Ascot Saturday Perth Racing Preview BY JOSH RODDER Track is a Good (2) as of Friday lunchtime. Penetrometer is 6 (Perth measurements are different to those in the Eastern States, because of a different sand-based track). The rail moves to nine metres, from 15m midweek and 3m last Saturday, and won't go back to true until Railway Stakes day. According to track manager Gordon Menzies the grass has been growing strongly. With humid weather the track has really “kicked” and the winter grass has finally died off. FORECAST – SATURDAY: FINE, MOSTLY SUNNY. MIN 12, MAX 23.
Race 1 – Budget Car And Truck Rentals Handicap [3YO+] [62-74] 1000m 3:47pm [EST] This is the first division of the 1000m restricted event. There is high speed and pressure engaged, with horses just camped behind the pressure suited. Expecting 1000m specialist Metal Flake (6) to lead, with Hometown Legend (7) prominent and See A Victory (9) and Caribbean Cruise (8) handy. Two quality mares will lock horns, and they are both grey daughters of Verglas, Search Me (4) and Royal Devotion (5), who look to have the class edge on their rivals. I am going with Search Me first-up off an excellent Lark Hill trial. She is returning from an enforced lay-off due to a bleeding attack and, judging on her trial, she is humming in preparation for a first-up tilt – she trailed two of the fastest horses in the state, Danny Beau and Ma Machine, as they recorded one of the fastest times run at Lark Hill. At the finish she was right on that pair’s heels. Barring bad-luck and injury she could be unbeaten and her fresh record is terrific. Her Belmont debut third was enormous, then she was a Belmont 1000m winner fresh and at her last start she suffered a bleeding attack when resuming. It appears she will settle three back the fence and with any luck, will prove a shade too good.
Bonny mare Royal Devotion is foolproof and from her barrier gets a superb trail. Won like a barrier trial first-up in midweek grade at Belmont, then was forced to camp three wide, with no cover, before to being run over late by class miss Jeverre. The hardest to beat. Several horses can be placed. Xaar Boom (2) was seen zooming to the line first-up behind Moonlight Drive in a track-record run. Again she will have to give some handy horses a start. See A Victory raced outside the lead in the Jeverre race at her first run for eight weeks. It was only in the final 100 metres she was run over. Back to 1000m, and with a box seat run, she will be competitive.
VERDICT Back (4) Search Me and save (5) Royal Devotion. Include (2) Xaar Boom, (9) See A Victory, (6) Metal Flake, (8) Caribbean Cruise, (1) McBuster and (3) King Risca in wider multiples.
Race 2 – Budget Truck Rentals Handicap [3YO+] [62-74] 1000m 4:32pm [EST] This is the second division of the restricted 1000m and has much more depth. Very interesting race with some new blood injected into the local sprint ranks. There will be a genuine speed, with even pressure – nothing ridiculous – and it might be dominated from the front end. Speccio (8), Freetime (9) and Grand Jardin (4) all have the speed to lead. Russell Road (3), Follow The Road (2), Golden Act (7) and Underline (1) can be handy to the lead division. Speccio is still a work in progress for Simon Barrass, who has chosen to resume his charge without a trial. Unbeaten in restricted grade in his first campaign during the early winter months, this is his maiden Saturday-grade outing. On debut he coasted outside a strong speed and won with something in hand. There have been six subsequent races won by horses behind him, including recent midweek winner Highest Honour. Following an impressive debut Speccio was taken to one of the strongest Belmont midweeks in some time. He boxseated behind a hot speed and just held on to beat recent stakes victor London, with
gifted speedster West River Boy well beaten behind the pair. The time was hot, just outside that recorded on the same day by Ma Ma Machine. Drawn well, he can lead or just coast behind the leaders and from there he will be extremely hard to beat. Follow The Road has a career record that is hard to fault. He is another resuming without a trial, but has a strong fresh record which includes a Northam debut win and a narrow Ascot second. From his draw, he is another who will get a cosy run and look the winner at some stage. Underline tried his heart out first-up when trying to reel in a record-running Moonlight Drive. He strips fitter and he is a proven weight carrier, so the 59kg should not stop him. He did snare the prized scalp of Ma Ma Machine last time in at Pinjarra over the short course. The interesting runner is well-bred former Victorian Grand Jardin. This son of Redoute’s Choice joins the Bruce Watkins stable and was fitted with a Lark Hill trial, in which he sped to the lead and was just run over late by handy mare Sleepwalk in fast time. He looks a fast horse and his last win was first-up at Caulfield – he could not have been anymore impressive beating his own age. Drawn wide but does have the natural dash to overcome that obstacle.
VERDICT Back (8) Speccio with some confidence. The main dangers are (2) Follow The Road, (1) Underline and (4) Grand Jardin. Include (3) Russell Road, (6) Radiant Prince, (9) Freetime, (7) Golden Act and (5) Pak In Black in wider exotic bet types.
Race 3 – Budget 4WD Rentals Handicap [3YO+] [74-86] 1800m 5:17pm [EST] Highly competitive race in which they will really run along, with pressure on throughout. Hawkeye Mort (3) and King Kool Kat (10) only know one way and that is out in front and rolling along. On The Warpath (11) and Beyond Dispute (5) look to camp off the lead pair. I think this race is ideal for in-form galloper Vain Strike (7). Veteran trainer Colin Webster has done a terrific job managing this horse through his grades. His form this time in is hard to fault and I thought he was