Sydney: Comprehensive preview of every race at Canterbury

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

Paragon (Kerrin McEvoy). Picture: Jenny Evans

NOTE: RACES are assessed for a Soft 7 with the likelihood of an upgrade. All horses are considered starters unless notified by Monday at 1 PM. (N/R) denotes no rating.

RACE 1

THREE laps of the Canterbury track for these 6-horses, half of them last start winners and they are the logical three in the logical order — 1. PARAGON (70), 2. CHAQUINTA (61) and 3. LEVENSES (60). You can see by the ratings that Paragon is way above these on form — he is a last start Randwick Saturday winner after all. With that, come the weight but his 62.5kgs is lightened by 3kgs for the outstanding Deanne Panya. I guess the full-stop, or rather the exclamation mark vis-a-vie Paragon is that he won over two miles two runs back so he can obviously stay on. Chaquinta is a High Chaparral that probably needed this a heavy 10 to win. She smashed them on the bog at WF last Wednesday over the 2200m. Her record on slow/heavy is 7s 3-2-0 but she’s 5s 0-0-0 on good. Not that it’ll be ‘good’ tomorrow but I wonder if it’s wet enough? Levenses was a nose winner in a 2400m C1 at Kembla last start — good on her, but this is a good bit harder with Paragon involved.

RACE 2

ANOTHER good midweek 3YO race, this and the next in fact are both utterly intriguing. Trial watchers will be split here between 6. TIVOLI STREET (N/R) and 4. GLENALL (N/R) probably about 70/30 the way of Glenall but I am one in the minority even though Glenall looks damn hard to beat and has a much better draw than Tivoli Street. That said, I was taken with Tivoli Street’s trial win at Rosehill on Aug. 15. He ran good time and won by 2-lens and was really pulling away late and powered through the line. He is very well bred — I haven’t meet a Lonhro yet that doesn’t know how to gallop. Barrier 9 of 10? He might not run. Glenall has been one of the spruik horses whenever the trials have been at Randwick. The Les Bridge trained Redoute’s Choice has been very good in those last two — he went toe to toe with Tango Rain in one and then bolted in by 5.5-lens (fast time) in the recent one. He’s been down to run a few times lately but bad tracks, bad barriers have kept him at home. I am tipping a big run from 2. EIGHT OVER (N/R), a Waller/Ingham son of Lonhro and Big Birdie. I can’t really see him beating Tivoli Street and Glenall because he’ll be giving them both a decent start but he could be the horse that finishes with the best late sectionals.

RACE 3

THIS race should be 5. PIRAPALA (N/R) versus 2. IN TIMES OF WAR (N/R) but there is every chance the latter will be scratched again — last Wednesday at WF due to the wet, tomorrow (maybe) due to the draw. I had In Times Of War the XXX special last Wednesday wet or dry because I think she’s a gun. I am far less confident about her up against Pirapala who might be the bazooka! This filly was sold for $850,000 at the Magic Millions Sale to the China Horse Club. She is by Sepoy out of a the stakeswinner Celebrity Girl and has a great family. The two winter trials have been very good, that last one was mind blowing and I note that the runner-up Bring Me The Bling, who was smashed on the day, was a really impressive winner at Wyong on Sunday. I am totally convinced one of the two will win if it’s not Pirapala it just has to be In Times of War, the daughter of Street Cry and Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Magic Millions Guineas winner Military Rose. Her trials have been super — she was sliding up big time along the rails when 5th in the Pirapala heat at Rosehill on Aug. 15. My roughie for bronze is the Les Bridge trained/Deanne Panya ride 11. MACKELLAR’S LOVE (N/R) who is much better than that 7th on debut at Gosford would indicate.

RACE 4

7. CLEVEDON BAY (65) was a certainty beaten at Gosford first-up. Nothing went right for the mare, gate 9 of 9, last early, flew home late to finish 2nd to Choice We Had who I think will win the second-last there at Canterbury tomorrow too by the way. Even if you don’t agree Clevedon Bay should have won, you’ll have to agree that he horse that beat her is pretty good, so either way, Clevedon Bay comes out on top tomorrow. She’s only 2s 1-1-0 so far and that debut win — wow! 11. SEZANNE (66) was a moral here last start on Aug. 10. They don't trial like she did before hand and come out and get rolled trust me. She’s a promising filly from the big stable (Waller) with the big jockey (Bowman) but I guess the only little query might be is that she’s a 3YO taking on the older horses. Other than, she’s hard to fault. Me? I can’t see the winner coming from outside of this pair so no need to go much further — 4. AURORA’S STAR (66) is trialling very badly I must say but I do fancy Anthony Cummings as in the top 2 first-up trainers in NSW, the other is Gwenda Markwell by the way.

Deanne Panya has some excellent chances at Canterbury on Wednesday. Picture: Simon Bullard.

RACE 5

CUE the Cat Steven’s classic — Father and Son — because it looks like an early Father’s Day present gift from 9 (on) Jason Collett to dad, Richard here via 8. OUR VENTURA (68). The Kiwi mare has raced three times in Australia so far, the last two have been excellent. The runs I speak of are that fast finishing 0.7-lens 4th at WF to Rock Mylady and Our Beatnik — handy types — then was a neck 3rd to King’s Officer and Quick Defense at the Farm again. Last run was Jul. 13 so she’s had the little freshen-up and Richard Collett has been able to find the ideal race for her tomorrow. I am one of the idiots who tipped 1. DRAGON FLYER (73) to beat Waller’s 4 in the Rowley Mile last start. What was I thinking? His owner, Jamie Walter is a champion guy and a friend of mine so I hope he won’t mind me saying — Dragon Flyer is a costly horse, he has the flashing lights on most times but he’s not really delivered to any degree with 3 from 34. The numbers are there though — Track: 5s 1-2-1, Dist: 12s 1-5-0, T/d: 4s 1-2-0 and my favourite jockey, Deanne Panya riding with the 3kgs off. She can, and is, winning on anything. 5. ROYAL JACKPOT (66) is third-up here off two quite encouraging runs at Canterbury and Rosehilll. The more sun beams down on Canterbury the better for him — he is 8s 4w on good, 10s 1-1-2 on soft. Saved from a feature race at Moruya on Sunday for this.

RACE 6

YOU wanna know how good the Snowden’s are? 8. CHOICE WE HAD (68) hadn’t raced since Jan 24 in 2015 and was gelded in the interim when he resumed at Gosford on Aug. 11. The son of Choisir was $6.50 into $5 at one point but most of us thought he couldn’t beat Clevedon Bay. Anyway, Choice We Had was back near the end but Blake Shinn was riding pretty confidently actually — he took the short cuts and went in between horses where he needed to; smashing ride really. There is a whole chapter in the Book of Punting about not backing horses second-up off long breaks but I am making an exception for this horse and this stable. 2. TORPENHOW (72) was Torpenwow after his two awesome wins at Beaumont then Wyong by the combined 10-lens. He went to Scone on Cup Day and was a shade unlucky to be beaten a neck in the best C2 ever run in the nation’s horse capital believe me. I am a huge fan of this horse but I have found his trials a bit to read, I am not saying he’s going poorly by any stretch but I would have thought he’d be a little bit more dazzling? 10. ROCKAFELLA (67) has done nothing wrong winning his first two. He killed them at Wyong then showed more ticker than a Swiss watch when winning here next time. Trialled super since, lovely horse this one but geez he’s found himself in a good race.

RACE 7

HERE’S another very deep race, it’s actually a super card at Canterbury tomorrow so long as some of these aren’t cut about by scratchings. I am all over another one from Camp Snowden, this time it’s 6. TYPECAST (67) who resumes like I say, in a decent race. I am not saying she’s a moral but honestly, I have seen a few trials and I just don’t see that many where a horse trials as well as Typecast has been that comes out and run badly on race day. I think they’ll fall over themselves to back this mare tomorrow, seriously, go and watch the trial (s) then look at her wins/runs. She’s a terrific horse. I can’t wait to exacta/quinella her up with 10. WORLDLY IMPACT (61) here should he run (he’s drawn the outside alley you see). This Craig Carmody trained 7YO is 6s 0-1-2 at the track and 5s 0-1-2 at the t/d. He’s been around a while and has placings behind some big names like Deep Field (here) and Terravista (at Kensington). He’s been flying of late too. He needs to jump (he’s very iffy at the start), and will need tempo and a clear crack. There are heaps of other chances if you wanted to play the numbers behind 6 & 10 — namely 5. SUGAR RAY LEONARD (63), 9. POUND STELRING (65) and Baker/Panya combo 3. VOLANTE (69). Me? I am very, very keen on Typecast myself one out.