SELECTIONS - 4 June 2008

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

Belmont 2-1 Proud Falcon [9,18]
Belmont 10-1 Amici [18]
Canterbury 2-1 Superior Instinct [18]
Doomben 3-3 Hear Ye [13]
Sandown 6-2 Sazonar [18]

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

Balaklava 5-1
Canterbury 2-2, 4-4
Doomben 6-6

(* Any updates at Belmont later on *)

Comments: Belmont 2-1 Proud Falcon goes up 2kg for winning in this grade and over this course last time out. These ratings band races are great, I reckon, because it gives horses a chance to knock up another win without rising in grade. In fact, a trainer can drop a horse back in grade if he needs to. The 2kg rise shouldn't mean this is too much harder to win than last time so I expect a bold showing again. Belmont 10-1 Amici also stays in the same grade he won in first up and jumps 100m in distance and rises 2.5kg in weight. The rest of the field seem to have quite a few convictions so he should just about win again. Canterbury 2-1 Superior Instinct won his Maiden first up and rises in weight, class and distance for this. On that basis I'm not at all interested in the $2.50 currently on offer though he's improving so should acquit himself well. Doomben 3-3 Hear Ye doesn't look much of a pick to me, I must admit. He steps up two grades, to the mile for the first time and has a bog track to contend with. Maybe he'll be a super miler and swim like a duck but I'm not going to take short odds to find out. Sandown 6-2 Sazonar is an example of a horse dropping in grade but rising in weight. After his win at bigs odds over this course first up in an RB89 race he drops to an RB82 and carries another 4.5kg. This looks a tough race to win but he'll be nice odds and should give us a good run for our money.

Black Book: Belmont 8-12 Zoom Star has one run last preparation and is a definite blow out chance at big odds in this race with no weight to carry. Belmont 9-2 El Presidente had to wait a few days for his chance to have a crack at reigning champ Marasco. It'll be a great race and given he'll be about $3.50 that seems a good bet.