Brisbane will take a backseat this Saturday, and the racing spotlight in Queensland will turn to Ipswich for Ipswich Cup Day. As always on this raceday, big size fields will ensure great value for the punter. The feature race is the $175,000 Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m), where Full Of Spirit and Ironstein top the weights. Both of which have solid form this time in, so they each should prove hard to beat. The other two highlight races are the $175,000 Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) and the $100,000 Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m).
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Race One: Ray White Ipswich Dash (C6) 1100m:
Back Me: In a pretty thin race, I’ll go with the class runner Lennie’s Choice. Had a fair campaign during the Summer, which ended with a fair seventh to Whittington in the Magic Millions Sprint. Trialled very well recently at Doomben, draws the paint, should lead and take some beating.
Big Danger: Zippity Lass is another speed demon who should be suited around this course. Stuck to the task quite gamely in the Bright Shadow behind Ellawisdom given she was one of a few up on a hot speed. She’ll roll forward and should get the gun run, and looks well in at the weights.
Roughie: Time To Plunder wasn’t too bad at Doomben when out the back early on before running home well late for fourth to the leader and eventual winner Theft. She’ll get back from the gate and look to swoop late, but certainly is capable of winning.
Race Two: Sirromet Wines Bundamba Plate 1100m:
Back Me: Pinch River looks the way to go here. Beautifully suited by the on pace bias first up at Doomben and duly saluted, then on a fairer surface, he failed to run it out at Eagle Farm last week behind Sports Edition, who looks well above average. Back to 1100m is ideal, should spear over from the wide and prove hard to run down.
Big Danger: Celestial Dragon trialled like a bomb at the Sunny Coast before resuming on that track and bolting in on a bottomless surface. Drawn wide, but should get the cart over courtesy of Pinch River, sit outside that horse, and it’ll all come down to who has the sharper turn of foot on the turn and pinch it.
Roughie: Veloz was a dominant winner debut winner at Toowoomba, then was down the track behind Pinch River at Doomben. Outside the top two, the race isn’t strong, and his win on debut was quite impressive, and he does have gate speed, so he should find a sit just off the speed and be around the money.
Race Three: Optus Ipswich Mile (85) 1666m:
Back Me: Going for some value in Caballo Rapido. He can be a very frustrating horse to follow, but there was plenty to like about his fast finishing second to Auguste at Doomben over this distance. He races very well at Ipswich, drawn well and gets a 4kg drop from his last outing, along with being 1.5kg under the minimum here.
Roughie: Ferment has been dreadful in three runs this time in, but they have been in far stronger company than what he faces here. I will say though that he should have finished closer last time out in the Spear Chief given he was held up in the early part of the straight. Gets his chance to bounce back to form.
Roughie: Bewhatyouwannabe is a consistent galloper for Rob Heathcoate who is never too far away from the action. Toughed it out quite strongly behind Southerly last time out, and that form has been franked with that horse running quite well at Gold Coast at his next outing.
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Race Four: QLD Times Provincial Cup 2150m:
Back Me: Get Phil Taylor around at your house and let him sort this race out…dear me. Again, looking for value and going for one near the bottom, Samsili. He has been going around at Grafton recently and has performed quite nicely, including last start where he arguably should have won when second to Red Assassin. That horse veered out in the straight and slightly stopped the momentum of Samsili. Has to rise a touch in depth, but should be put to sleep from the inside gate, and recent history of this race will tell you the horse that gets the softest run generally wins or runs top three.
Big Danger: It’ll be a great training effort by Brian Smith if How Fairdinkum can salute given he ran second over the 1200m at the Sunny Coast last Saturday night and is running over 2150m here. In that race last Saturday night, he worked home very strongly from the back and is clearly looking for further. Smith is a master of fine tuning stayers, so I wouldn’t put it beyond him to pull this off.
Roughie: Isavanger saved all the ground in the world at the Sunny Coast and bolted in to win by a space. Form has held up with the third horse winning on Wednesday at Doomben and before that she ran fourth to handy kiwi filly Sancerre. Form reads well for this.
Race Five: Gai Waterhouse Classic 1350m:
Back Me: Avaladyluck ran second to Ellawisdom in that race, and she didn’t have the luxury to build up momentum like Ellawisdom, so her run had plenty of merit. Given her racing pattern, she’ll get more bad luck than good luck, but if the breaks do go her way, she’ll finish as hard as anything.
Big Danger: Jazz Song worked home strongly in the QLD Guineas when a narrow fifth to Sir Moments, beaten just under a length. That horse was oh so impressive last week in the Daybreak Lover, so the form looks really well for this race, and I’d assume that if Jazz Song performs well here, she’ll head to the Tatt’s Tiara and not disgrace herself.
Roughie: Breakfast In Bed had the dream run just off the speed at Randwick and was aided by the slow tempo to sprint sharply in the straight to win narrowly. How strong that form is I’m not sure, but you have to respect any Sydney horse that runs here.
Race Six: Ipswich Eye Liner Stakes 1350m:
Back Me: Putting Startsmeup on top. He has been quite good in two runs this time in without getting a great deal of luck. Sat back in a slowly run race when a closing seventh to subsequent Stradbroke winner River Lad, then again got back and worked home well late in the Spear Chief behind Aldini. He is a winner at the track and loves this distance range, so given the form he is in at the moment, he’ll take some beating.
Big Danger: Black Cash stuck to the task very gamely from a wide gate in the QTC Cup when fourth to Sacred Star, beaten just over a length. First up he had no luck so it was hard to get a guide on how he came back, but that second up performance tells me that a win isn’t far away at this level.
Roughie: Masthead was excellent in his first two runs since coming back to Australia, then went to the QTC Cup and was a close up second to Sacred Star. The only negative I have against him is that I thought he had every chance to win that race, but didn’t go on with it. He’ll go close, but it has been a while since he has greeted the judge.
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Race Seven: Channel Seven Ipswich Cup 2150m
Back Me: Ironstein gets in so well at the weights here. Form had been okay without being great, but he showed he is back on track with a closing fourth to Transonic at Rosehill. Drawn well, up to an ideal distance, and as I said earlier, gets in very well at the weights.
Big Danger: Garud has strung together strong back to back placings at Flemington, both of which were in strong races over 1800m and 2000m respectively. He has worked to the line well in each and is definitely looking for further, which he gets here. Looks to have upside left and is definitely a threat.
Roughie: There was solid support for Grey Assignment in the Spear Chief a fortnight back, but he was dreadful behind Aldini after having every chance. He is near unbeatable at this track and distance, and drops a touch in depth, so that should spark improvement.
Race Eight: Schweppes T.L. Cooney Handicap 1350m
Back Me: Best bet on the program in the shape of Comacina, who looks like a future stakes winner. Looked very classy when winning first up at the Gold Coast, then stormed home from the back to win over this track/distance a month back, beating a similar field to what he faces here. Will again get back from an awkward draw, but he has a lethal turn of foot when presented, and provided he isn’t too far away on the turn, he’ll just about take care of these.
Big Danger: L’entrecote trialled brilliantly prior to running a solid eighth in the Gold Coast Guineas to Dothraki, then dropped back to the provincials and bolted in over this track/distance, running really good time with the weight. Looks the only threat to the top tip.
Roughie: Friendly Dragon was ridden far too close to the speed last time out at the Sunny Coast yet fought on so well to run a 1.5L second to Elite Echelon. Senior rider back aboard now and his past form is good enough to feature here.
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Best Bet: Race Eight Number 8 Comacina
Next Best: Race Two Number 1 Pinch River
Value Bet: Race Four Number 2 Samsili
Quaddie Tips (Races Five Through To Eight):
Leg One: 5, 6, 10
Leg Two: 3, 4, 6, 9
Leg Three: 1, 2, 4, 10
Leg Four: 1, 2, 7, 8, 9
$50 Investment = 20.83% of the dividend if successful.
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All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
News:
Adelaide trainer John Hyam has warned punters to completely ignore his mare Stella Lante’s last-start flop in Brisbane.
Stella Lante will be having her second start the Queensland way of going when she runs in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2100m) on Saturday.
The mare had her first run in Brisbane when second last in a handicap at Eagle Farm over 1800m two weeks ago.
However, Hyam believes it was a not a true guide of the mare’s ability.
“She got her tongue over the bit and Glen (jockey Boss) said she was having trouble breathing. Then she also had the wide run from that start,” Hyam said.
“A few people told me it was hard to win when drawn wide from the Eagle Farm 1800m and they weren’t kidding.”
Hyam said Stella Lante had come to Queensland with the Ipswich Cup in mind and he would disappointed if she didn’t race much better.
“Ipswich appears to be a track when they come deep from the 600m and swoop. It should suit her as he gets around Moonee Valley well and was narrowly beaten in a Group Two there,” he said.
Hyam has put a tongue tie back on Stella Lante.
Jockey Ric McMahon takes over from Boss and is keen to get back into action after missing last week’s Stradbroke meeting because of suspension.
McMahon rode a near perfect race to win the recent Toowoomba Cup on Military Move before his suspension.
His manager Gary Legg said McMahon was keen to get back on a roll after missing recent meetings.
“Ric has his weight right and he is riding very well. We just have to keep out of the stewards room,” he said.
Meanwhile, bookmakers friend Carn’s liking for female jockeys has given underrated Laura Cheshire a chance to win a feature race.
Carn was a close second in the recent Toowoomba Cup for apprentice Alannah Facourt who is not eligible to ride him on Saturday.
Five of Carn’s seven wins, including one at $81 and two at $61 in city races, have been for female riders.
Cheshire mainly rides in the northern rivers and Gold Coast but is very experienced.