Single Red in the A$300,000 ($364,000) The Roses
and Sweynesday in the A$350,000 Ladbrokes BRC Sprint are both winning chances but also using today’s races as springboards to far richer assignments next month.
For Single Red, that is the Queensland Oaks and Sweynesday’s connections are hoping a big performance today can leapfrog him into the Stradbroke on June 13.
However, not only do the two Cambridge gallopers face wide draws today but also a Doomben track that has sat at a Heavy 8 all week, less than ideal.
“I don’t think the wet track will bother her too much but you never really know and it depends what kind of heavy you end up on,” says Single Red’s trainer Andrew Forsman.
Single Red has also drawn barrier 14, which Forsman says could result in a change of tactics and therefore that second negative could add up to a positive.
“She usually races up on the speed but from her wider draw I think she can settle back and be hitting the line, which may not be a bad thing with the Oaks next start,” Forsman says.
“Being Race 7 and later in the day, being drawn wide might be the place to be as the inside of the track could get cut up.
“I couldn’t be happier with her, she is in great order and she can win but there are a few unknowns.”
The favourite for Single Red’s race is Kiwi-bred Chispa, an impressive last-start winner for trainer Chris Waller in Sydney, who was bred and is still owned by Sir Peter Vela.
She looks the big late mover on the Oaks scene but that picture will become a lot clearer today.
Sweynesday was excellent when fifth on his Australian debut at Gosford last start but has again drawn wide at barrier 13, which is never easy to overcome at Doomben.
He also has no heavy track form, so again trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will be hoping that by the last race a wide barrier and swooping path becomes a positive, otherwise their Stradbroke dream will start to fade.
The two Kiwi challengers race either side of the A$1 million Doomben Cup, which should be a thrilling clash between Pride Of Jenni, Melbourne and Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours and the in-form Birdman.
Weighty issue
While Forsman couldn’t be happier with Single Red heading to Doomben today, he admits he is slightly surprised by stable rep Pacifico (R2, No 1) being so short at Ellerslie.
The last-start Rotorua Cup winner is a very rare $1.65 favourite for an open staying handicap, although with the field lacking much recent winning form, the bookmakers may have come up with that price almost by default.
“He is racing really well but it does seem short for a horse carrying 60.5kg topweight,” says Forsman.
“He has also never won on a good track and only once on a soft surface, with almost all his wins being on a heavy track.
“This is a fact-finding mission to see how he will handle a better track when he is in form, to see what options we have heading forward.
“But it will be an interesting race for him.”
Pacifico does get Opie Bosson in the saddle so shouldn’t be carrying too much dead weight even with the 60.5kg but in the small field, Khan Hunter (R2, No 3) could be better value at $5 with the option to race on the speed and kick hard.
The Ellerslie programme starts with one of the most heavily backed juveniles of the season, Fatal Affair (R1, No 5) in action.
An impressive trial winner for trainer Stephen Marsh last week, she opened $3.70 with the TAB on Wednesday but was immediately smashed into, dropping to $1.70. This shortened to $1.65 yesterday, incredibly short for a debutante taking on a race winner in Dee Oyster (No 1) in a race with plenty of placed raceday form.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.