Winning Post -1800m: Slightly better on the fence early in the section and then it evens up to a point where fence becomes slightly worse at the 2000m mark. Coverage improves after the crossing. Walks a Soft 6 in parts.
1800m-1200m: Feels very even right across the racing surface. No lanes of advantage and walks just into the ‘5’ range. Should race well here.
1200-800m: Slightly more wear here than in the back straight. Walks a genuine '5', and get the feeling that it won’t race like quick ground. The surface is quite open and I think will hold moisture.
800m-400m: I thought the Inside two lanes walked a bit slower than lanes 3,4 and 5. Won't surprise me if the jockeys start edging off the fence at this point. Coverage gets slightly worse around the 500m mark where horses begin to turn and put more pressure on the track. Walks a '5' with general wear right across, though more pronounced towards the fence.
400m-Winning Post: I'm pretty confident that the inside fence will be inferior ground in this section. There's more wear in lanes 1 and 2 which walk slower as a result. Also thought there was a small section on the point of the turn that felt much softer towards the fence. Coverage is fair but still not at its peak yet. Walks between a '5' and a '6' aside from a small section that felt slower.
Verdict: There was an additional 6mls that fell between the time I walked the track and the time I'm writing this, so I'd be confident the track will be in the '6' range by now. I think the pattern will be to get off the fence from the 600m mark so I wouldn't be penalising horses drawn wide gates.
Black, Old Gold Star, Checked Sleeves, Checked Cap
Owners
S L Aldridge, Ms H R Clarke, Ms X K Clarke, S W J Dawney, B L Hannon, Ms M Hartog, A G Martin, W J McFerran, G M Pawsey, Miss M A Reschke, P Richard, Mrs R M Tasker, D H Thompson, Ms L Wong, G Paterson, Mrs J K Campbell, Gonzot Racing, The Grand, Baroota Bandits & Stella Polaris Racing
Mrs R F Opperman, Mrs A P Gaffney, W Gaffney, G S Hanel, Ms D K Bowman, B J O'brien, D J Maney, L W Capewell, Mrs N C Mitchell, S J Richards, Mrs A V Gerovasilis, S J Creek, Mrs A F Wood, M O'brien, R J Norton & C A Clogg
Red, Black Maltese Cross And Sleeves, Red Armbands
Owners
B Jones, L Fuller, Ms S Fuller, J Trinne, L Thomas, M Thomas, D Thomas, L Allen, A Hubert, P Richens, J Turci, J Allen, S Reid, D Freer, P Brook, C Bateson, A Pittaway, H Connor, L Pansini & Ms R Kidman
Tongue Tie FIRST TIME, Winker (Near Side) OFF FIRST TIME, Winkers AGAIN
Prize
$86,225
Racing colours
Black, Gold Spots And Cap
Owners
Mrs R A Balfour, A D Saint, Parts Boys (Mgr: C Angel), G W Twigden, P W Twigden, C Babler, M P Dornan, G L Hand, D J Shannon, D Villano, M Vlahiotis, T Vlahiotis, R D C Ward, M B Weight, P G Weight, D J Havriluk & Ms K M Lindsay
