They raced on a Good 4 with the Rail out 7m the Entire. Again, the track played fairly. Nick Heywood rode a treble. Training honours were evenly shared.
Race 1 1000m MDN
Nick Heywood's booking on the Danny Williams-trained debutant TJAKA $11 was a push, and the filly prevailed in a tight photo over the well-bet favourite SERIAL OFFENDER $2.20 from the Matt Dale yard. 1L further astern was SANTOLINI $16 who had switched to Darryl Rolfe from a Victorian yard. SEEKING TO WIN $6 was next home, beaten 2.5L.
Seeking To Win found the lead as expected but was taken on by SHE'S HIGH SOCIETY $9. Santolini parked on the pair. Serial Offender settled rearwards and raced wide. Tjaka was last the 500m, some 10L from the speed. Seeking To Win was in front approaching the 200m but was soon challenged by Tjaka who found a nice split on the inside. Further out Santolini was racing erratically and interfered with Serial Offender. The latter managed to regain momentum, but the post came too soon. Tjaka impressed, and will go on from this. Serial Offender had nothing go his way and will keep.
Race 2 1000m BM 50
We tagged LA SIGNORA DANE $3.20 as one of two best wagers on the day and the Richard Litt-trained mare delivered in good style. She defeated the firm favourite GRINS $2.30 by 1.8L in a scattered finish. CAPITAL VENTURE $28 was beaten by 2.6L in third, just ahead of MIA'S DREAM $17.
Mia's Dream sped across the field but couldn't cross the $100 outsider LUCKY CHAMPION. La Signora Dane secured a lovely sit on the pair, with Grins on her inside. Capital Venture was allowed to drop out early and tailed the field approaching the turn. Mia's Dream just held a margin at the 200m but was immediately challenged by La Signora Dane on her outside. Grins was held up but found a run along the rail at the same point. La Signora Dane had this pair well beaten on the line. The eye-catcher was Capital Venture who was a mile back as they headed for home. Despite wanting to lay in, he sprouted wings off a 24-week break and is worth following over longer trips. The winner went back-to-back here and will keep improving.
Race 3 1000m BM 65
Goulburn-trained ANNOUNCING $16 was the second of three winners for jockey Nick Heywood. She held a 1.2L margin over PRETTY VEGAS, with TITAN STAR $9.50, MOUNTAIN CHATTER $3.30 and ASURIITO $2.90F all close-up next.
Announcing missed the start badly and was hustled along the rail to keep in touch. They sped along upfront with Asuriito holding the rail and UNRAVEL $10 pressuring. This pair were clear as they headed home but Unravel was soon under heavy pressure. Approaching the 200m Announcing found gaps along the inside and came into it strongly. Titan Star had raced midfield on the rail and ran out of room near the 100m marker. He picked up well to make third, a fraction behind Pretty Vegas. who had raced midfield, and she was eating up the ground on the line. All honours with the winner. She was coming off another 4-week freshen and was having her third outing for Goulburn trainer Danielle Seib, since her switch from a Sydney barn.
Race 4 2000m BM 65
It looked an even contest on paper, but the local WHERE IS KEN $2.30F was clearly the best bet. He found BUFF IN DISGUISE $12 just over a half-length too good. The roughie IVIRA $61 and RUFF $3.90 were the next pair home beaten round 1.6L.
Buff In Disguise was happy to drop out early. Ruff held an inside gate, led out of the first turn and was left alone. Where Is Ken raced forward one off the rail. Ivira settled rearward. AUNT ROBERTA $7.50 was caught wide throughout and came home a long last. Ruff was 2L clear as they headed for home. Buff In Disguise had made ground on the rail and found himself behind the leader at this point, with Where Is Ken battling strongly on their outside. Buff In Disguise found a margin at the 50m and held that to the line. Ivira came from a long way back and down the middle worked to the line strongly.
Race 5 1600m CL1
TULSI shaped as the other good thing on the program, and she delivered easily, beating GHOST WALKER $7 by 2L, with a roughie SEBASTIAN'S FLYER $81, a whisker away in third. TAYTAY BAY $15 was beaten 3.5L in fourth.
Tulsi began okay but Heywood snagged her back to last, and she was 12L from the speed at the 800m. Ghost Waker railed behind the longshot leading pair. Sebastian's Flyer had a soft run forward of midfield. Tulsi began a sharp forward move at the 700m and was the widest at the point of the turn, but in the striking zone. She hit the front at the 200m and went on to win with plenty in hand. Two back, Tulsi was only beaten 1.6L in the Mona Lisa Stakes and as the ratings and betting suggested, she had plenty of these.
Race 6 1400m — Open — Federal
Ratings-wise, it was a competitive Federal but TAVOLO $5.00 - $3.20 was the medium of strong support and defeated MANDERBOSS $10 by 1.4, with CHAMPIONS LEAGUE $5.50, some 2L from the winner in third. The remainder were spaced.
CAPITAL HEART was caught the widest in a three-way go for the lead and try as he might, couldn't find the front. No surprise to see him drop right out. TAVOLO boy enjoyed a nice sit behind this trio as did Manderboss. INVERTATIONAL $4 was slow off and tailed the field to the turn. Tavolo enjoyed a clear run-through and sprinted to a 1L lead at the 200m and she has the chasing pair well covered on the line. Invertational made some ground but never looked likely. The money was spot on with Tavolo and she was given a sweet ride by Van Der Hoven from an inside barrier.
Race 7 1300m CL1
LAMBAY was bet into $2 favouritism and had the field well-covered first-up. At the post he was 2L clear of ALL TOO SNEAKY $4.80, with NIGHT ORB $19 not far away. The remainder were spaced.
DAME ANNIE $5.50 found the lead from an inside barrier and All Too Sneaky sat on her outside. Night Orb and Lambay (off the rail) were parked in behind them. Lambay cruised up and hit the lead at the 250m and delivered in dominant fashion. The placed pair tried hard but were no match. Just battling efforts from the best of the others. Lambay was backed off the map winning his Maiden three back and was spelled following a try in the MTC Guineas at Wagga at BM 74 level. He's a nice moving galloper who will win more races.
Race 8 1300m MDN
A relative upset in the concluding event with the heavily bet favourite SPACE ACY 1.90 beaten by 0.6L by another Sydney-trained galloper NOBLE ONE $12, who improved sharply second-up. There wasn't much between the next three across the line, headed by MALBORK CASTLE $5.50 and KAHRABA $31. The second market elect CASSETTE $4.20 was 2.5L adrift from the winner in sixth.
Space Ace went straight to the front but felt some pressure early from the winner's stablemate Love Italy $12. Cassette was next but travelled three-wide throughout. Noble One was in the forward division off the rail and Malbork Castle settled down last. Space Ace was 2L in front passing the 200m and looked home. Noble One had a wall in front at the top of the straight and came off heels twice to obtain clear air. He flashed home late and had a margin on the line. Malbork was back and had to weave between runners before powering home late. Kahraba and IMPENDING HARMONY $51, were also doing good work on the line. The post didn't come soon enough for the favourite and there were some nice efforts among the finishers, not the least from the victor Noble One.
