Country crackers for Saturday

Clinton Payne - Friday September 29

The major focus on any Saturday is metropolitan racing but there's plenty of us out there that don't mind a dabble at the support meetings across the country so here's our best bets.

Advertisement
There's a little bit of the USA in this week's Country Crackers

On Saturday, we’ve come up with a tip at the Kembla, Wagga, Mornington and Gold Coast meetings.

MORNINGTON

JE SUIS TYCOON (Race 3 No. 2) Mornington is classified as a metropolitan meeting on Saturday but seeing most of the races are only worth $40,000 and at Kembla they’re racing for $30,000, we’re throwing a tip into Country Crackers. Je Suis Tycoon showed good ability in her first preparation. She charged home on debut at Bendigo to only just miss, she then came to town and didn’t have a lot of luck in the straight when not beaten far and there’s been a stack of winners to have come out of both races. They then dropped a grade at the Warrnambool carnival where she bolted in before going for a spell. She’s had two jump outs to be ready to go first-up and she showed a nice turn of foot when they let her slide in the last 100 metres at Caulfield on September 19. From the inside gate she should be able to stay in touch, if she sees daylight at the right time she can run straight over the top of them.

KEMBLA

LORD KINGSLEY (Race 7 No. 3) Grand Finalist is the odds-on favourite but we’re not convinced he’s a worthy $1.85 chance. He beat Spencer on debut and that horse has been disappointing since. They are running Spencer in the Dulcify on Saturday but we don’t believe he’s close to being up to that. Lord Kingsley on the other hand is a proven midweek city class galloper and when resuming last preparation, he closed off hard when not having much luck to finish fourth on Newcastle Newmarket day in a strong race behind The Pinnacle. He has always performed well fresh, his latest trial was good and he’s a get back run on type so Kembla and a small field suits. He’s can blouse the favourite.

WAGGA

PITTSBURGH (Race 1 No. 3) Bit of guess work here but there are enough factors to give us the confidence this horse will run well on Saturday. Pittsburgh has been off the scene for more than 400 days which would indicate the possibility of an injury-enforced layoff and in that time he’s moved house and been gelded. His new trainer Dan McCarthy from Wangaratta has an imposing strike rate over the past 12 months with 14 of his 53 runners winning, so he knows what he’s doing. Now let’s have a look at Pittsburgh. He’s a big strong son of Fastnet Rock that showed enough as a young horse to be beaten a head by Faraway Town at his second start then he got within 3-1/2 lengths of Astern in the Silver Slipper. You may say that was two years ago and we concede that’s right but if you’ve seen him in the flesh he doesn’t look like your normal speedy squib so we’re suggesting something was holding him back and now he’s turned up at Wagga in a maiden. He could beat these by a furlong and if they put up black odds we’ll be aboard.

GOLD COAST

DAZZLING RED (Race 1 No. 4) Two old rivals combine for the first time and we think they can get us off on the right foot at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Chris Munce and Darryl ‘Digger’ McLellan had many battles in the saddle in Sydney earlier this century but now Munce has successfully turned his hand to training while McLellan is back riding after a long hiatus. Dazzling Red looks perfectly placed to start his campaign on a winning note on Saturday. He did enough in three 1200m runs last prep but this time he kicks off in a 900m blink and miss it affair and has drawn perfectly in barrier 4. His trial was good and he’s been gelded since he last raced. If he can’t win this he’s in trouble but we expect him to get the job done.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Kosciuszko calling Rosehill winner Elson Boy
Dubbo-trained Elson Boy was back in the winner’s circle after a 412-day absence when leading throughout to land the Jockeys Celebration Day Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill in the hands of apprentice William Stanley.
King of Roseau Wins G3 Aurie’s Star
Placed in the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes at Flemington last spring as a three year-old behind Growing Empire, Capitalist gelding King of Roseau returned to the same venue on Saturday to capture the Group III VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m).
Dual Group Winner Too Darn Good At Flemington
A dual group winner during the Spring of her 3yo season, talented mare Too Darn Discreet showed an electric turn of foot, charging home over the top of them to win the Melbourne Cup Carnival On Sale (1620m) at Flemington on Saturday.
The Novelist Returns to Form
The very first stakes-winner for his sire Written By when winning the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes in December 2022, The Novelist made light of the heavy 10 track at Rosehill on Saturday to claim another victory.
Crossbow Takes Aim At Flemington To Score
With quality efforts behind handy horses in his first three starts, trainer Chris Waller crossed the border to Victoria with instant success for the Star Thoroughbreds raced Crossbow, with the well-marked son of Better Than Ready breaking through for an impressive win.
Winning Hat-Trick for Progressive Pierro
Richard and Will Freedman probably have more talented horses in the stable than Pierro gelding Cold Brew, but few have the consistency of this four year-old who landed a winning hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kiwi Bred Keeps Winners Coming for Payne Stable
The Patrick and Michelle Payne-trained Bold Soul has been a consistent performer right through the winter months and notched another win at Flemington when prevailing in the VRC Membership Renewals Open (2530m) on Saturday.
Sliding Doors Moment Delivers Feel Good Winner at Rosehill
Two fillies were born at Yulong in 2021 sired by Alabama Express from imported North American daughters of Street Cry, one of them is triple Group I winner Treasurethe Moment and the other is the feel good winner of the day at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 2
Here is the full list of 101 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Unique Filly a History Maker for Godolphin and Waller
The re-distribution of the Godolphin owned Australian racehorses has been a hot topic in recent weeks as they departed the care of James Cummings to join a wide spread of different trainers and one of those was Chris Waller, whose first runner for the blue army was a winner at Rosehill on Saturday.