Youngsters Contesting Thursday Group 1 Heats

Restricted Age Group racing for the current season gets underway at the Addington Raceway this Thursday evening with three 520m heats being held to decide the finalists for the following week’s $30,000 Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger at Group 1 level.

Pictured: Last season’s Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger winner was Diddilee for the Foxton based trainer Angela Turnwald

 

Not surprisingly the heats are dominated by Canterbury trainer youngsters, although last year’s winning kennel are sending a couple of chasers south from her Foxton base.

 

Here’s a look at those heat contenders, with their respective TAB Futures and Top 3 market quotes.

 

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger – heat 1, race 7

1 Silent Dismissal $14 & $4: Geez, this bloke was a really bold when this C2 graded chaser delivered his solid 1.25 length third placing in last Friday’s Kernow Construction Classic 520m final at Group 1 level. He is prepared by last year’s winning NZ St Leger trainer and he has drawn to make his presence felt in his heat.   

 

2 Pearls Are Us $18 & $5: She is resuming after last being sighted November 29 when she contested a Hatrick Group 1 520m heat. A competitive fresh up heat effort can be expected from her handy draw here. She brings a quick 29.97s best winning 520m time around this circuit into this heat.

 

3 Longshanks $21 & $6: He’s a C3 graded strong finishing chaser who was held in the midfield pack when he contested his Sunday C3/4 520m event. He was an effortless prior 32.72s Forbury Park C2 545m winner.

 

4 Goldstar Yankee $126 & $21: He is giving away a slice of class to his heat rivals being a current C1 assessed chaser. He’s backing up from his traffic impeded Tuesday C1 520m outing here.

 

5 Vacant Box 

 

6 Opawa Toddy $6 & $2.30: This bloke is already a Black type winner, having annexed the Waikato Classic at Group 2 level up at Cambridge earlier this month. He is quickly compiling a tidy career record and he holds obvious advancement claims from this heat.

 

7 Uthor Bale $6 & $2.30: He copped a check when going into the first turn during his Sunday C5 520m assignment. He was absolutely massive when he delivered his prior Group 1 520m heat third after he all but fell on the first turn. The small field size here is likely to aid this powerful finishing fella.  

 

8 Opawa Nat $21 & $6: She had an unplanned altercation with the rail after she made a tardy start in her Sunday C5 outing. Drawing out wide can assist the claims held by this holder of a tidy 30.01s best winning 520m time at this venue.

 

   

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger heat 1 contenders include (from left): Silent Dismissal; Opawa Toddy; Uthor Bale

 

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger – heat 2, race 8

1 Ulyssa Bale $51 & $11: She has been short course sprinting lately as seen by her handy 17.39s Sunday C4 295m win. She’s having her first taste of 520m racing since she crossed the Tasman which suggests that she must jump straight onto the pace from her kind draw here.

 

2 Go Vegas $12 & $3.80: He is returning from a brief freshen up following his last start January 9 C5 520m miss. Prior to that he contested the Group 2 457m Waikato Classic final. A competitive effort can be expected from this bloke here.  

 

3 Seve $14 & $4: He owns a fair amount of early pace and he can make things look rather interesting for a long way here by using that asset. He set up the pace, then was run down late in his last start Restricted Age 520m outing.

 

4 Punters Bolt $51 & $11: She didn’t receive any early racing favours when she contested her Tuesday C3/4 Forbury Park 545m event. She must place herself handy to the early pace if she’s going to feature here. 

 

5 Vacant Box:

 

6 Opawa Vinny $51 & $11: He has been open class 295m sprinting lately, which includes his sound two-length Sunday second. He is a proven chaser over this 520m distance as seen by the handy record (30.20s best) he has compiled over it.   

 

7 Electric Silk $21 & $6: She adds the intrigue factor to this heat by making her NZ race debut outing here from a strong kennel. She was last presented over the Dapto (NSW) 520m trip. She owns obvious strength has been by her trio of solid efforts over the 600m distance at that venue.

 

8 Goldstar Truman $101 & $18: He’s facing a tough task in this field, being a C1 graded chaser. He suffered from a traffic impeded Tuesday C1 520m race.

 

  

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger heat 2 contenders include (from left): Go Vegas; Seve; Opawa Vinny

 

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger – heat 3, race 9

1 Xabil Bale $5 & $2: She was always in control of the pace when she delivered her strong 30.10s Sunday C3/4 win from trap 8. She is quickly building a solid looking Addington 520m record which includes her tidy 30.03s best 520m winning clock. The series favourite has drawn to feature here.

 

2 Punters A Hero $31 & $8: He was gallant when delivering his Tuesday Forbury Park NZRS Novice 545m third when he was involved in the chase after the freewheeling pacemaker. He’s now C2 graded chaser who is facing his toughest career test in this heat.  

 

3 Darla Bale $14 & $4: She endured a luckless Sunday C5 520m outing here when she was dragged down when heading into the first turn. She was sound when she claimed her prior C4/5 30.47s 520m win.

 

4 Ozzie $21 & $6: He rocked his rivals when he finished strongly to nail his last start feature Restricted Age 30.21s 520m win here. He is a member of a talented litter and he is prepared in a kennel that has been firing out a steady stream of recent winners.

 

5 New Note $21 & $6: He is putting together a handy record in the lower grades. He receives a tough draw for his return to racing after his last start January 2 C2 520m 4.75 length second (to Xabil Bale).  He must jump straight onto the pace here.

 

6 Opawa Deal $6 & $2.30: He was involved in a real torrid Sunday C5 520m finish when he only missed by a nose margin after he hopped away from this trap. He must be respected here as he is bringing in tidy best winning 520m 29.98s time.    

 

7 Meandering $81 & $16: He resumed from a freshen up when he delivered a sound Friday Hatrick C1/2 two-length 520m second. Yes, he is out graded here being C2 assessed, however he did display potential in his early career races. He adds interest here by being on track debut.    

 

8 Goldstar Mauney $26 & $7: He has been stylishly working his way through the grades as was seen by his bold pace making Sunday C3/4 30.23s 520m win when he was C3 graded. His advancement claims from this heat certainly cannot be lightly dismissed.  

 

  

Active Electrical Christchurch NZ St Leger heat 3 contenders include (from left): Punters A Hero; Opawa Deal; Meandering

 

By Peter Fenemor