SELECTIONS - 16 December 2006

POOMA selections:

Ascot 2-13 Scuffs
Ascot 4-7 Zabba Doo
Gold Coast 8-1 Teletor
Rosehill 1-7 Cajou
Rosehill 2-1 Sniper's Bullet
Rosehill 5-8 Bimutualconsent
Sandown 1-2 Incumbent
Sandown 6-15 Rubiscent

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

Ascot 1-8
Newcastle 6-4, 7-2
Sandown 2-1, 3-2

(* Updates after Ascot scratchings etc before race 1 there *)

Today: A few wet tracks today, which means that we need to tread particularly warily. Ascot 2-13 Scuffs was well backed at her first run when leading and running 2nd before crunching them at Pinjarra. Has the good draw and Pike on board and will race on the pace so should give us a good sight. 4-7 Zabba Doo has been busting to win a race for us and keeps leading and getting caught near the line. He steps up in trip today, which will give us better odds as he tries to win his first race at Ascot from 15 goes (with 10 placings!). Gold Coast 8-1 Teletor may only have a 1/15 record but looks particularly well placed today on the strength of his last two runs in which he's got home hard from the rear of the field. The step up in trip will suit and I'll be taking him blanc in the quaddies there. Rosehill 1-7 Cajou has been a beaten favourite at both of his runs. The change of rider to Darren Beadman should be enough to see him home and the betting competition from Ayres and Saffir Simpson will get us a longer price. If you saw the win of 2-1 Sniper's Bullet then you'll be interested to see how he goes today, as he looks a potential black type sprinter. In that run he was slowly away, turned into the straight some 7-8L from the leader and picked them up in a twinkling to win running away in fast time. The last 600m in that race was 33.98 so who knows what he ran but it was obviously pretty slick. 5-8 Bimutualconsent only won a Wagga Class 2 last time and her win was similar to Sniper Bullet's in that she was back and wide into the straight, pounced on the lead from nowhere and coasted to the post nearly 4L clear in a performance that demonstrates she has above average ability. She was listed at $9 this morning but I'll make a prediction that she'll start near favourite. Sandown 6-15 Rubiscent is in a strong race but is really a horse on the up, as demonstrated by his last start easy win. He drops in weight 4.5kg, will sit within a few lengths of the leader, Lancettier, and have his chance to win.

Yesterday: Nothing to report from yesterday apart from the fact that there were quite a few long priced winners, as predicted.