SELECTIONS - 4 October 2008

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

Doomben 3-6 Ginko Gold [10]

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

Gold Coast 8-4
Murtoa 2-8
Randwick 3-3, 9-11

(* Any updates at Belmont later on *)

Comments: Doomben 3-6 Ginko Gold was good in her first up win at the Sunshine Coast and then put in another good performance over 1030m here in Class 3 company last time. She rises a couple of grades here and steps up in trip but from the draw and with the weight drop she looks right in the finish.

Black Book: Belmont 8-3 Univeral Ruler made it 5 in a line in March when winning in Listed company at Ascot. He then had a break, went to Singapore, drew 13 of 13 and ran a 6.5L 8th the Takeover Target and Magnus in the Kranji International. If he's anywhere near right then he'll win this. Doomben 1-5 Slim Pickings has been good to us in the last 12-18 months but I don't really like his chances here even though he has a good record at the track and trip. He's a horse that needs a big field and the speed that usually comes from that, which he won't get here so we'll wait for another day to back him. Flemington 8-5 Master O'Reilly is back for another cups campaign and I'll be looking at his sectional times to see how he's going given that he's had a break since his even first up run. It would be a big surprise if anything beat Weekend Hussler today. Flemington 9-14 Vormista was terrific first up, as she usually is, in a mares' race when she drew the car park, settled back and got home hard for 3rd. Has drawn 2 here, which is the wrong side of the track so she'll need luck. Flemington 9-17 Sunburnt Land has drawn 1 and they're guaranteed to come down the outside rail so Chris Symons will do well to get him into a winning spot from there. The horse has been a revelation since being kept to sprints and I expect a big effort. (* Note that the Flemington track man reckons the inside is 2 lengths faster than the outside. If that's the case then we're in good space *). Randwick 10-11 Neroli only just got home when I thought she'd win comfortably last time. Has drawn the fence and will get a cosy run so you'd think she'll go close at nice odds though it's worth remembering that now winner of this race has come from inside gate 6 in the last 7 years. It looks like a four horse race to me with Miss Pageantry an obvious danger and Raqas having drawn well. I think that Imagining will also be in the finish given she's coming from a much better gate than her recent effort.