know that 11. FAITH’S ENCORE (67) is going to win a stakes-race sometime, probably within the spring period. The daughter of Denman and Faith Hill was a moral/unbeatable at WF on debut on May 4 and she did exactly as expected, winning by 2.5-lens. Her trial at Rosehill on Aug 15 was a cracker. Stablemate 1. MARAAM (72) is an incredibly well bred Street Cry mare (and Easy Date descendant) and is 7s 2-2-1 so far and has run into some decent fillies along the way. She is a winner at the track beating Sampeah and Conarchie no less and I am sold on her trials. She’ll be a stakes-mare (winner of placed) by the time she retires. As matter of interest, Maraam’s half brother Derryn is not the roughest in this weekend’s Golden Rose. 3. PAINTED FIRETAIL (69) has drawn 13 of 13 - I would be very surprised if she ran, she has bigger fish to fry this campaign. The positives are G3 4th in the Typhoon Tracy a and has been trialling well in recent weeks.