SELECTIONS - 10 February 2007

POOMA selections (Location Race#-TAB# Horse [system/s])

Bendigo 2-2 Bingham [7]

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

Caulfield 7-3, 7-6
Newcastle 5-6
Toowoomba 2-2

Comments: Our sole selection, Borsha's Warrior, really caned them at Eagle Farm yesterday paying $3 and ending our 12 race run of outs. This is a serious racehorse, I think, and it would not surprise me at all to see him competing at the top level in Brisbane come next Spring. The non-POOMA, Dans Dor, also won in a canter after looking in trouble 300m out when held up for a run. He's worth following, too.

Bingham runs around as the POOMA today at Bendigo. He's having his 12th start and is still trying to break his duck but his recent form in the city class has been good enough to get him home in this unless there's a smoky in the field.

There are quite a few runners from my black book running today, as well. Ascot 2-2 Zoom Star flew home from last at Bunbury last run and the step up in trip will suit. Ascot 5-2 Westerly Breeze is a filly on the up. I commented before her last start win that she's in the mould of those mares in WA like Belle Bizarre that win 7 or 8 of their first 10 starts. She'll be odds on and be too good again. Doomben 5-5 Slim Pickings settled at the back of the field last time in a slowly run race and rocketed home for 2nd. He's had a bit of a break and should be good e/w odds. Randwick 8-6 Sniper's Bullet is really in the deep end today but he's been really impressive and might be up to it. Toowoomba 1-5 Mini Maizing won at the non-TAB track of Warwick at his first start and then went into the black book after a really comfortable win at this track last time.

The good horses are at Caulfield and it will be great to see Haradasun run around again. It would be a surprise if he was beaten but I guess that anything's possible after England beat Australia yesterday and Musket went down as a long odds on shot at Canterbury (I backed against it, actually, as I wasn't impressed with the field it beat at its only start). It wouldn't shock me if Hayes' 'other' runner, Schianto, ran OK in race 5. It didn't get much of a crack at them at her only start. The CF Orr has assembled a terrific field, the best for years, and I think that Miss Finland will go close. There's a complete lack of pace in the race, which means they'll all be going hard 600m out trying to catch the front runners. That type of race always gives a roughie a chance to do something a bit different and give the rest a scare. In the last I'll be looking to back Coalesce e/w. This is the weakest race he's been in for a while though it's always a bit problematic backing Sydney horses having their first run at Caulfield.