The Henry Dwyer Racing stable has five runners today in TWELVE STARS, CRISTOFINA, STRATESSA and BRUNGLE BERTIE running at Ballarat and UNDER THE TASSELS running at Mildura.
Ballarat – Heavy (9)
The track is rated a Heavy 9 and while fine weather is forecast, cold overnight temperatures has kept plenty of moisture in the ground and it’s hard to see it improving much. The rail is out in the 8m position having been 6m at the most recent meeting on May 19 when the track seemed to race reasonably well as a Heavy 8. With some wear on the inside, you’d expect they’d get wider as the day goes on.
Race 2 (12.55pm) The Haymarket 3YO Fillies Maiden Plate
No.9 TWELVE STARS – Lucinda Boyd (Barrier 5)
TWELVE STARS heads to Ballarat today where she will contest an 1100m Maiden for 3YO Fillies. She has drawn gate five and Lucinda Boyd will ride.
TWELVE STARS comes out of a reasonably fast run race where she was up on speed and knocked up late. She was supported at odds on that occasion having jumped-out reasonably well at Avoca prior. The second horse from Geelong has since won and given she knocked up late, the drop back to 1100m here looks most advantageous. Like many of these, she’s unknown on a wet track but should handle it ok.
On her home track today, this race has been hit with a few scratchings so brings her in with a chance. She will look for cover in the race to save her for a final crack at them and while the favourite MUSK LOLLIE might be too good, she is a good chance to fill the placings.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $13 (as at 8am)
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Race 3 (1.30pm) Cervus Equipment Maiden Plate
No.8 CRISTOFINA – Lucinda Boyd (Barrier 4)
CRISTOFINA also heads to Ballarat on Sunday where she will contest a 1400m Maiden. She has drawn gate four and Lucinda Boyd rides.
CRISTOFINA should find herself in a lovely spot form gate four in a race there doesn’t look a huge amount of tempo. She was totally luckless when getting back and flashing late two back at Horsham and while she might not have won either way at Geelong last start, she did cop some interference art a key stage. This is a fairly moderate maiden and with a soft run in transit she is clearly one of the key winning hopes.
The blinkers go on first time and she will be ridden quietly today from the barrier to give her something to chase, with the only minor query being the heavy track as it is a little bit of an unknown for her. She is knocking on the door to win her maiden and hopefully that is today if she can get through the ground.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $6.50 (as at 8am)
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Race 4 (2.05pm) Global Turf F&M BM64 Handicap
No.6 STRATESSA – Ben Allen (Barrier 7)
STRATESSA is our third runner at Ballarat today where she will contest a 1400m Fillies and Mares BM64. She has drawn gate seven and Ben Allen will ride.
STRATESSA is out to the 1400m for the first time this campaign and the way she is racing it seems ideal. She didn’t have the best of luck when making her run from the tail at Warrnambool last time out and the run was better than the sixth place would suggest. She has the turn of foot to run over the top of this field late with the right run and the rain affected ground is perfect for her. Gate seven is ideal to ensure a trouble-free run in the race and this is easier than what she contested last time out.
SPIRIT OF GOLD looks our only real danger today but STRATESSA gets everything to suit her today with regards to track conditions, distance and being at peak fitness, it’s just whether it’s a case of finding just one better on the day. Hopefully she jumps well and finds herself in the first half of the field and comes out on top.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $5.50 (as at 8am)
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Race 5 (2.40pm) Porter Plant 0-58 Handicap
No.1 BRUNGLE BERTIE – Jack Hill (Barrier 2)
BRUNGLE BERTIE is our fourth runner at Ballarat today where he will contest a 2600m 0-58. He has drawn gate two and Jack Hill will ride.
BRUNGLE BERTIE is a horse that takes plenty of riding to get into his work so Jack Hill will know he has ridden today after he gets of him. He ground out a maiden win three back against fairly moderate opposition at Mildura but has struggled a touch up in grade at his last two. He races like a horse that will absolutely relish the 2600m of this race and from gate two he will push forward to be near the front.
The Heavy 9 poses no issue for him, with HIGH COMMISSION and NOT USUAL DREAM probably posing the two biggest dangers in the race, but it drops away sharply after that. He’s in really good order, fit enough and should run very well.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $6.50 (as at 8am)
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Mildura – Good (4)
Race 3 (1.40pm) Bet 365 Protest Promise Maiden Plate
No.13 UNDER THE TASSELS – Alana Kelly a(1.5) (Barrier 12)
UNDER THE TASSELS heads to Mildura today where she will run in the 1400 metre Maiden. She has drawn gate twelve and Alana Kelly will ride.
There have been plenty of scratchings in this race which means we have come in to barrier 12 from orginally being in 18, therefore we will look to go back to near last from the draw to seek some cover, which will make it a little bit harder to win. She isn’t totally screwed down and will be lacking some fitness today, with a view to her next start at the mile being ideal, so while her class in this field will take her a long way, be wary of taking the short odds on offer given where she will need to come from (the rear). Will be running on late.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $3.70 (as at 8am)