Today I’m riding at Geelong. The rail is out 5 metres and the track is rated in the soft range.
Race 3 is the DMB Contracting Maiden Plate over 1726 metres, my ride here is ROUSSEAU who is trained by Chris Waller. This three-year-old colt by So You Think is raced by Star Thoroughbreds and partners. He’s had four starts and finished second in his debut run as a two-year-old on heavy ground at Warwick Farm in April. He’s had two runs this preparation as a three-year-old and resumed at Warwick Farm over 1300 metres where he finished fifth behind the promising Joviality. His most recent start was at the Bendigo metropolitan meeting in a strong 3YO maiden where he closed the race off well to finish less than two lengths from the winner. The form from last start will stand up going forward into the Spring and is a good reference for his third-up run today. It will be interesting to see what my instructions are from the wide draw as he is stepping up in distance to 1700 metres for the first time. It looks like he has nice ability and if we have luck in running he can win this.
Race 4 is the All Time Plumbing Three-Years-Old Fillies Maiden Plate over 1121 metres, my ride here is ZELIFY who is trained by Chris Waller. This daughter of Snitzel is raced by Nick Vass Bloodstock and partners. She had one start as a two-year-old last season on heavy ground in New South Wales where she started favourite, and finished less than 3 three lengths from the winner. She’s had two official trials in NSW in preparation for her return and this will be her first time racing the Melbourne way of going. She will start from a wide barrier and has shown natural speed previously, so it will be interesting to see what my instructions are pre-race and how she handles her first run in Victoria.
Race 8 is the Rex Gorell Volkswagen BM64 Handicap over 1726 metres, my ride here is WAIRERE FALLS (NZ) who is trained by Chris Waller. This four-year-old gelding by Savabeel is a half-brother to Sacred Falls and is raced by Go Racing. He’s had six race starts for a record of one win and two minor placings. I rode him in a jumpout at the start of this preparation before he went on to win his maiden at this track over 1200 metres. Since winning his maiden he’s had three more runs and has been racing very consistently with strong form lines around him coming into this. This will be his first attempt at this distance and he too will start from a wide barrier draw. If we have luck in running this is a race he can be very competitive in and he looks well placed to record his second win.
Race 9 is the Ritchie Bros. BM64 Handicap over 1421 metres, my ride here is KUZCO LAD who is trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott. This four-year-old gelding by Zoustar runs in the colours of Blue Sky Bloodstock. It took him seven attempts to win his maiden and he did that last start, in his first Victorian run when I rode him at this course over 1200 metres. The stable has reported that he has taken good confidence from his win and I’m looking forward to seeing him again pre-race. He is stepping up in distance from last start and has drawn a wide barrier. His dominant win last start showed that he has the ability to measure up to this grade and he should take a lot of beating with luck in running. ‘