Gai's Tip Sheet
SATURDAY 4TH OCTOBER – ROYAL RANDWICKRail Position: RAIL - +3m EntireKING KIRK (Race 2, 12.40pm, 1000m, R King, 56kg)King Kirk made a huge impression when winning his trial last week. He was very professional and clocked the fastest closing 600 metres of the morning which further emphasises how impressive his finishing effort was. Adrian and I love how he fought on in between horses, and this will have taught him a lot ahead of raceday. He’s drawn barrier 7 and Rachel will be positive from there to try and go forward to settle either on or just behind the speed. Raceday can be a daunting experience for these youngsters, but he’s got the right temperament to handle it and we expect him to take it all in his stride to hopefully be fighting out the finish.TEMPESTUOUS (Race 2, 12.40pm, 1000m, N Rawiller, 56kg)Tempestuous is delighting us ahead of his first start. He showed bundles of promise in his first trial, and he displayed plenty of early speed which we always like to see. He’s drawn well in barrier 5 and he should be able to go forward from here to settle in the lead and hopefully make his own luck from there. He’s shown plenty of precocity and professionalism in his career to date which counts for a lot in these early races, and if he can dictate the tempo of race to suit himself we expect him to be hard to run down.BELLAZAINE (Race 3, 1.15pm, 1000m, T Clark, 56kg)Bellazaine is delighting us ahead of her first run. She showed plenty of promise in her only trial to date, and the further she went the better she was so she'll relish the additional distance here. She’s drawn to the outside which is a bit tricky, but she’s shown good gate speed in her jumpouts and trial so hopefully she can go forward from there to settle on or just behind the speed. Raceday can be a daunting experience for these youngsters, but she’s always been very professional and we expect her to take it all in her stride and hopefully be fighting out the finish.SCRUMPTIOUS (Race 3, 1.15pm, 1000m, T Berry, 56kg)Scrumptious was very professional throughout last week’s first career trial. There was a lot to like about the way she knuckled down and responded to her rider’s urgings, and we like to see that because it would have taught her plenty ahead of raceday. She’s come through the trial in great shape, and she’s got a real spring in her step ahead of this assignment. She’s drawn well enough in barrier 7, so this should enable her to go forward and settle on or near the speed and get into a good rhythm. There’s not a lot of her but she’s got all the qualities of a precocious two year old, and she will be staying on strongly to the line so hopefully she can gain some valuable Black Type to ger her career off to an exciting start.VOTING RIGHTS (Race 3, 1.15pm, 1000m, A Hyeronimus, 56kg)Voting Rights made a very encouraging impression in her first trial appearance last week. She showed plenty of speed and continued to stretch out willingly over the concluding stages, so there’s no doubting her professionalism ahead of her debut and she has a very good idea of her job. She’s drawn slightly wide in barrier 12 which doesn't make life easy, but we hope to see her utilise her early dash to crossover and secure a forward position where she can travel comfortably. She’s firing on all cylinders ahead of her first career start, and we expect her to be competitive for a long way.JOHNNY THE KID (Race 4, 1.50pm, 1600m, N Rawiller, 56.5kg)Johnny The Kid was terrific when gaining his much deserved first career victory in his latest outing at Kensington. He got into a lovely rhythm in the run, and when he was asked to go and win his race at the top of the straight he responded decisively to pull clear of his rivals for a decisive win. He’s come through that outing in wonderful order, and we were pleased with his trial last week at Canterbury which kept his fitness up to the mark between runs. Nash knows him well and will attempt to go forward from barrier 7 so that he can dictate the race to suit himself and take luck out of the equation. He's stepping up in grade so as you would expect this is competitive and requires more from him, but he's got that winning feeling now and we are hopeful that he will be too strong for them in the run to the line.MILITARY MISSION (Race 8, 4.10pm, 2400m, R Bayliss, 55.5kg)Military Mission has been running well over inadequate trips so far this preparation and he’s come through his latest outing in pleasing shape. He tends to improve with racing and as he’s gets deeper into his campaign so we are hopeful that he can do just that here stepping out in trip to 2400 metres third-up. He’s rising in grade to Group 1 company so it's very competitive, and whilst he doesn't usually show much early speed Regan will try to be positive from barrier 1 so that he can hold a decent position and not get spat out the back of the field which then leaves him with a mountain to climb. He's enjoyed several trips to the beach recently so he's nice and fresh, and he’s ready to start showing his quality over this more suitable trip so we expect him to be competitive in the run to the line.SERPENTINE (Race 8, 4.10pm, 2400m, T Clark, 55kg)Serpentine ran extremely well first-up where he only finished 3.29 lengths from the winner. Those ahead of him had race fitness on their side, so it was an incredibly encouraging return. He's come through that race in pleasing order and we are delighted with how he is shaping up and holding his condition ahead of this run. We expect the rise in distance to 2400 metres here to bring about improvement second-up, and whilst barrier 18 isn’t ideal Tim will be positive from there to hopefully get him bowling along towards the head of the field where he can get into a better position. It's a competitive race but he's a very talented horse and the cream often rises to the top in these big field handicaps, so we expect him to be fighting out the finish once again.MAJOR BEEL (Race 9, 4.45pm, 1600m, W Costin, 51.5kg)Major Beel ran another excellent race when stepped up in grade in his latest outing. He was taking on some of the best weight for age performers around and he lost nothing in defeat, so he really is he’s thriving this preparation. He’s come through that run in magnificent order and we feel he is open to further improvement third-up with a light weight on his back. Winona will be positive form barrier 9 to get him rolling along into his preferred front running position where he can try to make his own luck from the front. He’s in a terrific headspace and he loves his racing, so we expect him to run another competitive race and have no doubt he'll take plenty of catching.ROYAL PATRONAGE (Race 9, 4.45pm, 1600m, T Clark, 56kg)Royal Patronage ran another excellent race when stepped-up in grade in his latest outing. He proved he can mix it with some of the best weight for age performers around at present, and he now comes back to race under handicap conditions. He's giving weight away to all bar two of his rivals which isn't easy at this level, but he's a talented horse and can defy it. He’s come through his last run in excellent shape, and we think he’s got further upside in only his third start on Australian soil. Barrier 17 isn’t ideal, but Tim knows him well and will be positive form there to get him rolling along into a forward position where he can travel comfortably. This is a time honored contest so it's a competitive field, but he’s a very happy horse who is thriving at present and with even luck in running we expect him to be fighting out the finish once again.SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER – FLEMINGTONRail Position: RAIL - Out 9m Entire CircuitTREMONTI (Race 2, 12.55pm, 1000m, J McNeil, 58kg)Tremonti was terrific in his first career trial at Kensington last week. There was a lot to like about the way he knuckled down and responded to his rider’s urgings, and we like to see that because it would have taught him plenty ahead of raceday. He’s come through the trial in great shape, and he looks terrific ahead of his first run. He’s settled into our Flemington stable extremely well since his arrival, and we were delighted with his gallop ahead of this assignment which gave him good experience travelling at speed the Melbourne way. The Flemington straight is a unique test for an unraced two year old, so we wanted to get him settled into our base early and give him the opportunity to gallop and train there prior to this start. We have been delighted with the way he has adapted, and he's a happy colt with a lovely temperament. He's drawn to do no work from barrier 1 so this should enable him to go forward and settle into a prominent position where he can get into a good rhythm. He’s shown plenty of professionalism and got all the qualities of a forward two year old, and we're confident he will be staying on strongly to the line to hopefully be fighting out the finish.KILLCARE BEACHGIRL (Race 4, 2.05pm, 1600m, J McNeil, 56kg)Killcare Beachgirl ran solid race first-up over a trip we knew would be short of her best. She’s come through that outing in great shape though, and she’s settled into our Flemington stable extremely well since her arrival. We were delighted with her gallop ahead of this run which gave her good experience travelling at speed the Melbourne way. Flemington is a unique track, so we wanted to get her settled into our base early and give her the opportunity to gallop and train there prior to this start. We have been delighted with the way she has adapted, and she's a happy filly with a lovely temperament. She’s rising in grade significantly to Group 2 company here so it’s not going to be easy, but she's back against her own age group and we expect her to appreciate stretching out to the mile second-up. Jye will be positive form barrier 2 to get her rolling along into a forward position where she can travel comfortably and get into a good rhythm, and she's got the blinkers on again to ensure she’s focused. This race is a good test for her and it'll let us know where she stands in the pecking order, so we hope to see her rise to the occasion and be right there at the finish.COIN TOSS (Race 6, 3.15pm, 1400m, J McNeil, 54kg)Coin Toss is in great shape ahead of his first start this preparation. We were pleased with the way that he found the line in his most recent jumpout at Flemington, and he has continued to show nice progress in his subsequent trackwork. He was a terrific winner in Listed company in his first start last campaign over 1400 metres, so we know he’s more than capable over this trip and this race is a lovely starting point for him. Jye knows him well and will be positive from barrier 12 to get him into a prominent position where he can hopefully dictate the tempo of the race to suit himself. He can mix his form, but we know he’s got plenty of ability on his day and if he can enjoy a smooth run in transit we hope to see him hitting the line strongly to get his carnival off to an exciting start.JUST FINE (Race 7, 3.50pm, 2520m, J Childs, 57kg)Just Fine was slightly disappointing in his latest outing where he ran below expectations. He’s come through that start in good shape though, and we can't fault his subsequent trackwork. We feel he’s open to further improvement over this trip and he should be reaching peaking fitness now that he's fourth-up. I had a good look at him this week and I feel that his condition has improved in leaps and bounds from where we started with him this preparation, and he was very competitive in his gallop on Tuesday morning. It's a hot race as you'd expect given the winner will be exempt from ballot in the Melbourne Cup, but we hope to see him bounce back to his best and be fighting out the finish.SIR LUCAN (Race 7, 3.50pm, 2520m, J Allen, 54.5kg)Sir Lucan can frustrate us all at times as he mixes his form, but on his day he’s a tough gelding and he’s pulled up well following his below par effort on Sunday. His regular rider here at Flemington Adam Roustoby knows him well and has been very happy with how he’s been travelling and carrying himself in his trackwork. I saw him at Flemington on Tuesday morning and he was going around like he owned the place, so whilst he’s backing up again we are more than happy to roll the dice in this valuable contest. Mornington is a unique track and doesn't suit all horses, so Adrian and I feel that it will be a big positive bringing him back to his home track at Flemington which is more expansive and which he knows very well. As you would expect, this is a competitive contest given the winner is exempt from ballot in the Melbourne Cup but he’s very fit at this stage in the campaign and if he turns up in the right headspace he's capable of running well.ELIYASS (Race 8, 4.25pm, 2000m, E Brown, 56.5kg)Eliyass is thriving at present. He has been in tremendous form since his arrival in Australia, winning each of his three starts and given he's never finished outside of the first two he simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race. He has settled into our base at Flemington extremely well since his arrival, and he's such a cool customer who takes everything in his stride. He’s rising in grade to Group 1 company here so it’s not going to be easy, but he’s an extremely progressive stayer and he deserves his chance at this level. Barrier 16 is a bit tricky, but Ethan will look to roll forward and get him into a more favourable position where he can get into a good rhythm and travel comfortably. As you would expect, this is a competitive race and he's up against proven Group 1 performers but he’s a very talented gelding who tries exceptionally hard and we expect him to be right there at the finish.SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER – DOOMBENRail Position: RAIL - +4m EntireCROWN THE KING (Race 1, 12.13pm, 1050m, A Jones, 56.5kg)Crown The King had a very pleasing first trial appearance at Kensington last week. He was caught three wide punching the breeze throughout, so to see him knuckle down and close off as strongly as he did was excellent to see. Importantly, it will have taught him what he has to do under pressure which is invaluable, as horses only learn this by gaining experience and often learn a lot less staying on the bridle. He’s drawn wide in barrier 15 which is a bit tricky, but he’s got plenty of early speed so we're hopeful he can execute the start quickly and roll forward into a prominent position where he can get into a good rhythm. He’s a professional colt who has a good mind and constitution for the job, so we expect him to take the interstate travel within his stride. The way he kept finding the line in his trial suggests he’ll relish the 1050 metres, and with even luck in running we expect him to be right there at the finish.SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER – NEWCASTLERail Position: RAIL - +7m EntireSISU SPIRIT (Race 6, 3.55pm, 1200m, K Latham, 57kg)Sisu Spirit has toned up nicely ahead of his first start this campaign and he has been progressing encouragingly since his most recent trial at Canterbury two weeks ago. His three trials have given him a good base level of fitness to work from ahead of this outing, but naturally we still expect him to take improvement from the experience. The 1200 metres here is very much a starting point and we expect him to appreciate further in time, but Newcastle is an expansive track and Adrian and I like debuting horses here as it's generally a very fair track. We’ve kept the blinkers on as he responded well to them in his latest trial and they'll ensure he's focused and has his mind on the job. Keagan will be positive from barrier 2 to get him rolling along so that he's in as comfortable a rhythm as possible. Whilst we expect him to improve with experience and as he gets deeper into the preparation, he is fit enough to do himself justice so with even luck in running he should be challenging at the finish.
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PORTFOLIA (Race 6, 3.55pm, 1200m, J Van Overmeire, 57kg)
Portfolia ran another solid race in her most recent start at Scone and was unlucky to be reeled in over the concluding stages. She’s come through that run in terrific shape and is in great order at present, so we can't fault her. She continues to go about her days with plenty of enthusiasm and whilst she’s running on an eight-day back-up she's third-up now and ready for the challenge. She’s a lovely mare who is progressing with each start and we feel she’s got further upside stepping out in trip to 1200 metres on the expansive track at Newcastle. She’s a happy horse who is thriving at present and we expect her to be fighting out the finish yet again.MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER – WARWICK FARMRail Position: RAIL – TrueTHE NOVELIST (Race 7, 4.40pm, 1000m, R Bayliss, 54kg)The Novelist is delighting us ahead of his reappearance and he has been progressing nicely since his most recent trial at Canterbury almost two weeks ago. He has returned in excellent shape at the outset of this campaign, and gelding him appears to have had the desired effect. He’s trimmed down nicely as a result and his mind appears to be much more focused on the task at hand. He’s slightly badly off at the weights but he's blessed with plenty of speed, so given the restricted options over 1000 metres this is as suitable a starting point as we can find for him. He’s drawn well in barrier 4 so Regan will be positive from there to use his natural asset and get him into a forward position where he can travel comfortably and hopefully control things to suit himself. It’s not going to be easy, but he looks terrific and we expect him to be competitive for a long way.AMBASSADORIAL (Race 8, 5.20pm, 1600m, T Clark, 59kg)Ambassadorial has returned in pleasing shape at the outset of this campaign and his three trials this time in have given him a good level of conditioning ahead of this first-up effort. He looks super, and he is nicely muscled as he kicks off his preparation. He's resuming over a mile against race fit horses, so whilst he's had the three trials we do expect him to take great benefit from the run. We’ve added the blinkers which he's worn a lot previously to ensure he’s focused and to help him travel in the run. He’s got the plum draw in barrier 1, so Tim will be positive from here and try to gain a prominent position where he can get into a good rhythm. This is a competitive race first-up and he’ll improve again with race fitness under his belt, but it's a nice launchpad for him and we hope to see him hitting the line strongly to get his preparation off to an encouraging start.MONDAY 7TH OCTOBER – MUSWELLBROOKRail Position: RAIL - +2m 1000m-300m Cutaway Applies, True Remainder
ABSOLUTE POWER (Race 2, 2.24pm, 1280m, W Costin, 60kg)Absolute Power ran a very encouraging race first-up and stuck to his task bravely in the straight to only be run down in the shadows of the post. He’s come through that outing in good order and has toned up nicely ahead of this second-up assignment. He’s rising in distance ever so slightly to 1280 metres to give him a bit more conditioning before we potentially stretch him out in trip, and he's open to plenty of improvement second-up with the benefit of race fitness under his belt. He’s got top weight with 60kg so it's not going to be easy, but Winona will be positive from barrier 5 to get him rolling along into a prominent position hopefully towards the head of the field. He’s in very good order and if he can get into a nice rhythm in front we're confident he’ll give them all something to catch.
