Leviathan Turf – G2
Welcome to New Zealand! Today we are doing a race preview of the Leviathan Turf, a grade 2 stakes ran over mile on the turf. The prize money is total $180,000 and we have 6 horses going for it!
1. THE ADULT ALARM (6/1)(STREET SENSE x ROCK OF GIBRALTAR x ALYDAR): This 3yo have made 12 starts so far in the career, winning 4 of them. He have been tested on many distances and surface so far, but really like the turf a lot better then dirt. It is hard to know what this horse actually could produce, if he was given more races on the same conditions a few times I think we could see what potential he have. I think he is up for a good challenge today and he will be here to try winning. I think he have a good chance, but as before it is a bit hard reading what his best conditions are.
2. WALTZING IN (7/2)(KINGMAMBO x SADLER’S WELLS x ALYDAR): Here is another 3yo that made a solid first two years in racing. Making 8 wins in his 17 starts. If you look at the pedigree you see really good bloodlines there. He have been tested both longer and shorter and on all surfaces. I don’t think we have seen his fully potential on longer route races yet, but maybe there is a time for that in the future. Lately he have produced some good speed and actually his best race was on the same conditions as we have here, so he will be up for a top-3 place here, if not the winner.
3. ARTFUL MAMBO (3/2)(DUTCH ART x DANEHILL DANCER x KINGMAMBO): This 3yo out of Dutch Art is the horse with most starts in the career so far and also most wins. He is also the favourite among the bookmakers for this race and I kind of agree with them. He have been really solid and it seems like the conditions as we have in this race are suited good for him. It is a very impressive career so far, he actually never been outside top-3 in his 20 starts, hat off! A future BB runner if he continues.
4. WAR TRAIN (5/1)(SILVER TRAIN x WAR CHANT x GONE WEST): This 3yo is evidence of that trainers should always test the horse on both surfaces and I would also prefer at least one longer and one shorter race on each surface. He switched trainer in the auction sometime and when the new trainer started racing at turf this one made an impact right away. After that he have been really solid on the grass, only missing top-3 twice. So far he have 6 wins in 16 starts and he seems to like even longer races as well. He will have a pretty good chance today, but I am not sure he is the winner.
5. REINDEER DIPPIN (6/1)(GALILEO x AWESOME AGAIN x LYPHARD): This 3yo out of Galileo started racing at 3 and have so far made 8 starts, winning 3 of them. I would say that he have produced some good numbers and he have been tested on different length and surfaces. He haven’t shown were he is best though, but looking at some factors I would suppose he would be best on 8-12 furlongs on the turf. Time will show. He have a good chance in this race, but he would need to make a sudden impact on the mile right away.
6. COWTOWN DYNA (4/1)(COWTOWN CAT x MALIBU MOON x DYNAFORMER): This 3yo from sunny and also windy Florida have made 9 starts in the career so far, winning 3 of them. He actually started running at the dirt track, but after a pretty bad first start he was moved to turf instead and showed he liked it a lot more! Last 3 starts he have actually started to show some brilliant improvements in his running. He is not really tested on the conditions as we have today, but I think he will have a good chance anyway.
6 strong 3yo’s, some have raced a lot and some have race less. I actually think this is a very interesting race, since there is no horse that actually likes to race a long way back in the field, many of these horse like to be near the leaders.
I think the winner would have to produce a speed of 110 and the runner up and third will be above 105. It could go even faster, but I don’t think it will with this pretty short field! Good luck trainers and horses!
This will be the top 3 from my view and I also have my outsider for the race:
1. ARTFUL MAMBO
2. WALTZING IN
3. COWTOWN DYNA
Outsider. REINDEER DIPPIN
/Daniel