Gear changes can be an excellent lead for punters when analysing a race and there is a good example at Dubbo on Monday.
The Kathryn Cahill-trained Campfire with the trainer's brother Mathew in the saddle will have the blinkers back on when the gelding lines up in the Hit 93.5 Benchmark 60 Handicap (1620m).
Campfire has been a handy galloper for the Cahill family winning four races from 27 career starts and finishing in the placings on an additional 13 occasions amassing $68,295 in prizemoney but a closer analysis of his form tells us the six-year-old has a substantially better record with the blinkers on.
We have heard commentators say many times "the blinkers really switched this one on" and that looks the case with Campfire.
The blinkers on for the first time and blinkers back on gear change has happened on three occasions for Campfire.
The first time the blinkers were applied, Campfire came out and won a Class 1 at Forbes over 1400m.
March 24 2016 saw the blinkers go back on again and Campfire duly saluted in a Benchmark 55 handicap at Orange over 1400m.
The gear change was evident at Narromine on April 2 2017 with Campfire going down in a photo-finish over 1600m.
Indeed, Campfire's overall record wearing blinkers is impressive with the statistics showing three wins and four placings from nine starts with the shades on.
There is only one negative for Campfire and that is he is yet to win at the mile journey in five starts but at $4 in early Sportsbet betting the odds are good enough to find out if the blinkers back on will be enough to record his first 1600m win.
