The Henry Dwyer Racing stable has two runners tonight with MS CATHERINE and UNDER OATH at The Valley.
The Valley – Good (4)
The Valley rail has moved out to the 6m position having been 3m at the most recent meeting. For the first time in a while there was no water applied to the track on Thursday with milder weather conditions but I’d still expect it to get up to a Good 3. Deep into the night racing season the inside section will have plenty of wear and tear but it could well dry quicker which will advantage those horses on speed and on the inside 3-4 lanes. Generally speaking, The Valley has played very well all summer.
Race 4 (8pm) Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge Heat 15
No.2 MS CATHERINE – Will Price a(2) (Barrier 7)
MS CATHERINE resumes at The Valley tonight where she will contest Heat 15 of the 955m Challenge. She has drawn gate seven and Will Price will take the ride.
MS CATHERINE is a Valley specialist having won two from three here with her one miss coming on a soft track. She is drawn out in gate eight but has the speed to either lead, or come across and sit outside SARTORIAL SPLENDOR, and she is at her best when using her high cruising speed. Her recent Cranbourne trial was excellent, running the quickest time of the morning in beating Ancestry, and doing so under a good hold. She looks to be back somewhere near her best after heading north for a preparation with Tony Gollan and failing to fire a shot and her best is certainly good enough to win this fresh.
We think we are on top of a couple of minor breathing issues she encountered in Queensland and there is nothing like race pressure to see how far we have come, so if she can perform to her best she will be close to winning this. Cautiously optimistic.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $4.40 (as at 8am)
______________________________________________________________________________
Race 6 (9pm) EJ Whitten Foundation Handicap
No.2 UNDER OATH – Alanna Kelly a(3) (Barrier 7)
UNDER OATH also heads to The Valley tonight where he will tackle a 2040m Bm70. He has drawn gate seven and Alana Kelly will take the ride.
UNDER OATH should be at peak fitness now after plenty of recent racing and he gets onto a track that he has won at previously. He went around in the Colac Cup where he got back in a race dominated closer to the speed but again worked to the line quite well. He showed a really good turn of foot to get home in the best last 600/400m split of the meeting at Great Western the start prior, albeit on a day more moderate horses were going around. The key might be getting into a race with more pressure and that opportunity might present tonight with the likes of COMMANCHE BRAVE, HOLSTER and maybe MR RECKLESS/KENZEE RIVER setting a more genuine tempo.
UNDER OATH needs to find a length or two on recent racing to beat these, but he certainly has the ratings in his arsenal to win a race like this at his best. Needs a bit of luck running and if he gets it, he can definetely win this.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $10 (as at 8am)