Races

Scott Embry’s Saturday Ascot Preview

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

RACE 1

BURNING BRIDGES won a 1000m barrier trial at Belmont without blinkers and then went straight to a 1200 on debut at Pinjarra. Thought considering he parked up in the breeze he fought on well to finish within a long neck of Wolf Whistle Zel and impressive trialler Super Fatale and back to 1000 he would be the horse to beat second-up with race experience. Looks a good set up for him to park on speed and kick hard into the corner. DARYTE impressed at trials and will no doubt have plenty of supporters on debut with the booking of Pike. She sat leader’s back, was held up and then burst through late. No doubt a great educational experience for her and hard to ignore the way she picked up when clear. TEXAN DREAM was the talk of the track on debut in the Initial Plate and was backed accordingly. Didn’t live up to expectation but must be respected off a freshen. FARNOVA looked a ready made race horse at trials.

Numbers: 1 – 6 – 2 – 7

Suggested Bet – BURNING BRIDGES WIN

RACE 2

WITHOUT REG may rise 4kg start to start but this looks another extremely winnable $100,000 feature. The Boxing Day Dash, Grandstand Cup and now Celebration of Life Day Trophy have all been extremely small select fields (might need a programming adjustment?) and this 6 horse field looks extremely winnable again for him. He’s versatile and he’s honest. SILVER EYE proved himself at 1400m last week after enjoying the run of race in an event where the leaders probably went a little too hard for their own good and brought him right into the race. Gets a soft run and even if Shaun O’Donnell drags him out to last he’s still only settling sixth in running. BRUCE ALMIGHTY is now a 10 year old but he’s still racing with great zest. Think this time around he’ll roll to the top and cross Without Reg to his preferred position in running. NOTEWORTHY drops out of the Mares series and can be saved up for one last crack at them.

Numbers: 2 – 5 – 1 – 4

Suggested Bet – WITHOUT REG WIN

RACE 3

BATTLE COMMANDER has just turned into a brilliantly honest conveyance. He rolls to the top, he runs solid sectionals and he kicks hard into the corner. He’s an ideal sit and steer type for a 2kg claimer like Chanel Cooper and if he’s left alone in front he’ll be hard to run down late. Hard to knock at an eachway price? OUR PALADIN AL is still a work in progress and not entirely convinced that: A) he’s an apprentice’s horse; and B) he’s a barrier 1 horse. He still wants to run his races in patches, switching on and switching off and so it’s a really good test for Holly Nottle. Best horse in the race but at odds on he seems a big risky? FLY WITH CATUION did it tough last start and kept coming. He should be primed third-up. ARCADIA PARK tracked into the race strongly fresh and then peaked on his run.

Numbers: 7 – 6 – 3 – 2

Suggested Bet – BATTLE COMMANDER EACHWAY

RACE 4

PLAYIN’ IT SWEET was off an ~8 week freshen when she went to a 66+ 1200 and was nabbed late by Prospector’s Pick. Watching live she looked to get things really cheap to the top of the straight and then fought on bravely once headed and in the post-race the winning rider (CJP) made note that the filly probably didn’t kick hard enough into the corner and allowed rivals to be right on top of her on straightening. She’s a better chaser than a leader and Holly Nottle gets a second crack at getting this already Black Type filly across the line. Beautifully placed into a 3 year old Plate. BASSETT HOUND has been all the rage at trials and was scratched from a winnable race on Wednesday to save for this. If he can knock off Playin’ It Sweet on debut then he’s the real deal. OUR NAUGHTY SECRET is ticking along quite well. SHE’S HOT got the job done first-up but this is a big test for her.

Numbers: 1 – 5 – 2 – 7

Suggested Bet – PLAYIN’ IT SWEET WIN

RACE 5

DESERT DANCING had never raced past 1100m leading into this prep but is now proven at both 1200 and 1400m through the Westspeed Platinum Series Heats and Final. She’s drawn to get a much better run here and hopefully that allows Joey Azzopardi to have a few behind him. Could be the difference between winning and losing in a very evenly graded affair. HELLUVA GODDESS was a forgive fresh when parked wide throughout, a strong winner second-up and only run down late after being put into the contest third-up in this grade. She’s looking for 1400 now. LATER ALLIGATOR went around over 100-1 fresh (depending on where you shop) and won impressively. No reason he can’t go back to back? STREET BAND is the class runner and extremely well placed right back in grade.

Numbers: 5 – 4 – 6 – 1

Suggested Bet – DESERT DANCING WIN

RACE 6

SUPERNATURAL just missed first-up behind Jaz Session who is now Summer Scorcher and Miss Andretti placed, before heading to Albany and winning the Fitzpatrick Plate in dominant style. This 55+ is an easier race on paper and while she loses the services of Willie Pike it looks on paper a day where emerging apprentice Holly Nottle is afforded a wonderful opportunity to kick home a few winners and really stamp her mark on Saturday racing. SONOFTHEBOSS was really well supported at 1000m last week in a race that simply looked too short for him on paper. Love the way he attacked the line and has always been a 1200m horse. FANCY RED was a prolific winner as a filly and while this is probably her toughest test to date she did trial up really well. CANNY ROCK is a model of consistency.

Numbers: 1 – 2 – 3 – 6

Suggested Bet – SUPERNATURAL WIN

RACE 7

SOLDANELLE has been a hard mare to catch and trust across her WA career, however, if you just take her on her William Pike runs then she’s clearly the one to beat. Going to lock her in as a W.Pike only conveyance and whenever Stefan Vahala is able to get his services I’m interested and whenever he isn’t, I’m not. Plain and simple approach with the enigmatic mare. This is no harder than her last start win. BOLD HERO looked like he needed the run fresh. Hopefully second-up he can bounce back to his best, because his best is good enough to win this. CAMERA ACTION looks to be screaming out for 1500. She’s going really well and should be continuing her way through the grades this prep. DENNIS CHOUX ran out of his skin fresh.

Numbers: 3 – 4 – 5 – 2

Suggested Bet – SOLDANELLE WIN

RACE 8 

TERRITORY MAN probably lost the race at the 1400m mark last start (could be a controversial opinion) after Willie Pike tried to get him a pair closer and then was forced to restrain back and ended up being shuffled back to last and into a tricky position. Hard to miss how well he finished off after getting into a bumping dual with Toretto on straightening before flashing late into second once the race was all over. 1800m gives him more time to wind-up and while he’s probably back last again under 59kg just feel like he’s better than them? FOREVER DREAMING has turned a corner in recent weeks and can roll forward into a position. INVINCIBLE THEIF is a bizarre mare who looks gone at the 600 but finds a second wind late? RIGHT TO SILENCE is going lengths better than it reads on paper.

Numbers: 1 – 3 – 6 – 12

Suggested Bet – TERRITORY MAN WIN

RACE 9

TWISTED STEEL went two for two as a juvenile and then was plunged at his return in the Max Simmonds Classic. Unfortunately the bubble burst that day and he could only managed a meagre sixth but he bounced back in the Placid Ark Prelude with a strong second to subsequent Placid Ark Stakes winner and Winterbottom runner Luana Miss. Simon Miller is a genius with these horses off a let-up without a trial and he should prove too classy for his older rivals. He’ll be very well backed. NICCIMOTA didn’t jump fresh and showed that she’s not just a one trick pony. Hopefully leaves cleanly here so she can lead. JUSTABITTAPRESS had a long time off and should only improve start to start. SANTANOVA gets Pike back.

Numbers: 6 – 5 – 8 – 2

Suggested Bet – TWISTED STEEL WIN

Quaddie (Race 6 – 9)

1,2,3

2,3,4,5

1

6

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