The Melbourne Mail is so excited for summer racing it can't even wait until Saturday. We're off to the Valley on Friday night.
The second race at the Valley is an off season 64 handicap for three-year-old fillies - fairly nondescript and on the back of a spring carnival hardly an anticipation builder - but the top weight, Love Days, looks a good talent and one well worth tuning in for.
That Love Days won by seven lengths on debut is noteworthy in itself, regardless of what she beat (not much it must be said) margins that wide over sprint trips are rare and she was clearly cut from stuff better than those left in her wake.
If the visual didn't do enough, or the straight seven-length result, the clock confirmed that the win was from outside the norm.
She was the fastest relative to standards on the day and comfortably so. Granted it was a low-key meeting and she wouldn't have to be Black Caviar to make the card's highlight reel but it was further confirmation that we were dealing with a good win, as was the sectional, again comfortably the best on the day, with that closing speed indicating that there will be more there when it is required against better opposition.
The final result - an overall time/performance that would have been expected from a 90-rated (Timeform scale) filly on the day and a repeat of that should be good enough to see off her rivals tonight.
Early prices look the way to go here, with the money already moving in, but we'd be happy enough to call her a bet at anything better than the toss of a coin.
We'll sleep on our each way play, waking up for some Sandown Saturday and again it is race two that we are looking at.
Majestic Duke posted some big performances at a mile last prep, most notably a couple of wins over Burning Front that worked out really well, and his latest couple of solid efforts should have him ready to return to something like his peak now.
Hoping to see him get rolling from the front and give these all plenty to catch. If he does get rolling his current price is going to look a couple of turns too big at the corner.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL
Bet Of The Day (Night): MV R2 #1 Love Days @ $2.20
Each Way Play: Sand R2 #6 Majestic Duke @ $6.50
