The Henry Dwyer Racing stable has five runners today at Ballarat on the synthetic in LEXINGTON LAD, HAYLEY’S LIGHTNING, COPPER FOX, HONORABLE MENTION and ELEGIST.
Racing is on the synthetic track at Ballarat today which generally plays reasonably fairly, although at the last meeting on July 20 it was very difficult to make ground. When it comes to these synthetic tracks it can be hard/folly to make predictions about how they’ll play but it’s rarely a disadvantage to be handy to the speed.
Ballarat – All Weather Track
Race 1 (1pm) Madica Civil Maiden Plate
No.2 LEXINGTON LAD – Georgina Cartwright (Barrier 5)
LEXINGTON LAD heads to Ballarat today where he will contest a 1500m Maiden. He has drawn gate five and Georgina Cartwright will ride.
LEXINGTON LAD has done his racing exclusively on the Ballarat Synthetic to date and he seems to go well here. Both runs this campaign have suggested that the step to 1500m will be ideal and he comes out of a pretty fast run 1400m race last start and was trapped deep throughout, which adds merit to his run.
From gate five, up in trip, he should secure a lovely run in transit in a race that there doesn’t look to be a huge amount of pressure. This presents him with a great chance to break his maiden in the weakest race he has contested so far.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $4 (as at 8am)
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Race 3 (2pm) Polytrack Maiden Plate
No.6 HAYLEY’S LIGHTNING – Michael Poy (Barrier 9)
HAYLEY’S LIGHTNING also heads to Ballarat today where she will contest a 1200m Maiden. She has drawn gate nine and Michael Poy will ride.
Her first up run was ordinary but we could put that down to the Heavy 8 track or potentially due to getting her tongue over the bit. We have put the blinkers on her today on a more suitable surface where she has trialled well previously. It’s not an not overly strong maiden and with a fair bit of speed inside us from the barrier, we will be leaving it up to Michael as to where she settles in the run.
FUTURE FORCE is clearly the horse to beat in this race with LITTLE CALEB to also be competitive up front, but it drops away after that and at her best she is a chance to get into the placings at odds.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $19 (as at 8am)
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Race 5 (3pm) Porter Plant BM78 Handicap
No.5 COPPER FOX – Ben Allen (Barrier 1)
COPPER FOX is the stable’s third runner today at Ballarat where he will contest a 1400m BM78. He has drawn gate one and Ben Allen will ride.
COPPER FOX was super first-up at Geelong, hitting the line in the best last 600m split of the meeting behind a smart one in Our Wind Spirit. He was a touch disappointing with his effort at Sandown last start when he got back and the winner came from behind, but he clearly didn’t handle the heavy track. Despite it being a small field, he is still a touch awkwardly drawn in gate one and these smaller fields can be very tactical, so Ben Allen will be at the top if his game to get clean air at the top of the straight.
If he runs up to his first-up effort at Geelong he can win this and at $7.50 he does look over the odds. A good winning chance today.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $7.5 (as at 8am)
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Race 7 (4pm) Sportsbet – Elite Average Games Bm64
No.3 HONORABLE MENTION – Ben Allen (Barrier 1)
HONORABLE MENTION is our fourth runner at Ballarat today where he will contest a 1500m BM64. He has drawn gate one and Ben Allen will ride.
HONORABLE MENTION jumped-out really well on this Ballarat Synthetic track prior to his last start at Pakenham and he seemed to love the surface. He was super from the tail of the field at Pakenham over 1400m last start on a day you needed to be closer to the speed and 50m past the post he was in front of the winner, Design Rouge. The little challenge here is drawing the inside barrier as he might need an inch of luck to get clear at some point but with the extra 100m and in no harder race here, he can prove very hard to beat.
With some even luck, he is a great winning chance in this race.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $5 (as at 8am)
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Race 8 (2pm) Hygain Winners Choice Class 1 Handicap
No.1 ELEGIST – Ben Allen (Barrier 7)
ELEGIST is our fifth and final runner at Ballarat today where he will contest an 1100m Class 1. He has drawn gate seven and Ben Allen will ride.
ELEGIST looks very well placed here and with even luck in running he’s clearly the horse to beat. He got a mile back when resuming at Swan Hill but rattled to the line on a day it was difficult to make ground. He was home the best last 600m split of the meeting on that occasion and he stamped himself a horse of some quality with his booming, high-rating maiden win at Terang last preparation. He is seven-weeks between runs into this but his two tick-over jump-outs – including one here on the Ballarat Synthetic – have been fantastic.
He will get back from the barrier and I believe he has the best turn of foot in this race, so look for him sailing down the outside and finishing off strongly, hopefully for the win.
TAB WIN Fixed Odds – $3.90 (as at 8am)