SELECTIONS - 4 August 2006

Swan Hill 4-1 Incentate
Swan Hill 5-4 Acquibaa
Swan Hill 8-1 Benson

Non-POOMA selections:

Queanbeyan 7-7

Yesterday's two POOMAs ran well below expectations. As warned, apprentice M Knight didn't improve on his abysmal record and last time I checked the search party had called off looking for Afleeting Liaison. Happy to see the back of soggy old Coffs Harbour.

Today we present three POOMAs at a track I've always been really fond of - Swan Hill. It's a nice, roomy track with a long straight that gives every horse a chance. The POOMAs also have a good record there picking 6 winners from 11 selections ($6.20, $4.70, $2.80, $2.90, $1.90, $9.50) at 150% profit. The picks today look like having a reasonable chance of maintaining things. In race 4, Incentate is lightly raced and has the services of Brad Rawiller. He's coming off running 2nd in a longer race at Geelong only 10 days ago but he should be able to sit right on the pace and be strong at the finish. Our other selection is in race 5. Acquiba was unlucky not to beat Testabel at Kyneton last time and she looks especially well placed here. Benson, also looks nicely placed in the last having whupped them when winning his Maiden at Geelong last time out. I'm normally wary of picking last start Maiden winners in Class 1 events (on the reasonable grounds that they have the worst strike rate, by far, of all last start winners) but this guy looks like he's got some upside. The problem will be the price, as he'll start around $2.10.

As always in Far North Queensland, you should have a little look at horses coming off NSW and VIC form. There are two today at Mackay: 2-2 Vaduz and 5-8 I'm Fabulous with my preference being for the latter of those.

I have fond memories of Queanbeyan in spite of the fact it's a goat track. About 10 years ago when I lived in Canberra, I rocked up to see a horse I owned, The Black Prince, try to win a Class 2 race. He was one of the best looking horses you'll ever see. Everyone always commented on it. Unfortunately, he had no go in him. We knew he could gallop because he could always outsprint much better performed horses on the training track but he'd never put it together in a race, finishing his career with just two wins. I should post the story of my trip to Grenfell to see him run. That's all background. While I was at the track I had a trifecta bet on a Sandown race (from memory) in which Royal Discard beat Wavertree (or the other way around) with Peep On The Sly (or Nick On The Run or some such thing) lobbing 3rd at 125/1. Queanbeyan, being in NSW, obviously had a NSW tote on course. The girl at the window was quite surprised to see a winning ticket for $21,600. I collected a cheque and headed back to Canberra to my local TAB (which was connected to the Victorian TAB pool) and was amazed to see that the same trifecta had paid just $6,600. By the way, The Black Prince ran 2nd that day at Queanbeyan and I wasn't at all unhappy with that!

That non-POOMA in Queanbeyan race 7, Ra Marama Mama, is trained by a real up and comer in Matthew Dale. She's stepping up a couple of grades here but this is not tough and all of her three wins have come at the track. She's drawn well and should be right in the finish.