Wednesday 1st January 2025
Winner, winner, winner!!!
A buster of a day to round off the year, our eight tips providing no less than THREE winners, a second and a fourth, with one scratched at the barrier, and only missing on the final race of the card for a clean sweep!
Real Gun (8 unit win) got us off to the most positive of starts, ticking just about every box and racing away to a superb win at $7.80.
Then Graysong (10 unit win) followed up recent good form and strode up to win with some style, paying $2.90.
Then Midnight Ruler (5 units ew), a new and recent addition to our book, followed up his easy win from two weeks ago with a thrilling win in a blanket finish. Up in grade, but it didn’t matter as he got home at $5.80/$1.90.
Write Your Own (3 units ew) was fitter for the two resuming runs, and ran a close second, paying $2.50 the place, next time for him for sure.
Oakeys Choice ran fourth, while favourite Advance to Jaffa played up at the gates and was a late scratching, we’ve got our eye on him…
OK, on to the New Year’s Day cards, we had a brilliant corresponding day last year, with five winners, two seconds, two thirds and two fourths, plus a qadi and a treble!
If you recall, it was an amazing day for NZ jock Warren Kennedy as he rode an astonishing seven winners at Pukekohe, including two G2s and a G1, and three in a row for us, anchoring us to a share of the late qadi…
Seven from NZ here, with 12 from Aussie to come…
NZ on New Year’s Day…
First Dance
Ellerslie R1
Noted breaking maidens in only her third run this T&D in October, and with Wazza sticking this T&D 20 days ago, we rated her a real chance but she couldn’t find enough on the run-in and ran fifth. The win was too good to discard her, so still an EW chance today at $7.
BET: 4 units ew
Poetic Champion
Ellerslie R2
G2 placegetter who blew ‘em away on resuming in the Colin Meads in September, but faded to fourth at Matamata a month later before heading for a 3 month break. Trialled up for a win two weeks ago and sits as $4.40 second fav in a small field. Fav looks hard to beat…
BET: 6 unit win
Tuxedo
Ellerslie R4
Backmarker who has a wicked finish in him as his two wins for two illustrate. Joe Doyle sticks, $2.90 second fav, looks like a race in two…
BET: 8 unit win
What You Wish For
Ellerslie R8
Went in the book with a dazzling finish at Matamata in early October, last all the way and got up on the line under Opie. Billy Pinn jumped on 18 days ago in the G3 but he never featured. Back to the mile suits and he’s very consistent, EW shot at $14 here.
BET: 4 units ew
Let Fly
Ellerslie R9
Loves the T&D, has won twice here this prep but this is a jump in grade, and she’s the $41 outsider here.
BET: 2 units ew
More Sass
Riverton R1
Her two seconds have been followed by two well-beaten rides, will need to lift to figure, needs some give in the ground, $4 on offer in a small field…
BET: 4 unit win
Buoyant
Riverton R7
Early career stats were outstanding, but seven runs in Aussie saw him last or close to last but in higher grades but resumed in NZ and ran three fourths. We fancied him to break through on Boxing Day and he duly obliged at decent odds under De Oca and can go on with it here, $3.60 fav.
BET: 10 unit win
Aussie on New Year’s Day…
The Open, Miraval Rose
Flemington R4
The Open has a superb career record to date, and produced a fabulous late run to win at Pak 11 days ago, gets Kah up top and rates highly as $2.50 fav here. Miraval Rose has run two solid thirds and steps up to the 1400m here, $5 on offer in a small field.
BET: The Open 10 unit win, MR 3 units ew
Goldman, Newfoundland
Flemington R6
Goldman sported some superb form in his early career, and at one point was a Melbourne Cup favourite, and we were looking for him to bounce back to some of that early form 11 days ago at Pak, and boy, did he deliver, leading most of the way and hanging on for the grittiest win you’ll see this year at $8.50. Only question is the extra 300m today, $4.40 second fav.
Newfoundland is an Irish import who caught the eye on his third run in Aus in October with Tim Clark producing a top ride for him to win with some style. Produced an identical run to win at Warwick Farm two weeks later then ran a close second on M Cup day and should go close based on that form, $4.80 on offer.
BET: Both 4 units EW, exotics for sure…
Araletta
Mornington R7
This is an interesting runner, spotted her after a trial at Pak in April, with trainer Peter Moody spruiking her up, suggesting she was gonna break maidens soon, rating her as a city class filly. She ran second, if a touch greenly, but we fancied more to come, and she resumed 19 days ago from a 236 day spell after some good jump-outs, and she duly obliged with a dominant display. $3.50 looks generous…
BET: 10 unit win
Vesper Lynd
Sunshine Coast R1
Very consistent frontrunner who just needs to finish off her race to break maidens, and while there’s a hotpot fav in this, she’s a good EW option at $8.
BET: 4 units ew
Major Share
Terang R4
Denied a run last week, last win was at MV, should be far too good for these as $1.35 fav.
BET: 10 unit win
Electric Evie
Inverell R3
Improving all the time, this is her chance today as $2.20 fav, win came at this distance…
BET: 10 unit win
Kalahari Heart
Inverell R7
Needed the resuming run a month back and has decent second-up stats (4:1-1), as well as T&Ds (3:2-0). Jumps in grade, hence the $101 odds, but worth an interest bet…
BET: 2 units ew
Sir Simon
Longford R7
Tassy galloper who tends to lead, up to the 1800m will be the challenge, though he has won at the T&D once, $5 in a very open betting race.
BET: 4 units ew
Sunlit Fresco
Ascot R4
Marked down as a next-timer after being wide all the way here 25 days ago, just missing to our next tip in All Play. B Parnham sticks, in good form so must stick with her… $9 looks value.
BET: 4 units ew
All Play
Ascot R7
See above, if Sunlit Fresco franks the form then she looks extra good in this as $2.90 fav.
BET: 10 unit win
