Thursday, July 29, 2010

2010 Spring Racing Carnival – Build up begins this Saturday

Shoot Out resumes this Saturday
The Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes, to be run this coming Saturday at Caulfield, represents the kick off to the upcoming spring racing season. In this race over 1200 metres, AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out, begins his long build up to the Cups and his last race as a three year old. He’s a tough young horse presumably, when you consider his summer/autumn campaign, so let us hope he is up to it and stays sound throughout. His trainer John Wallace has mapped out a traditional racing program for a Melbourne Cup bound horse, so that Shoot Out will be gracing the turf every fortnight from now on.

This means, if all goes well, that he will be competing in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 11, a day I generally go to the races in person. Also pencilled in for that race is my favourite racehorse Typhoon Tracy – whoopee! Already the Dato Tan sounds like it will be a beauty and a big thrill for me to see both Shoot Out and Tracy in the flesh. I daren’t anticipate it too much in case I jinx it by too much keen expectation. Tracy will be starting her Cox Plate campaign in the Memsie Stakes on August 28, where no doubt she’ll clash with Shoot Out first up, and who knows (at this stage) what other contenders.

So how will Shoot Out go in the Bletchingly Stakes? He’s in with a chance and if not winning, will be competitive. He has shown versatility by winning races from 1200, to 2400 metres.

Several of his opponents – Keano, Royal Ida & Stanzout- recently contested the Listed John Monash Stakes, which was won by 2009 Blue Diamond winner Reward For Effort having his first start for over a year after injury disrupted his career in the autumn of2009. He has come back in good order judging by his run in the John Monash.

Shoot Out’s main dangers in the Bletchingly appear to be the mares Velocitea and Elumino, fellow three year old Tollesprit, and Keano who was only beaten by a head in the John Monash. The track will probably be rated dead to slow as showers are predicted for Friday and Saturday here in Melbourne. That shouldn’t worry Shoot Out; he appears to cope with all types of track, though this is the first time he’s raced in Melbourne.

Disappointingly, there probably won’t be a Super Stable competition on Racing & Sports this year as the regular organiser of the competition has banished himself from the forum over a trivial identity issue. I’ve always enjoyed having a Spring Super Stable - it adds spice to one’s enjoyment of the season, so here’s hoping The Shu will change his mind and administer the competition again.
Update Saturday

Shoot Out
gunned down his rivals with a stunning win in the Bletchingly Stakes, holding off oldster Stanzout and Velocitea to win by a good margin. I had a small wager on him, seeing as how his odds were so good ($6.50 ) - I doubt if his odds will be that long again this season.

No comments: