On The Money - 18th September

Matt Rigby | On The Money | Mon 19 September, 2011

The moving of the Perth Metro meeting to avoid the clash with the Kalgoorlie Cup meeting was a bold one. Certainly it was a success for the Kalgoorlie Boulder Race Club but did it work for Perth Racing? From a bookies perspective, it wasn't "bad" by any stretch. There was a decent crowd, which wasn't at all helped by the pitiful weather. The turnover was decent aswell. One thinks a fine weather day would have made a massive difference and we may have been crowing it a huge success.

The "Monty"

It was hard to find a way that Wild Charger was going to be beaten. Barring bad luck, actually, extremely bad luck, there was nothing that could really outsprint the last start winner. In hindsight, the evens they bet early was pretty generous and the punters backed him in from $1.80 to $1.70 on raceday. He won, as expected.

Under The Odds

O'Vaticano debuted in the midweeks, sitting third the fence and being afforded every possible hope. Second up he had to match it in much better company and was at the very least, a double figures chance. Opening the tote favourite he drifted from $4 to $6 but was still way under the odds in our book.

The Big Disappointment

His runs this campaign had been well below his best but still Bridgestone was steady in the ring at $2.20 and $2.30 throughout. For a horse that has won the SW Breeders Plate, the JC Roberts Stakes and the Dayana Plate, to be beaten comprehensively by Gum Nut Guru and Peg's Pride, is well below par. Bridgestone hasn't returned a patch on his former 3yo form.

The Bolter

Marco Chui threw caution to the wind, literally, as he led on Rocking The Blues, into a stiff headwind, in the last of the day. He kept the $31 chance powering to the line in what was a big result to finish the day for bookies. The second placegetter, Nediym's Ruler would have been a similar result had Rocking The Blues not held on.

As Cold As Ice

Rafferty was the short price and heavily supported favourite in the last ($2.80 - $2.60). Even though the Ross and Clint Price trained gelding was well out of his ground on straightening, thats where they had been winning from for most of the day. Despite being held up in the second half of the straight, he was never going to win.

The Plunge

Knight Fury was posted at $5.50 when markets first went up on Thursday with some of the corporates. This was quickly snaffled, as was the $4.60 and the $4. On raceday, $3 was the best available and punters rallied yet again to see Knight Fury start well under the odds at $2.60. After over racing badly, Knight Fury battled away to run third only to be outdone by Moneghetti, who was the early market favourite, drifting heavily to $5 before some late support into $4.60.

Chester Road was a similar story, heavily supported from $4.20 into $3 favourite in the sixth. At the same time, Amici Nero, who was at one time headed for the Victoria Derby, was plonked from $4 to $3.30 while Lunar Image was the big drifter from $3.20 early favourite out to $4.40 on some books. Unlike Knight Fury, Chester Road was able to win with a leg in the air and deliver a crushing result for bookies.

Impossible to Lay

Speccio had stepped up to open company with plenty of success in his last campaign. First up on Saturday however, he was friendless drifting from $3 on Thursday, $4 in opening markets and closing a $7 shot and impossible to lay. He ran accordingly in 8th position.

Wide of the Mark

Gum Nut Guru is a horse from the Justin Warwick stable who has been the attention of huge support in the past. Saturday was no exception as his followers backed the grey from $8.50 in early markets and then from $6 into $4.40 on race day. The Guru is never far away, but seldom delivers for his band of followers, winning just once in 12 starts this campaign, while placing eight times.

The Big Drift

Master Sin opened at $7 and wobbled hopelessly out to $12 without any takers. Top Gallant ($4.60 - $6) was a similar story in the same race and was beaten at the turn, going down by in excess of 20 lengths.

Cohort had found a purple patch of form in the last month, but his supporters didnt get warm on Saturday, watching him drift from $3.50 to $5.50 with no frieds at all.

Where There's Smoke

Kim Coin was crunched from $10 into $6.50 and probalby hasn't copped the best of rides / conditions at his last two runs. The money suggests he's doing plenty right on the training track so it might be worth sticking for one more run under the right conditions.

There was plenty of stable confidence about The Widder in the last despite his easing from $6 to $7 during betting. He was held up moentarily in the straight, which probably cost him his chance of catching the two bolters, Rocking The Blues and Nediym's Ruler.