Chris Scholtz - Early Thoughts
R&S Contributing Editor Chris Scholtz takes a look at tomorrow’s Sydney racing.
SELECTIONS
Randwick Race 4 - 3 Octavian Augustus
Hardly a vintage edition of the Dulcify Quality and one that should suit this progressive three-year-old.
He will be having only his fourth career starts and there is ample improvement to come from his first-up third over 1300m at Warwick Farm when he didn’t get the best passage over the last 400m but ran through the line like a horse certain to get a strong 1600m at Randwick.
Gets her chance to step up following the enforced withdrawal of her stablemate Omei Sword.
She won both her starts last season including a 1400m win over her top grade stablemate Foxplay at Rosehill and her last start effort behind that filly in the G2 Tea Rose Stakes at this course was the eye catching run of the race as she was held up over the last 200m and went to the line unextended.
She would surely have made it an interesting finish with a clear run and is great value in this small field with her scope for improvement over this extra distance.
Randwick Race 8 - 5 Sir John Hawkwood
Few stayers can boast the consistency of this import as he has finished in the top three in his last seven starts in Group and Listed races where he has competed with credit under big weights against many rivals in this field.
He’s got the runs on the board over this course and distance and is primed to run the race of his life with a 4.5kg drop in weight from his last start second over 2000m at Rosehill when having his first outing since his Brisbane Cup second in June.
That effort is a strong form reference as he carried 58.5kg and gave 4.5kg to the top Epsom Handicap contender McCreery while beating home the subsequent Queen’s Cup winner Allergic.
BLACKBOOK UPDATE from 24 September (Rosehill & Caulfield)
Alegria - Will soon be placed to advantage.
Divine Prophet - Live chance in the Caulfield Guineas with pace on.Swear - His best is still to come.
La Luna Rossa - Excellent trial for the Thousand Guineas.Missrock - Big sectionals without any luck.
Lucia Valentina - Getting a perfect preparation for the Cox Plate.Recent Blackbook winners - Yulong Baby; Extensible; Kaniana; We're Sure; Divine Prophet; Omei Sword; The Umbrella Man; Awesome Rock; Painted Firetail; Motown Lil; Heavens Above; Jameka; Brulee; Impending; Super Cash; Dreamforce.
ELIGIBLE BLACKBOOK RUNNERS for the long weekend
Moonee Valley (Fri) - Jessy Belle (R6) and Magnus Reign (R8)
Randwick (Sat) - Global Glamour (R6), Awoke (R6), Happy Clapper (R7), Dibayani (R7), Magic Hurricane (R8) and Sir John Hawkwood (R8)Caulfield (Sat) - Shillelagh (R8)
Flemington (Sun) - Rocketeer (R3), Fromparis Withlove (R6), Tarzino (R7), Set Square (R7), Tally (R7), Jessy Belle (R8) and Federal (R9)Warwick Farm (Mon) - Black On Gold (R3)
Eagle Farm (Mon) - Revitalise (R8)Chris’ final observations and full audio preview of all Sydney races will be available after 9.30am Saturday on the R&S website and tweeted by @ScholtzRacing.
