Gai's Tip Sheet
FRIDAY 16th JANUARY - CANTERBURYRail Position: +3M EntireLITTLE IRIS - Race 1, 6.00pm, 1250m, J Parr, 59kgLittle Iris is delighting us ahead of her first career start. Her two trials have been excellent, and she really stuck her neck out when finishing second in her most recent one which was encouraging to see. This race is confined to her own sex and as it happens they’re all three-year-olds too, so it’s a lovely kick off point for her. Josh will be positive from barrier 4 to get her rolling along on or close to the speed, and if she can land in the lead and steal an easy sectional or two mid-race it will certainly help her. She’s going to improve as she gets over a bit further but 1250 metres is an ideal starting point for her, and she’s an uncomplicated filly who has a willing attitude which will take her a long way. She’s got plenty going for her, so we expect her to put up a bold show and hopefully she can get her career off to the best possible start. VASALA - Race 3, 7.00pm, 1900m, J Stanley, 59kgVasala gave us such a thrill when winning so determinedly at Gosford last time. He needed every yard of the 1600 metres to get the job done, but there was no faulting his tenacity and it’s given him a real confidence boost. The first foray outside of maiden grade is never easy, however a Benchmark 64 is a nice steppingstone for him and he’s going to absolutely relish stretching out to 1900 metres so we expect this to bring about further improvement. Jett will be positive from barrier 6 to get him rolling along on or close to the speed, and whilst Canterbury is a tight track he handled Gosford well last time and the longer trip should help him cope with it too. He’s in terrific shape, so if he can get into a good rhythm and enjoy some favours in the run we see no reason why he won’t be fighting out the finish.SOVEREIGN HILL - Race 6, 8.30pm, 1250m, J Parr, 57.5kgSovereign Hill is delighting us ahead of his first-up run. His two trials have been encouraging, and they’ve given him the right fitness base with which to kick off his preparation. He wasn’t beaten far when last first-up over 1100 metres, but it was on the short side for him. As such, this time in we’re kicking him off over a much more suitable 1250 metres and we expect him to be very well suited by it. He underperformed over course and distance when second-up last preparation, but he had excuses that day and importantly we’ve been patient and given him plenty of time since then so he’s matured and strengthened up encouragingly. He’s drawn well in barrier 5, so Josh will let him land where he’s comfortable but we expect him to be close to the speed. From there he should be able to get into a comfortable rhythm in the run, and whilst he’s conceding race fitness to some key rivals he’s ready to do himself justice. This race is a lovely starting point for him, so with even luck in running we hope to see him hitting the line strongly to get his campaign off to an exciting start.SATURDAY 17th JANUARY - ROSEHILLRail Position: TrueMISS CHANEL - Race 1, 12.35pm, 1100m, J Stanley, 56kgMiss Chanel is thriving ahead of her first career start. She took good improvement from her first trial to win her latest one at Rosehill just before Christmas, and she’s only kept on improving since then. 1100 metres is a lovely starting point for her, and Jett will be positive from barrier 5 to try and utilise her early speed to secure the lead as having a rail to follow is a big asset for these inexperienced youngsters. She’s well-educated though and she knows her job, so if she gives a strong kick on straightening up we expect her to take plenty of catching.BELLA MONTAGNA - Race 7, 4.05pm, 2400m, J Parr, 57kgBella Montagna ran another honest race when rattling home to finish fifth behind Placid Pearl a fortnight ago. Once again, she got a long way back in the run and it’s not ideal because it leaves her with a lot of work to do, but there’s certainly no faulting her attitude. She’s drawn wide here and she tends to just flop out of the gates, but hopefully Josh can get her to at least settle no worse than midfield so that she isn’t entirely relying on luck. She’s untested beyond 2000 metres so stretching out to 2400 metres is a step into the unknown, but we don’t have any reservations about her seeing out the trip and she should relish every yard of it. This is a lovely race for her and she’s ready to win if she executes well and gives herself every chance, so we hope to see her salute the judge for you all.SHAMARKAND - Race 7, 4.05pm, 2400m, A Roper (2kg), 62kgShamarkand ran a satisfactory race when reappearing over 2000 metres at Randwick just after Christmas. He’s taken good improvement from it and his subsequent work has improved, so we’re hopeful he’s going the right way. This step up to 2400 metres can only be a positive for a horse as one paced as he is, and he’s certainly going to need every yard of it. He’s down in grade against lesser rated horses which we hope it another plus, and Anna takes 2kg off his back to bring him down in the weights slightly. She’ll let him land where he’s comfortable from barrier 5 but he’ll need a genuinely run race to be effective, so hopefully he can sit close enough to the speed to avoid being outsprinted. He’s a lovely horse and we hope he can take a step forward and run a competitive race.SATURDAY 17th JANUARY - GOSFORDRail Position: TrueCANADIAN FLING - Race 2, 1.53pm, 1200m, L Beuzelin, 57kgCanadian Fling is pleasing us ahead of her first start. She’s had five career trials so whilst she’s conceding experience to some key rivals, she is well-educated and knows her job. Louis will be positive from barrier 1 to try and roll forward and take luck out of the equation, and we think she’ll be well suited by the set-up of 1200 metres around this tight turning track. She’s going to improve with race experience, but she’s kicking off at a realistic level and it’s not a strong race for the grade so we hope to see her fighting out the finish.SATURDAY 17th JANUARY - GOLD COASTRail Position: +2M EntireBOTTLES OF SHELLS - Race 1, 12.30pm, 1100m, R King, 55kgBottles Of Shells is in great shape ahead of this race. She took a big step forward when finishing a close third at Randwick on Boxing Day, and she was reeled in late on that occasion so this drop back to 1100 metres on a tight turning track promises to suit her. Rachel will be as positive as possible from barrier 12 to try and get into a better position but those to her inside won’t make it easy and she may be forced to cover some ground in running. She’s taken the journey to Queensland in her stride so we couldn’t be happier with her, and whilst this is a tough ask we hope she can rise to the occasion and make her presence felt.SCRUMPTIOUS - Race 1, 12.30pm, 1100m, T Clark, 55kgScrumptious is in great shape ahead of her first-up run. She took a big step forward from her first to second trial, and she’s continued to thrive since then so she’s certainly coming good at the right time. 1100 metres on a tight turning track is probably as short as she wants it, but she’s got speed in her legs at the outset of her campaign and the leaders are almost certain to set a hot speed which will play to her strengths. Tim will let her land where she’s comfortable from barrier 9, and we imagine she’ll settle around midfield where she can hopefully get a good tow into the race. She’s taken the journey to Queensland in her stride so we couldn’t be happier with her, and whilst this is a tough ask we hope she can rise to the occasion and run a big race.LADY MOSCATO - Race 3, 1.40pm, 1000m, R King, 55kgLady Moscato is delighting us ahead of her first career start. She’s done everything right thus far in winning both of her trials, and she couldn’t have been more impressive when storming clear of her rivals at Randwick in her most recent one. She’s taken plenty of benefit from these experiences, and she’s taken the journey to Queensland in her stride which is reassuring as the trip away does wonders for these youngsters and they mature enormously as a result. This is a tough ask on debut, and barrier 11 only adds to the challenge. It’s a tight track with a short run to the first turn, so she’s likely going to be forced to travel wide and cover ground in the run which isn’t ideal. However, Rachel will let her find a rhythm and hopefully she can get into a good spot and travel comfortably in the middle stages. This is typically a race where the leaders go pretty quickly, so she should hopefully get a good tow into the race and if she gets some luck and can make her run on straightening up we see no reason why she won’t be fighting out the finish.WENDELL - Race 3, 1.40pm, 1000m, A Hyeronimus, 57kgWendell is delighting us ahead of his first career start. He couldn’t have been more impressive when winning his only trial at Rosehill before Christmas, and he’s taken plenty of benefit from that experience. He’s taken the journey to Queensland in his stride, and the trip away does wonders for these youngsters as they mature enormously as a result. This is a tough ask on debut, but he’s drawn well enough in barrier 6 so Adam will be positive from there to try and land in a forward position. This is typically a race where the leaders go pretty quickly, so he should hopefully get a good tow into the race and if he gets some luck and can make his run on straightening up we see no reason why he won’t be fighting out the finish.MAJOR BEEL - Race 4, 2.15pm, 2200m, T Clark, 59.5kgMajor Beel is in great shape ahead of this race. He’s loving life up in the Sunshine State and he’s been thriving in his routine, which has included several visits to the beach. He didn’t lose anything in defeat at Randwick last time, and this step up to 2200 metres is probably what he needs at this stage of the campaign. He’s got a big weight which doesn’t make life easy, but Tim will be positive from barrier 1 to try and land in a handy spot and he’ll then just let him travel where he’s comfortable in the run. If any of the forecast rain materialises it will suit him as we know he loves to get his toe in, and he’s such a genuine gelding who always tries his hardest so this will take him a long way and we hope to see him give this a good shake.SLY BOOTS - Race 4, 2.15pm, 2200m, R King, 52kgSly Boots is in great shape ahead of this run. He’s racing on a seven-day backup after a valiant effort in The Wave last weekend, where he was by no means disgraced against some talented and highly rated rivals. He’s back under handicap conditions here so he’s only got 52kg on his back which is a huge plus, and Rachel gets a terrific tune out of our horses so we expect her to suit him well. Barrier 14 isn’t ideal as it’s a fairly short run into the first turn, but there’s likely to be a fair amount of early speed so hopefully Rachel can slot into the pack and enjoy a smooth run in transit. The step up to 2200 metres is going to bring about further improvement, and he’s got plenty of wet track form so if any of the forecast rain materialises it won’t hinder him. This is a competitive race as you’d expect for the money on offer, but he ticks a lot of boxes so if he puts his best foot forward we think he’s capable of winning.THE INSTRUCTOR - Race 6, 5.25pm, 1200m, A Hyeronimus, 57.5kgThe Instructor couldn’t be in better shape ahead of this race. He resumed with a terrific effort to finish a close second in the Listed Canterbury Sprint, losing nothing in defeat when trying to concede 7kg to the winner. He’s taken plenty of improvement from that, so he strips fitter here and he’s ready to rock and roll. He’s taken the journey north in his stride and he has a fantastic attitude, so nothing is a bother to him. Adam gets on well with him and he’ll use his natural speed to roll forward from barrier 5 to try and make his own luck on or close to the lead. We expect him to be well suited by the set up of this race and he handles wet tracks, so if the forecast rain materialises it won’t concern us. He’s an extremely tough gelding who rarely runs a bad race, and we expect him to be right there at the finish.KNIGHTSBRIDGE - Race 7, 4.05pm, 1200m, J McDonald, 57kgKnightsbridge is thriving ahead of this race. He chased hard to reel the leader in and prevail when resuming over 1000 metres at Randwick, and it was the ideal hit out ahead of this outing. He’s taken the journey north to Queensland in his stride and settled in without a hitch, so he couldn’t be in better shape ahead of this outing. The step up to 1200 metres is an obvious positive that he’s going to relish, and he’s drawn well enough in barrier 8 so James will be able to roll forward from there and slot into a handy position. The leaders generally set a strong gallop in this race which will be to his benefit, so with plenty of improvement to come if he enjoys a smooth run in transit we see no reason why he won’t be right there at the finish.SHIKI - Race 7, 4.05pm, 1200m, T Clark, 55kgShiki did us proud when bouncing back to her best last weekend. She’s come through that run in marvellous order and she’s had a faultless week, so we couldn’t be happier with her ahead of this run. Barrier 10 is probably no bad thing for her, as those to her inside will press forward and it’s a race where there’s always a solid tempo so she should be able to slot in and enjoy some cover in the run as she did last weekend. Tim learned a lot about her last weekend so he’ll be full of confidence that he can repeat those tactics once again, and the 1200 metres doesn’t give us any cause for concern given how she settled last time. She’s in terrific shape, and with the promise of further improvement to come she’s more than capable of fighting out the finish.BY CHOICE - Race 7, 4.05pm, 1200m, J Melham, 55kgBy Choice ran a terrific race in defeat over 1100 metres at this track last week. She was forced to race wide in the run so she covered more ground than Burke and Wills, but she stuck to her task so gamely and she was still coming at the line to finish just 2.81 lengths from the winner. She’s drawn a much better barrier here in 4, so she’ll be able to enjoy a smoother and more economical run. We also expect the step up to 1200 metres to play to her strengths, so given the set up of this race is completely different we see no reason why she won’t run a big race and hopefully she can feature in the finish.THE THREE HUNDRED - Race 9, 5.20pm, 1400m, 53kgThe Three Hundred has come through his latest run in good order. He was forced to cover plenty of ground in the run on that occasion and it understandably left him vulnerable late, so he did well to box on as bravely as he did and you can be forgiving of his finishing position. He hasn’t missed a beat since then and he’s been training extremely well, so he couldn’t be in better shape ahead of this contest. He’s drawn well in barrier 7, so he should be able to land in a handy spot and get a good tow into the race. He sticks to 1400 metres, and whilst he’s probably looking for further the leaders are likely going to set a strong gallop which is only going to suit him. It’s an incredibly competitive race as you’d expect for the money on offer, but he’s got no weight on his back and we think he’s got the upside to bounce back and run a big race.
