Horse Race Analysis

Greymouth review 14th January

This is the first year since the Westland Racing Club has raced at Omoto after its own track at Hokitika was forced to close by the NZ Racing Authority. The club had a choice between racing at KUmara and Omoto and it was a wise choice as the Kumara Club had trouble with its track with the wet weather and wild pigs digging up part of the back straight.

The track at Omoto for this meeting was a slow 8 or slow 7 which was not bad considering the amount of rain in the district on the Sunday, two days prior to this meeting.

I had originally sorted my horses out for a heavy track but had to change some when the going improved so much.

Here is how I went;

Race 1-I backed Grand Express and The Buffer in this; they both raced on the 11th with Grand Express second and The Buffer seventh. The Buffer lost six lengths last time out and finished within five lengths from the winner so was worth putting in. The favourite Expressive was having her fourth start in nine days so I flagged her.

Result; Expressive won paying $3.50 and $1.30, The Buffer was second at $1.50 and Grand Express third at $1.50.

Race 2-Wynmoore, Crop, and Bruzo were the ones I backed here with Crop at $4 being the shortest odds of the trio.

Wynmoore I thought would like the slow track. Crop finished second at Reefton while Bruzo won on Saturday. I backed him then and decided to go again with him.

Wynmoore set the pace and I was confident he was going to hang on but Bruzo who was last down the back straight came right down the outside and won well from Promising and Wynmoore.

Bruzo had a record of three wins from eleven starts which was considerably better than the majority in the field.

Race 3-Shadow King, Top Laurels, and Locally Sauced were the three I backed here. I was going to back The Bumper on a heavy track but when the going came back to a slow 8, I left him out. Shadow KIng won this paying around $3.50 for a win. Top Laurels was disappointing while Locally Sauced failed to run on.

Race 4-This was a poor field but I thought My Hugo who won on the Saturday to win again but he was disappointed. Are You Cereal won this, a maiden with maiden winners from Saturday eligible to compete. Are You Cereal was only having his fourth race start. He had finished fourth at Reefton the previous Wednesday so was on a seven-day backup. Secret Runner was the favourite; he was having his fourth start in nine days. He won over 2000m on the Saturday and was dropping back to 1500m this time which put me off him.

Race 5-This was another mixed form race but I backed Ripinroll who had finished fourth at Reefton the previous Wednesday finishing within two lengths of the winner that day. He got home by a nose here at odds of 8/1. Vee Twelve finished second. I backed this horse at Reefton but he was dropping from a 2000m race to 1500m. Billy Mav was the other horse I backed and he was disappointing. He won on the course and distance at his previous start.

Race 6-This was a weight for age race for fillies and mares yet apprentices could claim. Go figure! Anyway, in these races you go for the highest rated horses and in this race it was Ticket to Ride, Torre Del Greco, and Dreaming Easy in that order. Torro DEl Greco won the race from Ticket to Ride with Hazelnut third.

Race 7-This was an open affair with good odds on offer. I backed several, they were Keep the Cash, O’Shannon, Way Above, and Garment.

O’Shannon and Way Above are Kevin Myers trained horses and I had to back both as they were at good odds while Keep the Cash at 8/1 was a worth backing on a slow track. Garment is a known wet tracker and was going from a 1100m race on Saturday to a 1500m race plus the slow track and 3kg apprentice claim were always going to suit her.

Garment led all of the way at 25/1, Way Above finished second also at 25/1, Keep the Cash finished third at around 9/1