The feature event at the Canberra Acton track meeting today is the Tony Campbell Memorial Cup and a select seven will tackle the annual tribute.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Photo by Racing and Sports
A clear topweight even after a full apprentice claim that has never encountered the Acton all weather surface before is the one to beat, with Kenny's World a class act.
The seven-year-old gelding from the Kembla Grange stable of Graeme Murray has won almost a third of his starts and placed the same number of times too.
He is a natural off pacer or should I say likes to sit handy at best and had been allocated a crushing 65.5kg for the event today before a full claim was taken to give him a more carryable 61.5kg.
Tara-Jane Mitchell has been entrusted the ride on Kenny's World, which has been ridden for almost its entire career by senior riders.
Gate three in a small field will help, as being hemmed up early seems unlikely having drawn off the fence and the gelding has won on all types of wet and dry tracks.
Even though he has not won a race for almost a year Kenny's World is still one of the top rated runners over the last twelve months.
He won the G3 Patinack Farm Cameron Handicap (1300m) at Newcastle last September under 53.5kg from gate three in slick time and the field was littered with G1 and Group performers.
The three inside barriers did trifecta the race that day, so track bias did play a role, but it remains to this day his highest rating career effort.
Kenny's World had been in super form around this early spring period last year, which augurs well from a seasonal point of view today too.
He had won his previous race, the Listed Show County (1200m) Handicap at Warwick Farm and defeated that day Pinwheel (four more wins since including at G2, G3 and Listed level) and Sacred Choice (two G1 wins since in Myer Classic and Emirates Doncaster Handicap).
Some of the names Kenny's World beat home in the Cameron include Rock Kingdom, Trusting, Star of Octagonal and Pinwheel again, so he rumbled against and bet several big hitters.
The half brothers of Kenny's World, namely World Wide (6 wins) and Hangover Henry (4 wins) have both won in recent months, so it is the turn of the older bro to keep up the good family name today.
I felt the fresh up run by Kenny's World last month in the Listed Show County on heavy ground was a reasonable effort, as he looked like plenty of work had gone into him and he only blew out very late.
His record second up is superb and he has actually carried 62kg to place in an open sprint win over 1200m before in such a state, so today at 61.5kg everything is possible.
Six times to date he has appeared second up for two wins and three placings, with the only miss being last campaign when seventh at Randwick in the Listed Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) on heavy ground.
Third up in his last preparation however he showed the real Kenny's World may be liking improved footing in his older age by finishing second beaten a lip in the Wagga Town Plate (1200m) under 61kg.
That race does actually give you a good reading on just where Kenny's World stands today, as a main rival in Trescorpioni finished fourth in it.
Trescorpioni carried 9.5kg less and was just under a length and a half behind Kenny's World at the post, while today he will have just 7kg less than the visiting topweight.
Bernie Howlett prepares Trescorpioni, which has won or placed in over half its starts and when in the mood is a very good galloper.
He has only raced twice on the Acton track and last year finished third despite a bump early in this very race under 55kg beaten a length behind Zaratone and Vilakazi Street, with the latter back again and a threat.
Last start saw Trescorpioni race on the Acton and he was trapped off the track under 58.5kg and not surprisingly weakened but remember he drops 4kg here.
The outside gate today has done him no favours but a senior rider back on in Brendan Ward makes a major difference.
The last time this horse won was five starts ago, which is also the last time Ward rode it and overall he has scored five times aboard the galloper so knows him best and gets the best out of him.
Clever Hans, the older half brother of Parables, was once a member of the potent Peter Snowden stable but is now with Rado Boljun.
It went a ripper race fresh up here on the Acton last month, when second and beaten narrowly under 56.5kg by a rival again today in Acta Non Verba that carried 3kg less.
The gap between those two is reduced to 1.5kg today and it should also be noted that the third and fourth finishers Ten Of Hearts and Vilakazi Street will also be opposition again.
The versatility of Clever Hans is shown in his record of winning from 1200m up to 1800m and he can settle handy then pounce, so dismiss him at your peril.
A pair of local runners form the Keith Dryden stable in Acta Non Verba and Vilakazi Street give him a strong hand.
Acta Non Verba can lead or sit poised, with the former option more likely in a small field and Vilakazi Street is best covered up behind them, so each is drawn to aide their cause and both of course are already Acton winners.
Ten Of Hearts, which likes sitting ready to strike handy is Acton proven, with two of his eight victories coming right here.
Whether he can improve enough to beat home Acta Non Verba and Clever Hans, the pair that defeated him here last start, is debatable but in a smaller field you never know.
That leaves Wyora, which has won from 1000m to 1600m and was once competitive with and had beaten home a couple of his opposition today.
However he has not won or paid a dividend in a race since winning the Cootamundra Cup (1600m) last October.
The ace barrier today will be of benefit and his career high rated performance did come just five starts ago or last November in the Goulburn City Cup (1600m), when a game and close up seventh.
The likes of Willy Jimmy (7 wins) won the race and the popular Voice Commander (12 wins) finished fourth, while Macknuckle (10 wins) was tenth.
I do see Kenny's World as the sheer ability bet here and it will all come down to the ride of the female apprentice, while Trescorpioni and Clever Hans make appeal with senior riders atop both.
Enjoy the race, a fitting tribute to 'The Voice of Canberra Racing” and a thoroughly genuine racing and community man in the late Tony Campbell.
