Winter Sprint – Grade II

Hi BTBers, Roondog here, fresh off thirteen hours on the big red and white bird from Los Angeles, and reporting to you from the park like Flemington racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

I’ve travelled down-under to cover the Grade II Winter Sprint, a 1400 metre (7 furlong) dash for Fillies & Mares aged 3 and up, which is scheduled as the fourteenth race on a packed card this Saturday afternoon.

The half million dollar stakes has attracted nine fillies and mares and the Giant Causeway mare She May Be Giant (3), for trainer Gradeone and leading local jock John Cox, has been anointed as the pre post 9-2 favourite. The well travelled chestnut is coming off a Grade 3 second two weeks ago at the Curragh and will be looking to extend her record to thirteen wins from only twenty five starts and a win will take her lifetime earnings over seven figures.

Although her form stacks up well here, I am little concerned at her short back up especially given she was last in Melbourne only two starts ago and the return trip to Ireland must have taken something out of her.

My personal favourite in the race is Mtkplaz2’s well named Storm Cat mare Cruel Summer (1). The four year old ships to Australia off the back of a punishing stakes win in The North Woody Challenge in Connecticut, where she posted a 109 speed where she made up an almost unbelievable ten and a half lengths in the stretch. Watch for Sam Nightingale to pull her to the outside of the field at the famous clock tower, a furlong and a half from home.

Also lining up in the Winter Sprint are three runners who shared She May Be Giant’s flight down under after racing in the seven furlong Grade 3 “The Chartered Well” at Newmarket in England.

Of the three the English bred, Erendira Prospect (4) appears the best hope. Under Andrew Williams she blew the competition away at Newmarket leading from wire to wire for a 110 score. Chasing her all of the way that day, until she tired late was the Elusive Quality five year old Ballad (9), for trainer Super29. The bookmakers have rated her a 6-1 chance this weekend, but I think she’ll need to return to her form of the English winter to feature on the board this week. It’s possible she’s come south as a companion for her younger stablemate for the Super empire. Rounding out the flight south was the Irish bred Galileo mare Neutron Bomb (6), who disappointed in England following on from a fast finishing Grade 3 win in the Girls Cup in Tokyo. On her day the second stringer in the Given2 stable would be a definite feature here and the sweeping Flemington bend may also be more to her liking than Newmarket’s long straight. Watch for her swooping late in tandem with the 1.

The Florida bred mare Congrats Mare Corporate Cat starts from the 2 alley coming off a 99 rating second in an open allowance in Paris. Don’t know whether she has really justified the 5-1 rating the bookmakers have given her, but I have been known to be wrong before. Just a word of warning that down here, a cat is a derogatory term for a horse, so I just can’t recommend this one.

Also at 6-1 is the 6 horse Ready to Roll, a dark grey mare by the Irish sire El Prado. Can’t say I know much about her breeding, but her stunning looks are sure to garner a lot of support from the fairer sex and those that study the birdcage. Her third in the Coolmore on this track three back, in which bested the favourite by half a length also point towards her going well this week.

Coming off a group 1 win in the Newmarket here at Flemington three back is Haack’s Mom (7). The course experience will help despite the fact that the Newmarket is over the straight six rather than round the home bend like the Winter. On her best form yes, but not for me this time round.

Rounding out the field is Goldbug (8), the only filly to have double figures against her name and then only barely at 11-1. Seveei’s Kingmambo mare steps up to graded stakes level for the first time after five wins, a place and a show in her seven life time starts. The horse obviously has ability but just how much we may know on Saturday afternoon as this is by far her biggest test. Interesting point is that El Prado features in her breeding as well and this may well be a sign to get on.

For what’s it is worth anyway, I’m going the 1 from the 4 and the 6, best of luck to all connections.

Also, for those looking to make a quick buck come Saturday the word is Redoutes Esprit will walk in the 2 year old race 13, you won’t get rich but.