SELECTIONS - 6 November 2006

POOMA selections:

Hamilton 2-6 Vereker Street
Hamilton 7-2 Classy Run

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

Muswellbrook 4-1

Today: Two meetings today, which is normal for a Monday but is especially useful as we can spend more time (over-) analysing the Melbourne Cup meeting. I've mentioned before my dislike of the Muswellbrook track. The only New Year's Resolution I've ever kept was the one a few years ago not to bet on greyhound races. Betting on Muswellbrook is nearly in the same category (along with Sydney metro racing until it gets cleaned up) though 4-1 Dromos has won his last two starts convincingly. We're going to forget about how badly burned our fingers have been recently with Vereker Street and follow up on him at Hamilton. This is the worst field he's been in for yonks and I reckon he should be a $2 chance. Danger looks to be Trans Atlantic who was backed from 3/1 into 1/1 at his first start back before running on for 6th. Classy Run returns to Hamilton to try and repeat the dose of his last start Class 1 win in this Class 2 race. He managed to overcome a vet's inspection to win that race, coming home nicely. This is not a super strong field, either, and I'd suggest that around $3.50 will be the right price.

Yesterday: Sundays don't tend to produce much worth commenting on other than the main races of the day and the Showcase events in Victoria, the form of which tends to stand up. I'll start over in the west where the followers of the powerful Lindsey Smith stable were hammered. Belarus ran 2nd at $1.30, Campbell's Chariot was unplaced at $2, Woodlore unplaced at $6.10 and Danby Wiske 2nd at $1.50 before Lip Service got home in the last as a $1.80 favourite. He's a good trainer so is probably worth following next week as his form returns to normal. At Mornington, General Ralph won again and can go on with it. His Maiden win was powerful and in yesterday's Class 1 event he was 2L behind the eventual runner up at the 200m mark before accelerating to a 2L win. He runs around a bit so still has a lot to learn, which indicates a horse of some promise, as he's winning on sheer ability at the moment. I'll nominate Romantic Journey's race as one to follow the form out of; it was a good field. The winner can keep winning, as well. Master O'Reilly is a stayer of some promise and he racked up the hat trick when winning a Class 4 event over 2400m. He settled way out the back around the tight Mornington circuit but rounded them up quickly in the straight for a simple win. Watch for him in town.

POOMAs: 2 from 6 yesterday returning $9.40 so a good profit was achieved. Divine Spirit was a miserable effort, really, and I should have taken my own advice about being wary of good runs from last start $10+ horses. Rock The Lock then put things to right by inching home at out of the way Parkes at a very useful $6.70. Given his run two starts back I was surprised that he didn't start as favourite. On The Nose then almost succeeded in leading all of the way but was collared late by a $60+ shot, which is always a tad hard to take (unless you've backed the outsider). Bob'nhop won pretty convincingly in the last at Terang at $2.70 and looked to have a bit left in the locker. If they don't shoot too high with him then he can win again. Karikuri was given a nice run on the rails and ran OK to finish 4th as a $15 shot; pity she couldn't lob a place. Way over in WA, Danby Wiske then failed to get home in the Maiden as a long odds on shot when caught near the line by a horse having its 27th start, which doesn't auger well for either the favourite or any of those behind him, I'd suggest.