Moonshell to drop the bombshell for Grade III success
Moonshell to drop the bombshell for Grade III success
New Oak Stakes
Grade III
A mile and three eighths
Firm Turf
$125,000
All horses, 3 years old and up
1. MERRYXMASDADDY – This 4 year old colt at 14/1 looks much stronger than the odds suggest. He’s looking for his ninth and it could be a very merry xmas for Merryxmasdaddy.
2. SHANNON STEED(IRE) – This 5 yr old homebred is not quite up to Graded Stakes quality. With a 25% win rate, this horse has been a consistent performer for gmorena but mid-80 speeds suggest this horse may only be just competitive in Allowance company.
3. CAPTAIN KANGAROO – Had a crack but failed at the Bluegrass Cup 2 runs ago and looks to be well settled back in this class. This 3 yr old colt has a hint of Australian in his name and is just starting to reach top form again. At 9/1 this colt could be anything.
4. HEY ZEUS – This 4 yr old colt will start favourite at 3/1 and has a stunning pedigree. Declining recent form may overshadow his million dollar earnings which is impressive enough in itself to suggest a top 2 finish.
5. STUCK IN REVERSE – The oldest horse in the race will not be as his name suggests but rather heading the field in the final stages. If this horse can find top form again then he will definitely look the winner at some stage. At 15/1, Stuck in Reverse is my smokey and is the value odds in this race.
6. MOKELE MBEMBE – This experienced 6 yr old can do no wrong at the moment for reems11 and has won 3 of his past 5. Pronouncing this horses name was my biggest problem when trying to find difficulties with Mokele Mbembe.
7. TETE DIALYSIS(GB) – This brit keeps improving but only at allowance level. At 19/1, Tete Dialysis is unlikely to have a major impact but his last run is capable of producing an upset.
8. HER PIGEON(IRE) – The second entrant for the Irish in this race looks the better. He has improved in each of his last 3 runs and there is no reason why he can’t go on with it. From the stats, if Her Pigeon is still in the lead at the top of the stretch, then he may be experienced enough to hold them off the whole way.
9. RAINBOW MOONSHELL – Bombed out in the Breeders Bowl G1 but still managed to run an impressive speed. Rainbow Moonshell is my pick for this race as a result of a mix of high speeds in excellent quality races, and consistent performance over his career. At just 4 yrs old, this colt will be prominent for the next couple of years.
10. EQUESTRIAN ORDER – Another horse with over $1 million in earnings and at 4/1 will be right in it. Jakplummer will be expecting his horse to come from the back of the field and it will be left to be shown if Equestrian Order makes his run early enough to catch the quick front-runners.
11. STRATEGIC ALLIANCE – At 9/1, this 5 yr old will need to produce the fastest run of his career to stand any chance. At 5 yrs old, the best may be behind him but that’s what they said about Bonshaw Boy in the Greyhound Melbourne Cup last week and still managed to finish 2nd.