SATURDAY'S BEST
Randwick Race 7 No.6 Miss Fabulass (Kerrin McEvoy) - $2.70
This is the best three-year-old filly in the country, and no one will convince me otherwise. Her ability is second to none, but her race sense thus far hasn't been, and it has cost her races. Her Flight Stakes fourth place effort was arguably the best fourth I've ever seen in a group one - it was a massive run, absolutely huge.
The only thing I wasn't thrilled about with the ride was when Kerrin gave her half a squeeze about 200m after the start to hold a position between runners. I didn't think he had to, and unfortunately it set her off, and she began to pull fiercely. Kerrin was pretty much forced to let her roll wide to the point where she ended up doing plenty of work to be outside the leaders as they turned for home. She still let down nicely. The opposition, led by Fiesta, came at her quickly, but she fought like a tiger to be only beaten a long neck on the line. There's no doubt it was a race she should have won.
The only thing Kris Lees should have, and would have, been doing once she came back into training for this preparation was all he could to teach her to settle. You can see by her two trials, especially the second one, that's what has clearly been happening.
The world is her oyster this campaign. The Surround Stakes will be her first target you'd think, then who knows? Queen of the Turf? Oaks? Maybe a Doncaster? She could be capable of anything if she has learnt to travel sweetly. I'll be on her every step of the way.
AROUND THE GROUNDS
Randwick Race 1 No.1 Garibaldi (Hugh Bowman) - $7
I mentioned before Garibaldi made his debut three weeks ago at Eagle Farm, where I made him the best of the day, that he was probably the best two-year-old in Queensland. The manner in which he won there, did nothing to change my mind.
He just seems like such a bombproof type for a juvenile - he does the little things right from what I've seen of him, which is such an advantage at this stage of a racehorse's career. Clearly Tony Gollan has got a big opinion of him too, as he's got him straight to Sydney for a crack at getting into the Golden Slipper, and a win in the Pierro Plate on Saturday will go a long way toward that happening.
I'll go as far to declare that he's the best two-year-old to come down for a Slipper from the Sunshine State since Phelan Ready, who of course ended up winning the 2009 edition of the world's richest two-year-old race. The 50's on offer now for Garibaldi are worth having a nibble at.
He gets a perfect draw here, gets Hugh Bowman on board, and I almost fell off my chair when he opened at $11 when this market first went up. I duly snapped those odds up, and to no surprise that was into $7 within a very short amount of time. This is a very winnable race for him and I expect Garibaldi to confirm his status as a live Slipper hope.
Flemington Race 5 No.4 Fundamentalist (Michael Walker) - $3.40
If you've followed her career, you probably think the same as I do - Fundamentalist probably should have won more than two races by now. But she has raced in quality company her entire career and put herself amongst the best of her age group during the Spring with a pair of group one placings.
She's in a group three here, so she certainly isn't all of a sudden finding herself against weak opposition. The Vanity just sets up so well for her on Saturday, and I'll be very disappointed if she doesn't win, as she won't get a better chance to grab that elusive stakes win.
That first-up run against the boys was highly encouraging, and no doubt she'll be better off for it fitness wise. Then you throw in the fact that she looks likely to either lead or plonk herself right on speed in what appears to be a race devoid of early pace, and she gets a little bit of weight off the other proven class in the field. I can't help but come to the conclusion that this is her race to lose.
OVER THE ODDS
Flemington Race 8 No.9 Lean Mean Machine (James McDonald) - $8
You get a well-bred youngster, by one of the hottest sires in the country, they show promise, crack a stakes win, and perform admirably against the best of their generation. You know there's only one thing left to do in order for them to genuinely "make it", and that's win a group one and secure themselves a career at stud.
That's exactly what Lean Mean Machine is looking to do here in the Lightning Stakes and I have little doubt Chris Waller has had this race on his radar for this colt for a few months now. He will have him absolutely primed to run to his best first up.
Honestly, I think the horse is better on a soft track, but not because he doesn't handle firmer surfaces, but because others don't handle softer surfaces as well as he does. It doesn't mean he can't win at the highest level on a dry track.
He's shown he flies fresh and he possesses a lethal turn of foot if given the opportunity and circumstances to display it. He'll get that here, will sit off a fast speed, but hopefully not too far back, and be as strong as anything late. I fully respect Sunlight, she's one of my favourite fillies, and she's not easy to get past, but if Lean Mean Machine isn't put out of his comfort zone too early, he can be close enough that his acceleration is just too much for her.
QUADDIE SELECTIONS
Leg 1 - 1
Leg 2 - 6
Leg 3 - 2,5,7
Leg 4 - 1,4,8,11
($100 = 833.33%)
Leg 1 - 2,5,6,15
Leg 2 - 1,5,8,11,13,18
Leg 3 - 9,10
Leg 4 - 3,12,16
($100 = 69.44%)