Popular Canberra trainer Keith Dryden travels to Wagga today with a handful of runners headed by the promising Vilakazi Street who resumes from a spell in the benchmark 70 Wagga RSL Club Hcp over 1200m.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The son of Johannesburg who has not raced since an unlucky close up fourth behind Trescorpioni in the Tony Campbell Cup on the Canberra Acton track back in September faces a capacity field of handy gallopers this afternoon.
While at first glance his record fresh up does not look strong, last campaign he was unsuited by a heavy racing surface on the Randwick Kensington when unplaced behind Lioncub but in his previous campaign he performed much better when resuming.
On that occasion he was just beaten by the talented Zaratone, a subsequent multiple winner in Sydney Saturday grade with Trescorpioni in third place.
A repeat of that rating effort would see him go very close to landing the major prize this afternoon.
In an interesting riding move, Dryden has replaced regular rider Kevin Sweeney with apprentice John Kissick who will claim 1.5kgs bringing Vilakazi Street very well in at the weights.Drawn nicely in six, I can see Vilakazi Street getting a good run in the race and then producing late.
Both are last start winners and Aflashycat is of particular interest as Vilakazi Street's former rider Kevin Sweeney stays with him this afternoon.
Sweeney was aboard the gelding last start at Goulburn when he came with a late run from near last on the turn to win in this class over 1200m.
That was his second run back from a spell and he rises two kilos to 60.5kgs today, not an insurmountable assignment.
I would expect further improvement but a sobering statistic from his form is no third up wins from four attempts thus far in a 26 run career.
Club Zero from the powerful Brian Cox stable made it a hat trick of wins last time out over this course and distance but in lower benchmark 60 company.
This fellow loves Wagga and the 1200m trip so cannot be discounted to make it four in a row.
Last start winning rider Richard Bensley retains the mount but a wide barrier of fourteen is not ideal.
One factor in his favour is his gate speed and with early luck in running could find himself getting a nice trail up on the pace.
Two gallopers capable of improving at odds are Garvan and Wong Star, both of whom have blinkers fitted for today's race.
Trained by leading local conditioner Brett Cavanough, Garvan has been racing over shorter distances of late and although eighth last start at Wangaratta over 1000m was not far from the winner.
Most of his recent form has been in lower class races but the engagement of Brad Clark combined with a significant weight drop sees him as a multiples hope.
The same can be said for Wong Star, another lightly raced galloper who is second up from a spell
Fresh up he was thrown into the deep end at Canterbury in midweek company and after being with the speed to the turn dropped out in the closing stages.He will be much fitter today and his record second up is good.
With heavyweight rider Nick Souquet to take the mount, from a good barrier Wong Star is likely to be a sharp improver.
Enjoy what is a very competitive race.
