Though good to see Damian Oliver win the Victoria Derby on Warning, and the colt Exceedance take out the Coolmore Stud Stakes for Team Hawkes and Dwayne Dunn, what did not go unnoticed by anyone was the absolutely devastating win by the champion New Zealand mare Melody Belle.
It might have been a Heavy 7 track at Flemington, but Melody Belle put on her galoshes and won the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes with a leg (or two) in the air for jockey Opie Bosson.
"I just love her to bits." – @opie_bosson No horse has won more Group 1s in 2019 than Melody Belle. pic.twitter.com/2pydbhX7Sl — Racing.com (@Racing) November 2, 2019
Away from the Group racing and at the Gold Coast was a remarkable win by the Gillian Heinrich-trained Pay With Cash with Luke Dittman aboard.
Though missing the start by a conservative eight lengths, The Lukester took a cool, calm and collected approach, gathered in the leaders and won going away.
It was a remarkable win and not missed by some in Hong Kong who have shown more than a passing interest in seeing if the quirky galloper is for sale.
Another possible Pakistan Star? Could be along with another enigmatic one in Octane, purchased for a tuppence, trained by Philip Stokes, and which is another of those gallopers who can only win from last to first, repeated again yesterday at Morphetville as the $1.50 favourite with Kayla Crowther on top.
As for Sasa Ladies Purse Day at Sha Tin, there are what the Fast Trackers believe might be winning though we certainly won’t be surprised to be proven to be just as bad as every other tipster around except maybe for Deane Lester in Melbourne.
The tipping game really is potluck and despite the mention of speed maps, form, betting strategies and track work stars, it still comes down to nothing more and nothing less than just plain dumb luck.
What’s the answer? Stay shtung about what you like and try your luck. This way you only have yourself to blame whether you win, lose or draw. But if being paid to sit around and throw out numbers, at least make it entertaining. Right now, listening to tipping shows is…
We just might have something new in this regard- definitely new and entertaining- and young- though definitely not betting on its success rate.
Our suggestions for Sha Tin:
Race 1: Completely uninterested in this Class 5 event over 1200 metres and just another curtain raiser before the start of more protests which will become steadily more violent as day turns into night and most of Hong Kong returns to the safety of their homes and stay there.
If there’s one sure bet, it’s that things are going to get much worse before getting better. There’s no way on earth that those who rule Hong Kong across the border will allow terrorists to continue to run amuck and hold this city to ransom. But back to the racing…
Race 2: 2-6-7-10
Race 3: 2-8-1-3
Race 4: 1-5-9-3
The new first starter for Douglas Whyte-General’s Delight (1) and ridden by Chad Schofield should go close. Very close.
Race 5: 1-2-3-4. Those are just numbers. The truth is that this race has about eight winning chances.
Race 6: 2-1-8-6
Fat Turtle (2)? With Joao Moreira on? Based on his last win: Win.
Race 7: The Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies Purse and it’s really not as cut and dry as some think. Many of the runners are having their first starts for the season and with trainers using this and most likely one more race with the December international races in mind. A galloper like Southern Legend might be race fit, but is he good enough? Maybe good enough to beat a number of runners not race fit. So, it might be one of those races where class prevails.
Confused? So are we. We’ll be keeping an eye on the lightly weighted Ho Ho Khan (10), which carries a featherweight, and take a watching brief.
Race 8: Nothing in this race exactly jumps off the page. Luck in running will as usual play a big part in the outcome, but it’s also a race where an upset might be on the cards. Try 14-6-11-3, but tread warily and think outside of the box.
Race 9: Another extremely tough race. Our suggestions: 12-14-7-8. But with absolutely no confidence.
Race 10: The best race on the card because of its competitive nature and with a couple of runners possibly slipping through the cracks and saluting at big odds. Those “overnight odds” can be very misleading. So can tips.
Our suggestions: 12-5-2-9
