SELECTIONS - 5 October 2006

POOMA selections:

Mornington 2-10 Divine Spirit
Mornington 9-7 Karikuri
Mt Barker 6-6 Danby Wiske
Parkes 3-5 Rock The Lock
Sunshine Coast 7-3 On The Nose
Terang 8-1 Bob'nhop

(* Daylight savings buggers things up with scratchings and whatnot so I'll do an update at around midday if necessary - UPDATED*)

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

Hobart 1-3
Sunshine Coast 1-3, 1-12, 3-2
Terang 5-3

Today: The wet tracks are a bit offputting around the place but given that my long-term well performing systems have a few selections today I'll stick with them even though they went through a lull last month. Mornington 2-10 Divine Spirit started at 20/1 last time and ran a strong 2nd behind Tango Amigos, which won nicely at MV on Friday night so that's good enough for this. I don't normally like backing horses that started at double figure odds at their last start but this one looks OK. 9-7 Karikuri has an average record of 3/29 but keeps running on and this distance will suit her ideally. Mt Barker 6-6 Danby Wiske is by one of the sires that I'm keeping a close eye on in Blackfriars, as his progeny seem to have started very well. He ran a good race at his first run and the step up in trip will suit him today. Sunshine Coast 7-3 On The Nose seems to have snuck in under people's guard in this race. He'll probably lead this field from his good draw and the wet track should pose no problem. Miss Kocomo looks the quinella horse there. Terang 8-1 Bob'nhop was scratched from a meeting during the week in favour of this race. Backing last start Maiden winners in Class 1 events is fraught with danger but he was very impressive with the way he really accelerated away up the straight to win in quick time for that track and this doesn't look an overly difficult assignment.

Yesterday: At Flemington I thought that Permaiscuous was really good in winning the first race. Had I known how much the track would favour on pace runners then I would have put her on top and loaded up. She's won 6/10, which is a more than handy record. Maybe Better won the SAAB Quality nicely in a performance that has people talking up his Melbourne Cup chances. I reckon that if a horse like Activation was in that race yesterday then he would have smashed them and I think he's only a rough e/w chance in the Cup so I'm prepared to go around Maybe Better on Tuesday. Gold Edition was the win of the day in my view. The way she powered away from them at the 300m mark was terrific to watch. She's been a bit of an iron horse given she's had 17 starts for 8 wins and 4 placings as an early season 3YO. Splashing Out was also very good in that race. Tuesday Joy got the inside run home around the corner and won convincingly and she's obviously the Oaks favourite but given how many horses' chances were ruined by coming wide I'm not too sure what that will mean for that race. Seachange was unlucky to get picked up by Lyrical Bid after doing all of the hard yakka out front. She's obviously a good mare. Efficient was dominant in the Derby but he also got that inside run around the corner, which was critical on the day. I don't think he's as good as Nothin' Leica Dane was when that horse won the Derby and then ran a placing in the Melbourne Cup. Today's field is stronger than that one so I'm prepared to go against him, as well. Desert War was just terrific. Well done to Gai for finally working out that to win Group 1 races in Melbourne she has to aim the horse at the race rather than take a horse that's been in good form in a bunch of good races in Sydney and then bringing them to Melbourne near the end of their campaigns. Same goes for Dance Hero, which led all of the way to win the Salinger in a tip top effort. Malcolm has always been over rated, in my book, but he was in the right grade yesterday, sat closer to the pace, which is against his normal racing pattern but was necessary given the way the track was playing, and got home strongly. The $14+ win of Dance Hero meant a good day for me overall.

POOMAs: 1 from 5 yesterday returning a meagre $1.70. At Flemington, Rendzina was never a chance the way the track was playing (which caused much negative comment from trainers), as she tried to make her run wide around the corner and got stuck in the slow lane. Seachange was desperately unlucky, I thought, and put up a really good effort after trying to lead all of the way and getting taken on for most of it. Who's Ya Daddy also got stuck in the slow lane but the fact that he was going slowly at the time didn't help so he was never a chance. Cardgames managed to win at Newcastle at short odds and Pedal Pedal is still peddling away somewhere at Traralgon.