With the racing continuing to heat up, Moonee Valley and Rosehill took centre stage last Saturday as more runners began their spring campaigns in Melbourne and Sydney. In this week’s edition of the Follow Files, we have identified a few runners that performed very well and appear ready to win next start.
Moonee Valley
Rail position: +4m entire circuit
Race 6: 3YO Fillies Handicap (1200m) | Time: 1:10.39
- Horse to follow: Right To Party (3rd)
Right To Party finished last preparation with a runner-up finish in the Listed Tattersall’s Life Member Stakes, and she appears to have returned in good touch with a very good performance at Moonee Valley. Kicking off her preparation against her own sex and age group, the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained filly made up a stack of ground in the final 400m to finish third, clocking the fastest last 200m (11.32 seconds) of the entire meeting. With a better barrier, she would have finished a lot closer to the top two.
When to bet: There look to be two possible options for Right To Party at Flemington on September 16: the Cap D’Antibes Stakes over 1100m, or the Listed Exford Plate over 1400m. As Flemington is a much bigger track, we expect the Freedmans to stick to the fillies’ contest in the Cap D’Antibes, although she will drop back in distance slightly.
Race 8: Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) | Time: 0:57.05
- Horse to follow: Hypothetical (2nd)
Hypothetical was well backed before her first-up start in the Listed Carlyon Stakes, and she produced a strong finish behind the runaway winner, Acromantula. The leader got everything his way, and this mare settled a few lengths off him, but she let down with a blistering turn of foot and produced the fastest last 600m (33.48 seconds) and third-fastest last 200m (11.37 seconds) for the entire meeting.
When to bet: Hypothetical recorded two placings at Group 3 level last preparation, so the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality over 1200m at Flemington on September 16 looks a great race for her next start.
Rosehill
Rail position: +6m 1500m – WP, +4m Remainder
Race 7: Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) | Time: 1:16.00
- Horse to follow: Encap (3rd)
The Gary Portelli-trained Encap could have been the hardest watch for punters all weekend, as Brett Prebble had to change paths twice in the home straight to find clear running. The three-year-old gelding is yet to break his maiden, but there is an argument to say that he could have done so last Saturday. Prebble settled the son of Capitalist near the back of the field and went for a run along the inside before switching back to the outside and flashing home to finish third.
When to bet: Considering Encap was third-up and most of his rivals were first-up on Saturday, he may have missed his chance to beat the top three-year-olds this spring. We are unsure where Portelli and his team will take this guy next, but if he goes back to maiden grade or a three-year-old benchmark race, he will be winning.
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