In form galloper Kontiki Park is expected to turn the tables on last start nemesis Tagus when the pair do battle once again in Wednesday’s Group 3 Cameron Handicap (1500m).
Photo by Racing and Sports
Kontiki Park has come back in career best form this preparation as was evidenced during the Group 3 Tramway Handicap (1400m) where he ran a very good second behind Tagus.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained galloper unwound with a strong run from near the rear of the field and only found one better than him in the form of Tagus.
Kontiki Park recorded a new peak Timeform figure of 115 on that occasion with Tagus assessed at 112.
He again faces Tagus here on better weight terms and should also be fitter third run back from a spell.
Those two factors should be enough to swing things in the seven-year-olds favour.
From barrier 6, jockey Nash Rawiller will likely settle Kontiki Park midfield one off the fence.
The big Thorn Park seven-year-old should benefit from the longer straight on offer at Newcastle over Warwick Farm where he’ll have plenty of time and room to get clear and unwind.
Kontiki Park is also the beneficiary of compressed weights in today’s Cameron Handicap with just four horses in the handicap.
As many as five rivals have to be considered genuine threats here and last start Tramway winner Tagus is one of them.
A 40-1 outsider in the Tramway Handicap, Tagus snuck under the radar of most punters following what was a solid seventh in the Warwick Stakes.
The eight-year-old should be somewhere around peak fitness fourth up and has to be respected based on the 112 he was assessed at last start.
Under the guidance of Jim Cassidy, Tagus will have no choice but to roll forward from a wide barrier and should be fighting out the finish.
Although not weighted favourably, runners such as Lightinthenite and Darci Be Good are worth keeping in mind.
Lightinthenite keeps improving with each preparation and ratings he yielded during a brief autumn campaign were suggestive of a galloper who could match it in this company.
Darci Be Good could offer some value.
The Bede Murray-trained four-year-old has been gelded since an unsuccessful AJC Derby campaign during the autumn.
He resumed in the Tramway Handicap with a respectable fifth and second up over more ground could be an improver.
Darci Be Good ran to 106 on resuming which was 12 pounds shy of his master rating achieved when finishing second in the 2011 Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m).
It should also be noted the four-year-old claimed a career best win when saluting in the 2011 Spring Stakes (1600m) at this track 12 months ago assessed at 111.
Monton and Western Symbol should also be high in the market however they do have some question marks surrounding them.
Ron Quinton’s Monton has been a bit underwhelming this campaign however may be ready to show something third up heading toward the Epsom Handicap on October 6.
Western Symbol is a very talented type and while he did look good during a trial late last month, first up over 1500m against this sort of company isn’t an easy assignment for the six-year-old.
The son of High Chaparral is on a path directed at the Cups and is unlikely to be fully primed first up.
With this in mind, Western Symbol’s early quote of $5 which has him third in market order could be unders.
His stablemate Kontiki Park is definitely the way to go in this affair.
