High-flying trainer-jockey combination Guy Walter and Blake Shinn team up again at Canterbury this afternoon looking to finish the day in style with Gamba in the Canterbury Park Benchmark 75 Handicap (1250m).
Photo by Racing and Sports
The unbeaten four-year-old mare by Elusive Quality is shooting for a fifth-straight win to kick off her career, and a second in a row at this track following her last-start blitz over 1200m against no-metro-win opposition.
Gamba is showing no signs of slowing down and profiles as the one to beat again today.
She’s improved substantially with every career run since winning a maiden on debut at Canberra back in February.
That run returned a modest Timeform rating of 65, a number which has substantially improved as Gamba has progressed through her grades.
Step two was a Class 1 Handicap (1200m) at Newcastle, which she won by two lengths earning a Timeform figure of 74.
Much like her debut run she sat just off the leader before peeling around them in the straight and storming home.
It was here at Newcastle she started displaying her volatile barrier manners. She was difficult to load and copped an official warning by stewards on her record.
Twenty seven days later she returned to Canberra to take on talented local galloper Nat King Cu.
This time she behaved at the gates, jumped to sit just behind the leader again and had the race won 150m from home.
The run produced a new career peak of 80, and she comfortably accounted for Nat King Cu who went on to finish second at Warwick Farm in Benchmark 70 grade last week.
Walter gave her just 19 days between runs before she lined up in the Testa Rose @ Vinery no-metro-win Handicap (1200m) here on the eve of ANZAC Day last month.
It was the shortest break she’d had between runs, but made no difference as she scampered to a 2.5L win netting a Timeform figure of 86, despite her reluctance to load again.
For the second time in a row, Gamba had improved six pounds on her previous run.
The form out of that race has been solid too – third placegetter Petrify went to the Hawkesbury standalone metropolitan meeting on Saturday and saluted, finishing a nose clear of Double Halo who had run fourth to Gamba in that April 24 race at Canterbury.
Corey Brown rode her last start but Walter’s main man Shinn jumps back aboard today. He was in the saddle when she won at Canberra two runs back.
She has to jump from gate 15 of 15 today, but that’s not as bad as it could be. It means she’ll be last to load, and if she can break quickly like usual and dash over to sit in behind the speed, it won’t be an issue.
Gamba carries 57kg today, which shouldn’t be an issue. She was too good at Canberra two starts back under 56.5kg and looks well equipped to manage today’s impost.
Walter and Shinn are both fresh off a lucrative autumn carnival in Sydney. Throw the in-form Gamba in the mix, and the trio look well placed to finish with a bang at Canterbury this afternoon.
There’s a stack of these who should be lining up for minor honours today.
John O’Shea’s Hendricus resumes after almost nine months off.
Two years ago as a two-year-old he was consistently throwing up numbers of 90-plus although he hasn’t quite maintained that lofty standard in more recent times.
His best recent performance was back in August last year where he ran to 91 in winning over the mile at Newcastle.
The 1200m might be a fraction short, but he stays under notice on ratings.
Watch for the Chris Waller’s Midnight Minx.
She’s been beaten less than a length in all four runs back from a break and should be somewhere around the money again.
