South Australian Cup G1
Three of the top ten long distance turf runners will be running in the 2-mile South Australian Cup (G1). Horses age 3 or over are eligible for the race and let’s get to the field….
1. In the Hunt 12-1
Last Three: 3rd in
4th in Allowance speed 86 13f
1st in Minnesota Cup speed 100 16f
In the Hunt put in a decent third in last start running close to the front. He took the lead late in the race and drifted back in final furlongs. In the Hunt has a second over the track in early part of 2008. He ships from BC for the race and last time he traveled a distance the results were not favorable. I think the long trip will again have a negative effect.
2. Carmon 12-1
Last Three: 5th in Allowance speed 99 13f
11th in New Zealand Drinking Device (G2) speed 82 16f
5th in Royal Oak (G2) speed 89 16f
Carmon can be better than the above races indicate. The two graded races were definitely not his best with speeds below 90. Those two races were back in the fall. The allowance race was more of a prep for Carmon. Granted, he finished fifth, however, he was running third some 9 strides back and managed to close just under 3 back. He could be coming back to form but may need another race.
3. Not So Kool Aid 7-1
Last Three: 3rd in Ackland Cup (G1) speed 106 16f
8th in Diamond Stakes (G3) speed 97 16f
9th in Millwood Cup (G1) speed 97 16f
Ranked #9, Not So Kool Aid has had some tough starts of late but showed nice improvement in the Ackland Cup. He is mirroring his 2008-2009 race season where he appeared in Longchamp Marathon, Millwood Cup and Ackland Cup, duplicating these in his 2009-2010 campaign. Not only does Not So Kool Aid have a cool name (at least I like it), he’s also a diamond in the rough, claimed for $5,000 by his current trainer. He’s won 4 of 13 graded starts at 2 miles. He loves the distance but when he ran this race last year, it was his worse outing of the year.
4. Dylan Tom n Jerry 4-1
Last Three: 1st in Diamond Stakes (G3) speed 114 16f
7th in Ferdinchenko Cup (G3) speed 104 12f
2nd in Waka Waks Cup (G3) speed 104 12f
Dylan Tom n Jerry certainly shinned in the Diamond Stakes, winning his first time out running 2 miles. He was a good 18+ back at the midway marker and rolled over the field to win by over 4 in a career best of 114. Dylan has been off the board only once in last 7 starts, but his speeds have been 104 or higher in each race. Looks good in this race and could boost his ranking upward from the 32nd spot.
5. Shine on Through 6-1
Last Three: 5th in Ackland Cup (G1) speed 99 16f
4th in
4th in Millwood Cup (G1) speed 102 16f
In 11 starts at 2-miles, Shine on Through has never finished lower than 5th, collecting purse and BP’s in each outing. He has won 6 of these starts including 3 graded starts. The Ackland Cup start wasn’t his best race as he usually shows some good foot action at the end of the race. He is currently ranked 8th and let’s hope that his last race was just a fluke and not an omen.
6. Lierganes 17-1
Last Three: 8th in Ackland Cup (G1) speed 92 16f
1st in Allowance speed 97 16f
2nd in Allowance speed 97 14f
Lierganes has been off the board in all four of his graded starts and comes in off a depressing 8th in the Ackland Cup. Lierganes does have early speed and will need to rely upon it to break away from the field. However, he has not broken the 100-speed level since last June and he looks to be overmatched in this race.
7. Crusading Enforcer 9-2
Last Three: 1st in Ackland Cup (G1) speed 108 16f
2nd in
3rd in Winter Cup (G1) speed 110 13f
Crusading Enforcer is ranked #2 and beat many of the other entrants in this field in the Ackland Cup as the favorite. Not shown above is a win in the Millwood Cup (G1) where he also beat a few with a speed of 107 for 2 miles. He has not run a speed below 100 in a year and has been in sharp form. Should not be ignored in exotic wagers.
8. Kirby’s Best Yet 9-1
Last Three: 2nd in Allowance speed 94 16f
4th in Saddle Tetecate Special speed 91 12f (Dirt Race)
1st in Allowance speed 105 16f
The name of the horse may be fitting, as this horse has put in some good races, winning 16 in 42 starts. He has been on the board in 5 of 7 starts at 2 miles, but has not found a way to win one at this distance. Kirby’s Best Yet in fact has had a drought in graded racing as he has not won one since August 2008. He is now 6 years old and showing a few signs of slowing down a step or two in that he doesn’t hit the 100 speeds as frequently (11of 13 in 2008, 9 of 14 in 2009, 1 of 3 in 2010).
9. Beezal 10-1
Last Three: 8th in Stayer’s Dash (G2) speed 92 14f
3rd in Fitness Cup (G2) speed 97 16f
4th in Woodley Special speed 106 11.5f
Beezal is winless in five graded starts but has picked up purse money in four of the outings. Since last April, Beezal has had five races with speeds over 100 and another five that were below that level. He had three consecutive races with speeds at 106 this past fall and if he can be in that ballpark again he could be a factor.
10. Rev’s Ransome 7-2
Last Three: 2nd in Allowance speed 106 12f
3rd in Buck Dharma (G2) speed 106 11f
1st in Turf Classic speed 108 12f
Rev has proven to be a late bloomer. Career-wise, on the turf, he has a record of 7-6-3 in 33 starts, just under 50% in the money. However, since last March, he has a record of 3-4-2, hitting the board in each of his 9 starts as well as posting speeds north of 100 each time. Rev’s Ransome will be looking to run away from the field and has tons of early speed.
Trackman Picks: 10-4-7-5
Yoss Picks: 4-7-10-3
My Picks: 7-10-4-1