On The Money - Goodwood Sprint Day

Matt Rigby | On The Money | Mon 22 August, 2011

The Big Sting:

Kellie Kersley has taken the training ranks by storm since acquring a license in her own right this year. She resurrected the career of Dash Incredible to win three Saturday races in one campaign after failing to win for almost two years. Her latest success is with Tricky Syd, a Northam maiden winner until she took over the preparation and Saturday was his third win from his last four starts. They plunged him in the ring from $6 to $4. The onslaught was so strong, even WA's biggest bookie was betting back to avoid any further damage. And damage he did, sitting midfield the fence, all he needed was clear running and the bookies were in for it.

The Big Drift:

Cohort had the form lines to beat his seven competitors in the first but after opening at $2.80 he drifted heavily to $3.40 and was hard to lay. Thankfully, he got the money over the well supported Risktaker ($8 - $12 - $10).

Idyllic Prince was the $2.80 favourite when betting opened on Thursday afternoon. By raceday, he was the $4.20 second favourite and then drifted in betting proper to $6 before late support back into $5.50. After having won three Goodwood's in a row, we should think ourselves lucky the punters allowed us a win on such a good horse!

Bliss Street opened at $2.60 in the ring before drifting throughout to $3.30. As much as $4.20 was bet on betfair and one could be excused for thinking all was not right with the horse. But her run proved otherwise, powering home under the 58kg to nail the lightly weighted You Say So in the final stride.

As Cold As Ice:

Will To Win was heavily supported from $5 to $4.40 in the 1000m sprint. He had to carry 60kg and win over a journey he had never tried before. There was plenty of confidence however judging by the volume of money. He had the run of the race and did nothing. Follow him over a more suitable journey however.

Lay of the Day:

Celebration Girl got the best run in front you'd ever seen at her previous win, but with all the pace in the 1000m dash this week, she was going to find it decidedly tougher. The price of $3.20 at opening was well under the odds and she was backed from $3.50 to $3.20 on raceday. She was easily the lay of the day.

Black Felix has done nothing but let punters down this campaign. Once again, he opened up well under the odds and was backed in early markets from $6.50 to $5. At race time, he was the heavily backed second favourite, having firmed from $4.80 to $4. Once again, he let punters down and surely needs a spell and chance to start again?

One for the Bagmen:

Freetime is a horse that has saved the bookies on more than one occasion. Grame Ayres has a small but successful team and Freetime eased from $12 to $21in the ring, with no interest whatsoever. It was the result of the day for the bookies with good support coming for Celebration Girl, Will To Win, Marunouchi and Jay Jay Makster.

The Good Thing:

Most had Trustee Brown pencilled in as a good thing. The even money in early markets seemed a good price with most of his opponents somewat out of form and his intentions to head the the Goldfields Cups. Surprisingly, he eased to $2.10 before good support back into $1.85. Circumstances didn't work in his favour, as is often the case in small fields. Trustee Brown was forced to face the breeze and make all the running, only to be collared late by Amelia's Dancer. The good thing.....was not.

Where Theres Smoke:

Gondorff was plonked from $31 to $18 in pre-post betting. Rumour was that there was more money to go on race day, but little eventuated as he drifted from $12 to $15. He never settled at any stage, pulling like a train and was still able to finish off stoutly behind the placegetters in fifth.

Playing God would never have drifted out to $7 in such a race, had his trial not been so bad. Despite that, he was specked into $6 and ran an eye catching race while never really looking like winning. He looks to have come back very well this time in and worth following at his next few runs.