SELECTIONS - 25 October 2008

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

Kembla Grange 2-3 Gold Mount [10]
Moonee Valley 3-2 Fly Higher [1]

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

Doomben 3-7
Moonee Valley 1-6, 2-7
Yarra Glen 4-1, 6-5

(* Early post today so any updates at Ascot and elsewhere later on *)

Comments: Moonee Valley 3-2 Fly Higher drops from Group 1 and 2 races back to this much easier affair. Trainer Lee Freedman has scratched the two stablemates, which is a good lead. It's rare for System 1 to have selections on two days in a row let alone three so let's hope it can make it a hat trick here. Kembla Grange 2-3 Gold Mount has been in consistent form without winning recently. From the ideal draw should be right in the firing line and give us a good run for our money at around $3.80.

Black Book: Moonee Valley 8-5 Master O'Reilly settled last of 17 in the Caulfield Cup and was still 3rd last and deep on the corner. Put in a fair old dash but died late for a 2.6L 7th. He has the advantage that he can make a long, sustained run and I expect him to be in the finish.

Cox Plate: This looks a race between the girls and particularly 9-Princess Coup, 11-Zarita and 12-Samantha Miss. As mentioned above, 5-Master O'Reilly has a show and I was more impressed with his run behind Littorio two runs back than I was with Zipping, as Master O'Reilly came from behind him and did a lot of work while Zipping did what he always seems to do and flashed home late. I'll be having something each way on Master O'Reilly. This is not a strong Cox Plate and for that reason I'm also going to have a little each way bet on Zarita. She was really good three runs back against Weekend Hussler over a mile then ran home OK in the Underwood before being ridden poorly last time and having no luck. From the inside gate she's going to get the perfect suck along and could be right in the finish at big odds. Princess Coup is a terrific mare and her 2000m form reads 12221 in top NZ and Australian races. Surround is the only filly to win this race. Is Samantha Miss as good as her? She might not have to be and with no weight looks a real threat - if she can get into the race from a rearward settling position. If one of the two favourites doesn't win then it looks a real lottery.

Caulfield: My tips for each race are: 1-3, 2-7, 3-2, 4-3, 5-1, 6-1, 7-3, 8-5/11, 9-8, 10-9