The Weekly A-Z

Posted on October 22, 2021October 22, 2021 | Posted by Digby Beacham

A – AVON ASSAULT

Congratulations to everyone involved with the Northam Race Club. Not only did the track hold up very well this week when accommodating the transferred Ascot meeting, a field of the highest quality will converge on Sunday for the running of the Listed Iron Jack Northam Cup (1600m). Neufbosc (Perth Cup winner), Dig Deep (Karrakatta Plate winner), Tellem We’re Comin (triple Listed winner), Taxagano (Northerly Stakes winner), Royal Command (Tattersalls Cup winner), Marocchino (dual stakes placed and a winner of five straight races last campaign), Western Temple (Bunbury Stakes winner), Living The Dream (Kalgoorlie Cup winner), Startthefriar (Hannan’s Handicap winner), Luke’s Gold (dual stakes placed) and That’s Funny Az (Hannan’s Handicap placegetter) are joined in the field by Railway Stakes aspirant Kaptain Kaos and Excellent Dream. It is an outstanding race.

B – BATTLE OF THE SEXES

Each year the Belgravia Stakes creates a stir and tomorrow’s edition is no different. You have the lightly raced, yet enormously talented Winning Rupert gelding It’sarayday flying the flag for the boys against a plethora of talented fillies, headed up by last-start Crown Perth 3YO Classic winner Liwa and the superbly bred Arcadia Grace, who didn’t get a lot of luck for William Pike over the concluding stages in the same race, along with Flying Missle and Pat’s Got Sass.

C – COLT HEROES

As Group 1-winning juveniles, Anamoe and Captivant are assured of homes at stud. Anamoe has added to his value by winning the Caulfield Guineas as a three-year-old, beating none other than … Captivant! The two colts now lock horns again in their toughest assignment to date, tomorrow’s Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley. If either is able to upset the favourite Zaaki and ensure their name is etched on to the honour roll, prospective breeders might be needing a small bank loan to book their mares in for a cover.

D – DANCING QUEEN

The Dance Music we witnessed at Ascot last Saturday when winning the Group 3 Northerly Stakes is a long way removed from what we saw in last year’s Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m). But it was no flash in the pan. Since her unplaced effort in the famous Ascot mile 11 months ago, the daughter of War Chant has finished no worse than third in eight starts, winning three of them. Seven of them have been Group 3 races, the other a Listed feature. Dance Music is now very much in this year’s Railway conversation.

E – EASTON EXITS

Easton Wood had his doubts. Rather than push on into the final year of his contract, he decided to do the selfless thing … retire. Wood’s decision yesterday to call time on his 188-game career in fear of letting down his teammates, was met with admiration. Not many players are willing to turn their backs on hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a premiership captain, Wood’s place in history is assured.

F – FILLING IT UP

Patty Mills can lay claim to being arguably Australia’s most popular athlete … male or female. His deeds with the Boomers at the Tokyo Olympic Games rubber-stamped his standing among sports lovers Down Under. If he is able to replicate his performance on debut for the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, he will become universally loved. With Kyrie Irving nowhere to be seen, Mills came off the bench and connected on all seven of his three-point attempts in Brooklyn’s defeat to last season’s champions Milwaukee. If the Nets are to be a force in the East, clearly Mills has a major role to play.

G – GRAND FINAL

Labelling someone a grand final horse trainer is one of the biggest compliments you can give. Chris Waller, you are the ultimate grand final trainer. It is hard to draw any other conclusion after Waller prepared Nature Strip to win last Saturday’s $15 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick. All week in the lead-up, James McDonald was prepared to tell anybody who would listen that the powerful sprinter would recapture his best and win the richest race on turf for the first time? When asked why he was so bullish, he quickly blurted out “Chris Waller”. The Kiwi native continually peaks his horses on the big stage. 

H – HAPPY ENDING

All’s well that ends well. Those New York Knicks supporters crammed into Madison Square Garden were entitled to be feeling more than a little non-plussed after a defensive breakdown allowed Marcus Smart to hit a wide-open triple that sent the Knicks-Boston Celtics clash into overtime. An extra five-minute period wasn’t enough to split the two teams however and a second period of overtime was required. With players from both sides out on their feet, it was the hosts who were stronger for longer, prevailing 138-134 in an absorbing encounter. 

I – ITCH SCRATCHED

Wayne Bennett is heading back to Queensland. To Redcliffe if we are to be exact. The rugby league super coach will be in charge of the NRL’s 17th team, the Dolphins, when they enter the competition in 2023 after he signed a four-year deal this week. Bennett boasts seven premierships with the Brisbane Broncos and St George Illawarra and only this month guided South Sydney to a narrow defeat in the decider at the hands of Penrith. His contract was up, but it was a given he would continue coaching. And given how things finished for him at the Broncos a few years back, this rivalry in the capital between Brisbane and the Dolphins is going to be oh so spicy.

J – JUST IN CASE

You had forgotten how good a horse Elite Street was, you were given a not-so subtle reminder last Saturday at Ascot. Last year’s Winterbottom Stakes winner presented for the Crawford Stakes (1000m) first-up off no trial and put a field of quality sprinters to the sword for trainer Dan Morton and jockey Brad Rawiller. It was Elite Street’s fourth win from his past five starts at Ascot (the other run was a narrow second in the Group 3 Roma Cup) and saw him assume his rightful position at the head of the all-in Winterbottom Stakes market with TABtouch.

K –  KEEN AS MUSTARD

Jordan De Goey and 100% commitment to pre-season training haven’t always gone hand in hand. Therefore, vision this week of the Collingwood star working his backside off at a Californian training facility brought a smile to the faces of all Magpies fans. Admittedly, De Goey is entering the final year of his current contract, but if the willingness to push himself is carried over into his football in 2022, he could be ready to shake up the competition even further, chiefly through the midfield.

L – LOSER’S LIMP

If Ben Simmons doesn’t want to be at Philadelphia — and everyone on the planet with a pulse knows he doesn’t — he’s best not being around the team. The disgruntled Aussie rocked up at the 76ers’ practice facility last week in order to earn some money that was being withheld because of his reticence to fulfil contractual obligations. But his petulance in the gym and refusal to adhere to the preachings of coach Doc Rivers saw him kicked out of training and suspended from their game-one win over New Orleans. In short, he is not earning money at the moment and not endearing himself to any prospective suitors. The PR battle is not going the way of Simmons.

M – MOMENTUM IS KING

How often have we heard that saying in sport or racing? Tomorrow night at Cannington, the word will be mentioned more than once when we do our form for and then dissect the Group 2 All Stars Sprint final (520m). Momentum, trained by Cosi Dagostino, is indeed a rising star in WA greyhound ranks, winning 11 of his 16 starts and deserving of his favouritism tag. A terrific race with a big pot at the end of the rainbow when you factor in a potential slot for The Phoenix.

N – NATURE IN FULL BLOOM

When the barrier draw for The Everest was conducted last week, there was the obligatory gasp as Nature Strip came up with gate 10 in the 12-horse field. Soon after though, it was deemed as the perfect draw for Chris Waller’s superstar sprinter, allowing him to come across at his own speed rather than being hustled and bustled out from a low draw to hold a spot. Nature Strip sprung the machines and found his way to the top when Nash Rawiller elected to take hold of  Eduardo and though he was running on fumes inside the final 100m, clung on for a thrilling win. Nature Strip, who will have his final run this campaign during the Melbourne Cup carnival, now boasts 18 wins from 33 starts for nearly $15 million in stakes. 

O – OFF THE SCENE

Those excited about the return of Chicago Bull have had to pump the brakes. Sadly, the diminutive dynamo will not be present at Gloucester Park this evening and will be out of action for a few more months as he battles some issues. Trainer Gary Hall also forecast that this latest setback would leave him chasing his tail in order to get Chicago Bull to the WA Pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup.

P – PLAIN AND SIMPLE

For those in the AFL and AFLW space unsure whether to be vaccinated against COVID-19, their plight became very straight forward yesterday. The league announced a mandate which stipulates players needed to be fully vaccinated by mid-February or be banned from training or playing. There is no grey. Just black and white. No jab means no play which in the long-term means no pay. 

Q – QUEST FOR ACCEPTANCE

Mitch Marsh has copped his fair share of criticism during his international career. To claim the vitriol directed his way has been way over the top, is an understatement of immense proportions. The strapping all-rounder will never be the darling of Australian cricket, but if he is able to continue his resurgence in the World T20, hopefully from the No.3 spot in the batting line-up, some of those who have been overtly nasty, can quieten down for a little while. 

R – RAPID RISE

There are high-class Group 1 sprints and then there is tonight’s edition of the Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley. Unfortunately, it is only a Group 1 in status, not quality, as the attrition rate of the spring, coupled with the massive money on offer for The Everest, take their toll. As a result, it wouldn’t be a shock if Lombardo handles his initial foray into elite company with aplomb. The five-year-old is a different animal as a result of being gelded and though he is a last-start winner at Listed level only, is proven around Moonee Valley and races on speed. His upside is significant. 

S – SUMMER OF CRICKET

In all due respect to the Sheffield Shield and the WBBL which are going on around the country at present, the majority of eyes in this country will divert to the UAE tomorrow when the Australian men’s side embarks on its World T20 campaign. The summer of cricket starts then … at 6pm, WA time. The Aussies have a wretched record in the format and their efforts will be scrutinised closely. Justin Langer, as coach, needs his players to show their wares. Failure to do so won’t help his cause to remain at the helm beyond his current contract. 

T – TRACK SPECIALIST

If you are looking to identify horses for courses this weekend, look no further than Forgot You for his tilt at the Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley tomorrow. Forgot You was being mentioned in Cox Plate dispatches, but will instead line up against his own age. Unsurprisingly, he is an odds-on favourite after coming through a high-ranking Caulfield Guineas. The Savabeel colt is a perfect 2 for 2 at the Valley this spring and was given a strong push this morning in The Hour Of Power by co-trainer Natalie Young.

U – UNFULFILLED

The cricketing world was left to lament what might have been this week when James Pattinson announced his retirement from Test duty. Pattinson was a ferocious fast bowler in his prime, a genuine strike weapon with an old-fashioned nasty streak. Like so many pacemen before him, Pattinson has battled a string of injuries, chiefly to his back. But it was a nagging knee injury that finally convinced the Victorian to declare enough was enough. He took 81 wickets at a clip of 26.33 from 21 Tests and played a key role in Australia reclaiming the Ashes in 2019. 

V – V’LANDYS DELIVERS

I’ve been happy to give Peter V’Landys a couple of backhanders along the way. So it’s only fair that he receives a pat on the back for his ability to deliver time and time again in regards to the best interests of NSW racing. The fact there was a crowd of 10,000 on hand at Randwick last weekend, and a bloody raucous one at that, might have been the result of restrictions in Sydney ending just in time, but it had V’landys’ thumbprints all over it. And we are now gearing up for the inaugural running of The Invitation, a $2 million race over 1400m eligible for fillies and mares. It is little wonder why participants in NSW racing hold him in high regard.

W – WOW FACTOR

Incentivise had only just appeared to get into his rhythm during last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup when Brett Prebble decided to let Australia’s latest boom horse stride around his opponents at the 800m mark. It was bold from a white-hot jockey at the peak of his powers. And it proved a masterstroke. Incentivise effectively lowered the boom on the rest of the field, chalking up a breathtaking victory that needed to be seen to be believed. As a three-time Group 1 winner this season from as many starts, Incentivise is performing at a level very few thought he could. 

X – X-RAYS

From the moment Georgia Wareham collapsed as she ran to field a ball in the outfield during the WBBL match between Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers, her immediate future looked grim. Scans revealed that was very much the case, the 22-year-old rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She will miss the Ashes series and next year’s ODI World Cup as she rehabilitates the knee that has already been reconstructed previously.

Y – YOU SHOULD FOLLOW

Darren Taylor’s mare She’s God To You. Already stakes placed as a three-year-old, the daughter of Playing God resumes tomorrow at Ascot off the back of an excellent trial. Whether the now four-year-old is able to overcome somewhat of an awkward draw and run down flying filly Sniparoochy remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be a shock if she progresses to better races and by extension of that, win one.

Z – ZAAKI’S REDEMPTION

If Zaaki’s bid to join the greats of Australian and New Zealand racing and win tomorrow’s Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley comes unstuck, there are unlikely to be any excuses. Regular pilot James McDonald hops back aboard and you can expect he will be running along at a tempo that is more conducive to the sit-sprint passage he was afforded in the shock failure in the Might And Power (2000m). And unlike the firm track he was dished up at Caulfield, the weather forecast for Melbourne suggests Moonee Valley will be in the soft range, which is right in Zaaki’s wheelhouse. Bring it on.