Winning Post-1600m: The track walks quite well, there is a bit of discolouration in lane 2 where the rye grass hasn't taken hold. Hard up on the fence might be slightly slower but not much in it.
1600m-1000m: Hard up on the fence might race a bit slower here. Thought out wider had a bit more fill but was quite flat and would race slightly faster than the fence. Felt like a Soft 5 to me.
1000m-800m: This section encompasses the turn out of the straight but is in the same condition as the previous section.
1200m-800m (chute): Slightly more wear and tear than usual courtesy of some recent traffic in that area. Still don't think there's any pattern to be found there though. Walked between a 5 and a 6.
800m-400m: As usually, where the chute joins the course proper there is a fair bit of sandfill and scarring. Hard up on the fence wasn't too bad early in the section but I'm tipping it chops up quickly. Walked a Soft 6 but was raining at the time I walked it.
400m-Winning Post: Thought the inside couple of lanes were slower than off the fence. Recent meetings in true back up that feeling so won't surprise me if you see them angling off the fence here and coming down the middle lanes. Walked a '6'.
Verdict: My comments on the past five meeting with the rail in the True position have been that the fence was inferior ground. You have to go back to October of last year to find a meeting with the rail in True where the fence was as good as the rest of the lanes. The last couple of meetings here have been in the 6m and 12m positions but prior to that we had two meetings in the True so it's not a case of fresh ground towards the inside. I think they'll use plenty of the track with a preference to middle lanes and the market will be against inside gates. The wind may also favour horses with cover in the chute. I'm expecting it to race just in the '6' range unless they avoid any more rain and the wind drags it back into the '5' range.
G Baker, Mrs J Baker, Ms S Baker, H Baker, R Bell, M Bourjaili, E Cameron, M Fu, A Murphy, J Murphy, D Ramus, A Smirnis, A Taylor, Miss J Wishart, Miss A Grozos & Like Ox (Mgr: J Matthews)
