Horsham
Race 3 – Peaceful Protest
Jockey – Mitch Aitken
2100m – Barrier 8
Raise The Flag gelding Peaceful Protest is second-up and fitter when he travels to Horsham this afternoon. The five-year-old galloper was sound first-up over a mile at Bendigo three weeks ago, making some late ground and suited up in distance today. Jockey Mitch Aitken rides from barrier eight and will look for cover midfield or worse passing the winning post for the first time.
Best Scenario will jump fast from the inside and look to hold the front, while Rumour Lane, Catching Stars and Give Her A Medal can roll across and take forward positions from wider out. Give Her A Medal was only collared late over this distance at Stony Creek last start, comfortably beating Ol’ Mate Altony who won easily at Pakenham last night. That’s good form for this. If she finds the front from a wide draw, she’s clearly the one to beat. Rumour Lane did a good job to finish as close as she did last start given significant early interference at Terang and should get a much kinder run here. Draws for a soft trail, no surprise to see her in the finish. Eyes To Me will be an improver second-up and out in trip, while Rocky Thinks So is hard fit at this point of his preparation on a quick back-up. Both have each way claims. Others look stretched.
Peaceful Protest will be better for his first-up run and enjoy the extra distance on offer today. He’ll be forced back from a sticky draw, but can work into the race from the 600-metre mark and run on rounding the home bend. No surprise to see him show up in the first four.
Currently, Peaceful Protest is a $20 chance in the market.
Horsham
Race 4 – Objection Raised
Jockey – Mitch Aitken
1800m – Barrier 4
Five-year-old galloper Objection Raised makes his racetrack debut at Horsham this afternoon. The gelded son of Raise The Flag has been a regular at the jumpouts leading into today, finding a suitable distance to kick-off his career. Jockey Mitch Aitken has drawn well in gate four and will find cover in the second half of the field heading into the back straight.
Mighty George will punch forward from the middle of the line, having shown plenty of cheek when runner-up and only collared late at Terang last start. There was a gap to third on that occasion and if he finds the top here, he’ll take a power of running down. Dollar Bucks and Instinctive Spirit will look to hold their positions from the inside, while Subarctic won’t be far away heading into the back. This galloper just missed at Sale two starts back before running into a smart one at Kyneton three weeks ago. He wasn’t beaten far there and only needs a repeat effort to prove hard to beat here. Concede an each way chance to Hot Gospel who comes through the same race and gets blinkers applied today.
Objection Raised will improve on whatever he shows today, better over more ground later in his preparation. He’ll get back from the start and enjoy a nice run in the second half of the field, look for him to run through the line late.
Currently, Objection Raised is a $23 chance in the market.