Latest news with #BelmontGuineas
West Australian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Fancy Red anything but expensive for favourite followers as in-form filly takes on Belmont Oaks field
Fancy Red has been anything but expensive for punters in the lead-up to Saturday's Listed $125,000 Belmont Oaks (2019m) at Bunbury where she will again start favourite. The daughter of Sessions has started the market elect in four of her last six runs and emerged successful each time, with her most recent win just seven days prior to this clash. From gate one, Fancy Red sat midfield before William Pike squeezed her home along the fence to win by a length and a half going away from her graduation-class rivals. But despite her winning form and followers' confidence, trainer Adam Durrant says her even-money price is way too short. 'We're under no illusions; $2 is ridiculous,' Durrant told TABradio. 'She's got the Pike tax because she won her last start but when you start breaking down the field… they're never generally that strong. 'I've won them before with horses that aren't genuine stayers and never see that distance again. 'We've got to plan how we can hopefully just ride her quiet, which is how she seems to race best. 'Hopefully she can just get away with it but we're under no illusions and it should be $5 the field; she shouldn't be $2. 'If it was 1400m or 1600m, perhaps, but it is what it is, and we'll take our chance to get some black type.' Durrant has a rich history with the Oaks going back almost two decades when he prepared Kia Ora Miss to win in 2006. He had to wait until 2013 before Summah's Touch provided him with a second but collected the trophy the following year with the Pike-ridden Tick Tick Bloom. He again shared the spoils with Pike in 2023 with Ihts Closing Inn, the fifth of the champion hoop's six wins in the event after scoring with the Grant and Alana Williams-trained Petrouchka last year. Fancy Red steps into unknown territory having her first start beyond a mile in distance, however, that is the case for the bulk of her opponents, too. 'Distance wise, it's a roll of the dice,' Durrant said. 'She certainly wouldn't have been taking on the boys over this trip and we'll rely on a filly that's in the zone. 'She ran through the line strongly the other day, so we'll have a crack. 'The run last Saturday, that was her bonus run. We knew she was going really well and in good form and wasn't looking for the paddock. 'We thought she could win that race, and that's a bonus race, and then it was a good trial hit-out for this week.' Showlas ($5.50) is the only other horse in the field is at single-digit odds after competing in last fortnight's Belmont Guineas with credit, finishing a four-length fifth to Opportunistic. + West On Sidney ($1.36) is a red-hot prospect in The Westcha$e Final (520m) at Cannington after overcoming a chequered passage to land his heat last week.
West Australian
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Opportunistic out to claim next leg of three-year-old feature series in Belmont Guineas
Brilliant Raconteur Stakes winner Opportunistic will look to clinch another leg of the three-year-old feature series in Saturday's Listed $125,000 Belmont Guineas (1600m) at Pinjarra. At Bunbury a fortnight earlier, Opportunistic was sent out a $5 elect with the Grant and Alana Williams-trained Storyville a popular $2.25 favourite. Settling towards the rear of the field, Clint Johnston-Porter launched the Michael Grantham-prepared gelding wide and began a stirring run which soon carried him past Storyville at the the 200m mark. Rushing to the front, Opportunistic now had Elite Missile appearing to his outside after peeling from his back but the inexperienced son of So You Think fought manfully to hold his final challenger by a head. Despite beating Storyville that day and with the rise from 1400m appearing no object, Opportunistic is an easing $3.80 TABtouch second fancy behind the filly, who has been supported from $3.30 down to $2.75. Elite Missile, who opened as short as $3.40, has now drifted to be a clear third fancy at $4.20 with all other runners at double-figure prices. Redback Flyer ($10), a hulking son of Playing God, was especially impressive in his three most recent starts which have all reaped victories. He has since been freshened before trialling on June 16 at Lark Hill when defeated in a three-way throw to the line and the addition of bar plates will be a worry to most punters. Earthstorm ($11) was badly held up for most of the home straight last weekend and hit the line well once finally clear behind Arcadia Knight. This is understandably harder but despite winning only one of her 12 race starts, she has frequently mixed it with the best of her age. Wind And The Lion ($17) is on trial at the mile but although he couldn't match the turn of foot from Opportunistic last start, he found the line with purpose late. Fifth Essence ($17) shoved his way through the pack before unleashing a terrific turn of foot to settle his June 18 contest at Bunbury and shows high potential notwithstanding the fact he will meet a substantially more difficult lineup. King Hit ($34) plugged away OK in the Raconteur and would need to lift noticeably, while the rest of the field bar Showlas ($61) and Quick Cookie ($126) are coming out of maidens. Showlas won a Class 1 at Northam last start, while Snipperando captured her fourth career win in a Class 3 on the same day. Impressive Jewel ($81) was chinned in a maiden behind Romantic Ruler and Icandoit Onmyown ($201) broke through for her first success in a Bunbury maiden on June 18. Earlier in the programme, some promising two-year-olds will do battle in the second race with Mardusa ($2.60f) leading the call. The son of Maurice hacked up at his first run this preparation - the second of his racing tenure - when scoring by three lengths despite being slowly into stride at Northam on June 4. He meets speedy Bunbury winner Baby Pearl ($5.50), who looks suited by drawing barrier one, and Aberdeen Flyer ($5.50), who looked useful in two starts earlier this year. Aberdeen Flyer, an imposing sort, has had two eye-catching trials in preparation for this, the last of which was a three-length romp at Belmont on June 9. His rider, Brad Parnham, will also renew his association with sprightly three-year-old Repossession ($2.25f) in race three after Ryan Houston's three-kilo claim was utilised at his prior run. On that day, Houston was bailed up in traffic but secured a seam late for the Sessions gelding to burst through and seal the race by a widening two lengths. The Chris and Michael Gangemi-trained youngster now comes up against older rivals such as Celestial Storm ($6), Supersession ($7), Hanchi ($7.50) and Cool Memory ($8). Supersession's younger full-sister, Supernatural ($12), goes around in race six where Want A Winner ($3.80f) leads the market. A victor at his only two starts, Want A Winner ran third in a three-way photo at Belmont trials on June 9 behind Horcrux ($4.40). Horcrux, while still trained by Simon Miller, has changed ownership since his last race in the 3yo Magic Millions and teams up with William Pike for the first time. Lightly raced five-year-old My Hidden Universe ($5.50) is next in line and will be much better served rising to 1200m after playing second fiddle to the fleet-footed Desert Whisper two weeks ago. + Four-year-old Firestorm ($4.20f) is top of the betting for the Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm after a fast-finishing third in the Dane Ripper a fortnight ago. It was the daughter of Satono Aladdin's first run for the preparation and will again be partnered by James McDonald in a bid to turn the tables on the in-form Floozie ($4.40), who beat her last start. Floozie is on a hot-streak with victories at all four of her starts this campaign and is trained locally by leading trainer Tony Gollan with Angela Jones to take the mount. Tashi ($7.50) was runner-up in the Ripper and had also placed second in her two starts prior. Somewhat frustratingly for connections, she has placed second at 10 of her 25 career appearances for just four wins. The now Yulong-owned Grinzinger Belle ($11) makes her reappearance having last been seen down the track in the Queen Of The Turf in April. + Bezzecchi ($2.80) and Aston Smokey ($3.80) enter Saturday's Paradise Street Trophy (601m) at Cannington in peak form with both boasting three-long winning streaks heading into the clash. Although Bezzecchi is likely to start favourite, he will only do so under the circumstance that second reserve West On Sidney ($2.40) fails to get a run. West On Sidney was a highly unlucky fifth in their heat last week and missed qualification as Bezzecchi held Sunset Comanche ($6) to win by a head. Aston Smokey surged to an early lead and was not for catching in his heat, scoring by more than two lengths despite running a length and a half slower than Bezzechi. He must lead again to win and certainly can do so but his task has been made tougher by drawing box eight, while Bezzecchi is in five. Paul Stuart, who trains Bezzecchi, has an able second-stringer with Vinales ($4.60) sneaking into the final when fourth behind Aston Smokey. He appears much better suited from box one with Sunset Serengeti ($7) rounding out those under double figures.
West Australian
19-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
September Born impresses in second trial, warming up for winter three-year-old feature raid
Classy colt September Born continued his ascendance towards a racing preparation with a dynamic victory at Monday's Lark Hill trials, defeating the multiply Group-placed Miss Skyhigh in a 950m heat. The imposing son of Playing God sat midfield, bang on the back of capable type Hell I Am in a three-wide position. Cornering at the 450m, Brad Parnham eased the three-year-old four wide to chase down early leader Pompey and the youngster's big engine clicked into gear, making sustained progress down the outside. With 200m to go, he had mastered Pompey but now had Miss Skyhigh making inroads after finding a run against the rail. Despite the mare's electric burst, September Born kept up the gallop to score by a long neck with only half a length separating three Grant and Alana Williams-trained runners behind (Miss Skyhigh, Pompey and Hell I Am). It was September Born's second trial in as many weeks after he closed off in style behind stablemate Bustler at Belmont, showing noticeable physical progression from his previous preparation which featured a Fairetha Stakes win last November. After that trial, trainer Neville Parnham reported the entire to have come through the trial well but was 'extremely gross' and had a 'high heart rate', necessitating the need for Monday's hit-out. He will now aim the untapped sort at a campaign of 'two or three runs', beginning in an $80,000 three-year-old set weights and penalties event over 1200m on May 31. He will then look to emulate his full-sister Kay Cee by winning the Raconteur Stakes (1400m) and Belmont Guineas (1600m) on June 14 and 28 respectively. Earlier, Quokka winning duo Bernie Miller and Pat Carbery combined to salute in the fourth heat with a clever showing from two-year-old Forever Elite. Among the last to leave the gates, the daughter of Maschino quickly recovered along the fence to be only four lengths from leader Leg Godt at the 600m. Cuddled into the straight by Carbery, he finally poked the filly's head through a gap at the 200m and she quickened attractively, making smooth progress on Leg Godt instantaneously. Once shaken up nearing the 100m, Forever Elite steamed past the pace-maker and careered clear, scoring by a length and three quarters. It was the unraced youngster's second trial after taking the eye in a Lark Hill trial when third to Arctic Snow two weeks previous. Her mother, Brave Queen, won just once over 900m at the Gold Coast on a Heavy 10-rated track in March 2010. Shifting to WA later that year, Brave Queen had six starts at Esperance and beat just seven runners home in all of those starts cumulatively. + Junk Yard Clyde, who posted a brilliant 29.47 win to be the fastest WA Derby heat winner on Saturday at Cannington, has drawn box eight in the final. Nominal pre-series favourite West On Sidney missed a start after placing third in his qualifier.
