SELECTIONS - 31 August 2006

POOMA selections:

There are no POOMA selections today

Non-POOMA selections (and ruffies in red below):

Bendigo 3-4, 3-10, 4-14, 6-2
Eagle Farm 8-1

Today: Slow tracks at Northam, Gosford and Eagle Farm knock them out as decent betting propositions. Perhaps Magical Profit can go close in the last race at Eagle Farm. The Bendigo meeting looks like a fair place to have a go. In the first race 1-7 Laleil resumes from a spell and looks like having a fair chance. She probably doesn't have the speed to lead but in a small field will not be far away and will get her chance to win once into the spacious Bendigo straight. 2-2 Captanashi looks the goods, also. He's been finding the line strongly in all of his races and steps up to a mile for the first time today. The quinella horse looks to be 4-Ponbar Diamond who led them up and finished just behind the placegetters in the same race that Captanashi ran in last time. I'll be very keen to back 3-10 Stay All Day and 3-4 El Zahia in the Hurdle. Stay All Day is having his first run over the obstacles and has schooled very well in preparation for this. El Zahia was beaten a lip at his jumps debut when 2nd at Warrnambool. Both have strong flat records, which is really what you need to look for in these Maiden Hurdle races. In terms of value I rate them both at $4 and will be working all multiples around them. 12-Zapache and 7-Poker Face look place chances there. 4-14 Showify plummets in class and is beatifully placed in this race first up from a spell. The races then get a tad hard and there's nothing that really stands out in races 5 to 8 though 5-15 Strategic Mover each way might yield some value; I'm just not too sure about that favourite in that race, Samurtriack, running a strong mile.

Yesterday: Besides getting the last POOMA for the month home I picked out a few chances that did the right thing. Delvecchio was the best result, leading all of the way and never looking in doubt over the last 600m paying $4. I thought there were impressive performances from Here De Angels which won race 4 at Moonee Valley decisively, as well as Going Spending, which always looked to have them covered. At Canterbury, the much anticipated debut of Makybe Diva's 3/4 brother, Musket, ended with that horse being held up in traffic until the 150m mark where Beadman managed to shoulder him out and race away for a convincing win by 3 or 4L. He obviously has above average talent, which is handy if you forked out the massive price to buy him.

POOMAs: Regal Megan led all the way to win narrowly at Rockhampton paying $1.90.